General
CAES’ New Students Advised to Work Hard and Guard Against Hooliganism
The Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University on Wednesday, 8th August 2018 advised the new students admitted under the college to work hard so that they can be retained as academics.
“We all worked hard to attain these positions; you also need to work hard such that you can remain with us, but all this calls for no retake“ he said.
The Principal was speaking during the orientation of new students admitted to study under the college in its different departments and schools. Held in the Biology Laboratory, the college-based orientation was attended by over 600 undergraduate students.
Members of staff including management and administrative staff addressed students on number aspects including academics, discipline, security, financial management, health among others.
Every academic year, first year students are oriented first at the university level and then at college and departmental levels on university policies, general conduct as well as dos and don’ts of the university.
Speaker after speaker welcomed students to CAES describing it as the best science college in the university which they should be proud of.
“It is one of the best, largest and most diverse colleges because it offers the largest number of disciplines. Our strength is in diverse areas like soil science, agronomy, crop science, agricultural economics, extension and innovation, food science and nutrition, and agricultural engineering among others,“ explained the Principal Bernard Bashaasha.
During the orientation the students were informed about the university processes, requirements and rules for registration as a key requirement for recognition in the university, fees payment, library access, pass marks and penalties for non compliance with the academic conduct which includes suspension and dismissal from the university.
The 2018/2019 first year students were also cautioned against anti-social behavior including theft, drunkenness, fighting, exchange of sex for marks, involvement in strikes, disrespect of fellow students based on background, forging documents and bad company saying this tarnishes the image of the university.
The students were also advised to desist from changing courses without expert advice, follow the right channels in addressing their problems, always read notice boards, be mature and responsible, be innovative, and have the self drive to read on their own.
Prof. Bashaasha in his submission re-echoed the fact that the university is facing competition from other private Universities. He nevertheless challenged the students not to fear the competition but work towards beating it and retaining the position of Makerere as number one in Africa.
He however advised them to always focus on what brought them to the university and utilize the available student leadership and other available resources like the bio-technology lab, food technology and business incubation centre, animal science and forestry among others.
On a special note, Bashaasha advised the students to always visit the available worship centers and meet with the religious leaders for special counselling if the university has not solved their problems and advised them to avoid getting into trouble by avoiding places like nightclubs and bars or else retakes awaited them. He also called upon the students especially the girls to dress appropriately in respect of themselves, the staff and fellow students.
Bashaasha advised the freshers to always take part in the inter-hall and inter-university games in addition to academics so as to refresh their minds and perform better.
The college, he said, has got nine centres which they must utilize well in order to make the most of their stay at the university. These include the; Continuing Agricultural Education Centre (CAEC), Centre of Excellence in Waste Management, Centre for Climate Change Research and Innovation (MUCCRI), Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre (FTBIC), Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI), Agricultural Resources Research Centre among others.
The Team leader Finance Mrs. Baguma congratulated the female students upon having been admitted in a science-based college CAES on merit given the fact that many female students drop out of school.
“For the years I have spent in Makerere, it is my first time to see a female College President. In the past women were considered to always be lagging behind but for you, you are special. Don’t lead to the downfall of CAES. You should be knowledgeable about the university policies and don’t be misguided as far as finance issues are concerned.
Don’t lead yourself to actions that will put you in trouble. Don’t think you will fall in love with lecturers to award you marks but work hard to progress in your careers” she advised.
The college registrar Mr. Edward Obura advised the students who applied for tuition loans not to be overly dependent on them if they are to meet the university’s fees payment deadlines.
“There is limited stock for loans, but since you are required to pay 60% of the tuition you must try outside the box such that you can get registered on time“ he said.
The college custodian Mr. Isaac Obuli Egesa advised the freshers to take advantage of his office so as to ensure safe custody of their property.
“I oversee opening and closing times of this college and look out for those who might be moving with harmful gadgets. I will not allow them, since am the shock absorber for all the staff and students in the college”.
He added, “We are an environmental college, irresponsible littering will not be allowed because we have to leave by the name of our college, “he said.
