Makerere to scrap 31 courses.Drive Hot News

Students attend a recent graduation ceremony at Makerere University. The university is in the process of reviewing its programmes. File photo 

KAMPALA- Makerere University is in the process of reviewing most of its academic programmes and at least 31 courses may be phased out.

The university said the latest move, in which courses such as Bachelors in Leadership and Governance, Office and Information Management, Wildlife Health and Management, and Master’s of Religious Studies, among others, may be completely phased out due to a budgetary shortfall.

Ms Ritah Namisango, the university spokesperson, said for any institution faced with a shortfall in projected income, it reviews its costs, needs and expenditure.

And as such, the university will concentrate on core functions to reduce expenses.

“The consultations are on going, and this report is expected at the end of November. It will provide an informed study to the University Council, and hence be in position to make further adjustments as well as prioritisation of needs/concentration on core services,” Ms Namisango said.

Appointed committee 
In the meantime, she said in a statement, the University Council, which is the supreme governing body, appointed a committee headed by Mr Bruce Kabasa to review the financing situation at the country’s oldest institution of higher learning to provide guidance on income and expenditure, prioritisation in relation to the increasing demands in the operations environment among others.

Other members include: Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, deputy vice chancellor [Finance], Prof J.B. Nyakana, Prof Jacob Agea, Dr Tumps Ireeta, Dr Margaret Mangeni and Prof Kiyaga Nsubuga.

Mr Kabasa yesterday confirmed the development, saying they are expected to review the progress of the implementation of the 70 per cent incentive which was given to staff last year.

They are also supposed to establish whether all staff have the required workload, able to deliver, look at the budget performance and review courses to ensure there are no duplicated courses.

“There are some lecturers who have no workload. There are those who are teaching duplicated courses. We are looking at sustainability of these courses and how duplicated courses can be harmonised,” Mr Kabasa said.

For instance, he said research methods are taught almost in every unit where each has been employing a lecturer. But he believes this can be harmonised so that students who are in departments where there are few students can join their colleagues in other units so that fewer lecturers are retained.

This is not the first time the university is trying to restructure its courses. In 2010, a committee chaired by Prof Fredrick Jjuuko recommended that 31 courses be phased out, 10 be merged while three others be suspended.

The report noted that most courses offered were duplicated and required merging while others needed to be eliminated in order to resolve the duplication of courses and cut costs. However, implementation received a lot of resistance especially from departments which were affected.

AFFECTED COURSES

Phased out 
B. Leadership and Governance 
B. Office and Information Management 
B. Procurement and Supplies Management 
B. Human Resource Management 
B. International Business 
B. Science in Conservation Biology 
B. Wildlife Health & Management Organisational Studies 
PGD in Environmental Journalism & Communication 
PGD in mass communication
PGD in Education 
M. Religious Studies 
M. Hospitality and Tourism Management 
M. Science in Leadership & Governance 
M. Science in Entrepreneurship 
M. Science in Banking & Investment
Suspended courses 
B. Sports Science 
B. Science (External) 
B. Science in Telecommunication Engineering
Merged Courses 
B. Arts Human Rights to Faculty of Law 
B. Procurement & Supplies, Human Resource Mgt, International Business to make Bachelors of Business Administration. 
MA. Media and Human Rights [reconciled] with Media Democracy & Human Rights mandate given to MA. Journalism and Communication 
BSc. Business Statistics with BA Statistics 
MA. Social Sciences and Arts Education. 
MA. Ethics & Public Mgt & MA Public Admin 
To be transferred 
B. Urban and Regional Planning to F. Technology 
B. Business Statistics to Institute of Statistics 
MA. Educ. Psychology to Dept of Psychology