The JLU is set up within an academic department within which linguistics is taught and academic research in the discipline carried out. The JLU will, therefore, be integrated into the teaching and research currently taking place within the Linguistics Section of the Department, with the work of both academic staff and students feeding into the work of the JLU.

The JLU takes advantage of (i) the extensive academic and research material on Jamaican already in existence and available (ii) the range of existing expertise in the area of linguistics, much of it accessible within the department itself and on the other UWI campuses. As a result, the initial costs of running the JLU would be absorbed by the existing physical infrastructure and staffing of the department.