Story compiled by;
Agnes Nankebe Nantambi,
Intern, Communication Office, CAES
The Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD), Makerere University on 14th September 2021 presented findings from phase one of the study on Enhancing Women’s Participation and Visibility in Leadership and Decision-Making Organs of Public Universities in Uganda through Action Research. The study team led by the Director GMD and Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Euzobia Mugisha Baine also consists of Assoc. Prof. Consolata Kabonesa, Dr. Anna Ninsiima, Ms. Frances Nyachwo, Ms. Susan Mbabazi and Mr. Eric Tumwesigye.
The team is also made of coordinators from participating Universities such as Busitema University-Ms. Elizabeth Birabwa, Kabale University-Sr. Dr. Eva Tumusiime, Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)-Dr. Specioza Twinamasiko, Muni University-Ms. Amandru Stella Wawa, and Gulu Univeristy-Sr. Rosalba Aciro.
Funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF), the study was inspired by the fact that women are persistently few in numbers as staff, more so in leadership and decision-making organs of Ugandan Public Universities. “This is despite all the various efforts at national and international levels; the numbers are not growing as fast as needed to meet development goals of the country” explained Dr. Euzobia.
Based on this background, the study team therefore sought to conduct a situational analysis of the gender terrain of the six public universities to obtain baseline information encompassing the composition of governance and leadership organs and senior staff by sex, as well as a needs assessment and profiles of potential mentors and mentees.
Furthermore, the team sought to explore the capacity to conduct gender-responsive research as well as the role of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions within the universities as the drivers of development.
Dr. Mugisha-Baine shared that results of the baseline would then be used to design participatory training manuals or guides on gender and leadership. The manuals would cover; Institutionalized mentorship, How to conduct gender-responsive research, gender and equity budgeting, among others.
“Within these manuals, we shall have a male staff engagement strategy in gender equity interventions in universities” she explained.
The development of the aforementioned materials would then be followed by their adoption and use to build capacity for women not only in leadership of participating and other public university but also beyond. “We shall periodically evaluate whether the capacity we have built has influenced women’s participation in leadership and decision-making organs of the university” supplemented the PI.
The capacity building trainings for women, it is envisaged, will lay the foundation for the formation of a functional Uganda University Women’s Think Tank, starting with the six participating universities. Dr. Mugisha Baine added that through this Think Tank, a monitoring and tracking system for gender representation in recruitment, promotion, retention/turnover and leadership of public universities shall be established and maintained.
At the conclusion of phase one, the study team had drafted participatory training manuals in gender and leadership with content on; gender specific critical analysis of the leadership spectrum of public universities, positioning of individual women within the institutional framework and strategies for their advancement, gender equity advocacy in the university setting, institutional mentorship, building capacity in conducting gender-responsive research, among others.
“This content will be validated by the participating universities before the actual research training is conducted” added the PI.
On behalf of the research team, Dr. Mugisha Baine thanked the Government of Uganda for providing the resources that facilitated phase one of the study and prayed that the Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) would support the next phase of capacity building.
Speaking on behalf of the Mak-RIF GMC Chairperson, Prof. William Bazeyo, Dr. Helen Nambalirwa Nkabala thanked and congratulated the team led by the Director GMD upon the milestones registered in the critical research.
“We are very proud of that work that is being done by all researchers in Mak-RIF and we would like to most sincerely thank Management for all the support throughout this process” she remarked.
Dr. Nkabala encouraged the research team to continue disseminating and using the findings for the furtherance of gender mainstreaming, particularly through the aspect of male staff engagement in gender equity interventions.
Prior to delivering the keynote address of the day, the Executive Director National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Prof. Mary Okwakol thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for inviting her to the important forum, noting that women’s participation in decision making and governance is a priority area of the Uganda Gender Policy 2007.
She commended Makerere University for being at the forefront of gender mainstreaming in Uganda, noting that this prominence was one of the reasons why the Gender in Education Policy 2007 provides for replicating the institution’s strategy in all other Higher Education Institutions.
Prof. Okwakol whose keynote address was punctuated incisive personal examples reaffirmed the statistics that women are generally not visible in leadership of Universities. That notwithstanding, in instances where they rise to leadership and decision-making positions, they are regularly subject to roles traditionally deemed as women’s inconsiderate of their managerial seniority and experience.
She nevertheless rallied the women to play their respective roles in enhancing participation and visibility at a personal level. The following were some of the strategies she proposed; work hard to acquire academic credentials so as to compete favourably with men, acquire necessary administrative training and experience, network among women, join professional networks as well as do research and publish.
On joining professional networks, she shared her personal experience as a young zoologist who joined UNESCO’s Tropical Biology and Fertility Programme. “Within a short time I was appointed Coordinator for Africa and after two years, I was elected as a Member of the International Board of Management. After serving for two years, I became Vice Chairperson of that Board and finally I became Chairperson of that International Board.”
At the institutional level, Prof. Okwakol appealed to the Chairperson Council and Vice Chancellor to proactively recruit women who meet the requirements for leadership positions even if it means actively seeking out the reluctant ones. In this regard, she shared that it would be useful for the university to develop a database of women and their qualifications to ease this process.
She shared that NCHE has in recognition of female underrepresentation at every level in Higher Education approved the establishment of a Gender and Equity Unit with the aim of promoting inclusive gender participation in the sub-sector.
“This unit has been placed under the Directorate of Quality Assurance and Accreditation which implies that as we look out for and regulate quality, gender will be a very important aspect of that regulation” she reassured.
Prof. Okwakol concluded by urging participants to read the; Third National Development Plan (NDPIII), Uganda Vision 2040, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) noting that there is no way all three can be achieved while women are left behind because they each make a case for inclusion of the female gender.
“What we are addressing here are historical injustices” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe as he commenced his remarks, “And in the case of Makerere University, it is well known that the institution started as a male-only institution and we all know the original motto was ‘Let us be men’” he added.
Citing examples from history such as; Marie Curie – one of the smartest physicists, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti and Cleopatra – prominent Pharaohs of Egypt, George Eliot, Rosa Luxemburg and Hypatia – all great philosophers as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel – first female Chancellor of Germany, the Vice Chancellor said there is no plausible argument that there are things women cannot do as well as their male counterparts.
He said it was against this knowledge and in a bid to correct historical injustices that Makerere University pioneered initiatives such as putting in place affirmative action for girls, establishing a Gender Mainstreaming Directorate as well as a School of Women and Gender Studies. The Vice Chancellor nevertheless stressed the need to go beyond pioneering to protecting these gains through legislation. “Historically we have seen that discrimination can only be addressed by laws and policies.”
Prof. Nawangwe thanked the Government for providing funds to support Mak-RIF as well as the Funds GMC and Secretariat for ensuring that these funds are put to good use. He equally thanked the Chairperson of Council, Mrs. Lorna Magara for her not only her support but also sparing time to attend a good number of the research dissemination events.
Delivering the concluding remarks, Mrs. Magara acknowledged that the study was timely and relevant the contemporary University, as one of the critical drivers of the national and international development agenda. She therefore reechoed the Vice Chancellor’s thanks to the Government of Uganda for generously supporting the University’s research through Mak-RIF.
Turning to the keynote speaker she said, “I thank Prof. Okwakol for ardently discussing the critical issues affecting the female gender, the strategies to overcome the challenges, including sharing her inspiring personal experiences.”
Mrs. Magara equally thanked Prof. Okwakol for her very instructional analysis, providing mentorship guidance with the resultant impact of enhancing the female gender in decision-making positions. In the same breath she congratulated the PI and her team upon successfully concluding phase one of the project.
“Phase one has generated insights in understanding the status of women in leadership in public universities, the legal and policy framework and its implications on women’s visibility, the institutional mentoring systems and the gaps therein” she observed.
The Chairperson of Council acknowledged that the challenge of underrepresentation of women in leadership roles cannot be resolved at an individual level. She therefore advocated for broad based strategies that can address deep-seated structural and cultural biases facing women. “These include developing mentorship networks, enacting laws and policies that address the imbalances and providing training programmes to address the leadership gaps.”
She therefore pledged the University Council’s unwavering support to the Gender Mainstreaming Programme by ensuring an enabling policy environment that facilitates gender-responsive teaching, learning, research innovation and community service.
The research dissemination was moderated by the Principal Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ms. Ritah Namisango and the Director Communications, Learning and Knowledge Management, ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) and PRO Mak-RIF, Ms. Harriet Adong.
