General
Mak holds Consultative meeting: Stakeholders enrich draft Counselling & Guidance Policy
On Friday 1st April 2022, Makerere University convened a consultative meeting that brought on board staff from different units of the University to provide views that would further inform the ongoing process of developing the Counselling and Guidance Policy.
The formulation of the Counselling and Guidance Policy is a key component of the research project titled, Strengthening Psychosocial Support Services at Makerere University. The research project is funded by the Government of Uganda through Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF). Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Counselling and Guidance is the Principal Investigator.
Welcoming the participants, the Facilitator of the meeting, Dr. David Onen from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) emphasized the need for stakeholder consultation, engagement and involvement in policy formulation.
“Stakeholders should be consulted. Consultation enables us to understand the needs of those to be affected by the Policy. It provides a platform to reach a common understanding of the goal and objectives of the policy, its benefits and implementation. When people are consulted, it leads to ownership of the policy,” he said.
Providing a reflection on Policy making, Dr. Onen informed the stakeholders that the ultimate beneficiary of the policy should be the learner. With Makerere University being an education institution, the stakeholders should focus on answering the question: “How does the policy benefit the learner?” He highlighted that a good policy must be goal based. He also appealed to every stakeholder to always follow a bottom-to-top approach in policy formulation.
In a presentation on the need for a Counselling and Guidance Policy, Mr. Nsubuga explained that psychosocial support services are crucial in ensuring holistic growth, development and wellbeing of students and staff. He pointed out that the learner does not operate in a vacuum and as such, the learner’s environment significantly determines his or her performance and wellbeing in general.
“In the pursuit of his or her goal while at Makerere University, the learner is faced with a number of challenges in the environment. Some of these issues if not attended to quite fast have a negative effect on the learner’s academic performance, mental, physical and social wellbeing as well as staff providing services to the learners,” he said.
He noted that some of the challenges could be academic, financial, unfulfilled dreams, unrealistic goals, relationship-based, health issues to mention, but a few. Some, he added, could be coming from issues external to the learner’s environment such as family, but still have significant impact on the learners’ focus and wellbeing. In the same vein, some of the staff providing education services could also be grappling with the same issues affecting learners.
From the participant’s point of view, the development of the Counselling and Guidance Policy would contribute to strengthening psychosocial support services at the University.
Building on the presentations, the Facilitator of the day, Dr. David Onen asked a question: “How many of you feel that it is important for Makerere University to develop a Counselling and Guidance Policy?”
With the pace already set, Dr. Onen was preaching to the converted, and the stakeholders unanimously agreed that it was necessary to formulate the Counselling and Guidance policy.
Pleased with the positivity towards the process of policy formulation, Dr. Onen engaged the participants through interactive group discussions focusing on the objectives of the policy, the people to be affected by the policy, counselling and guidance services being provided, and recommendations of the Counselling and Guidance services that the stakeholders would like to be offered. The views of the stakeholders were effectively captured for incorporation into the proposed Mak Counselling and Guidance Policy.
Providing a Way Forward, stakeholders stressed the need to fast-track the development of the policy and unanimously agreed that the Counselling and Guidance Centre should play a central role and participate in all issues that concern students and staff at all levels. They further called for the integration of digitization in the provision of counselling and guidance services.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Nsubuga thanked the Co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Elizabeth Nansubuga for the commitment towards the implementation of the research project. He commended the Facilitator and Stakeholders for the active participation that had provided valuable input into the draft Mak Counselling and Guidance Policy. He also acknowledged the University Management for supporting the strategies aimed at strengthening counselling and guidance services at Makerere University.
Written by: Ritah Namisango, Mak Public Relations Office
The Director of Makerere University Jinja Campus, Associate Professor Ronald Kakungulu-Mayambala, has urged students to familiarise themselves with the Safeguarding policy aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive learning environment.
Speaking during the safeguarding policy sensitization meeting held today Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at the Civil Service College, Jinja, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, emphasized the importance of awareness and adherence to the policy, which seeks to protect students, staff, and other stakeholders from all forms of abuse, harassment, exploitation, and discrimination.
“As Management we want every student to enjoy their stay at the University without being tormented and that can only happen, if students know their rights by reading about different policies on our website. You are meant to be living in a safe environment. We do not want anybody’s dream to be shattered or somebody to drop out from University,” Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, said.
In his speech, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, also called upon students who have complaints but do not know the reporting lines, to approach staff safeguarding champions to make sure that they live in a safe environment.
Addressing guests, Emmanuel Muchake, the Guild Administrator at Jinja Campus, pointed out that the launch of the safeguarding policy is timely because as a University, without creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning, they will not have students graduate.
On Friday, April 4,2025, the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio, Right Honourable Lukia Isanga Nakadama, officially launched the Safeguarding Policy and commended Makerere University for crafting a policy that lays out the University’s framework for embedding viable safeguarding measures into its ethos and all institutional activities and processes to: Identify, detect, and act swiftly on safeguarding risks.
The Safeguarding Policy was developed in response to the growing need for institutions of higher learning to implement proactive measures that address concerns related to student welfare, mental health, gender-based violence, and power imbalances in academic settings.
Some of potential safeguarding risks in Institutions of higher learning include emotional distress, Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH); material loss, financial exploitation, discrimination and neglect, unfair and illegitimate response to civic engagements, cyber security/threats, psychological and emotional harm, substance abuse and physical assault. Discrimination and neglect which are often high risks for students with disabilities and international students.
The safeguarding policy sensitization meeting in Jinja Campus brought together students and staff in a meaningful dialogue on safeguarding issues affecting learning.
The event was graced by Dr. Rodney Rugyema, from the Dean of Students Office, who emphasized the University’s commitment to the well-being of all its members. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of safeguarding policies in preventing abuse, harassment, exploitation, and other forms of misconduct within the Jinja Campus community.
“Safeguarding is not a one-time action, but a continuous culture of care and accountability. We all have a role to play in ensuring a safe and respectful space for learning and growth,” Dr Rugyema, said.
The sensitization session covered key topics including; recognizing signs of abuse, understanding reporting procedures on the MakSafeSpace and fostering mutual respect among peers.
Participants were encouraged to actively engage and reflect on their roles in upholding safety standards both on and off campus.
Students who attended the sensitization welcomed the initiative, with many expressing optimism that the policy would improve campus safety and encourage victims to come forward without fear of retaliation.
“We have seen issues go unreported in the past because students didn’t know where to turn. This policy provides clarity and assurance that the university is taking these matters seriously,” noted, a third-year student.
The University plans to conduct a series of sensitization workshops and distribute printed copies of the policy to ensure that every member of the campus community is well-informed. This initiative is part of Makerere University‘s broader strategy to reinforce its values of integrity, respect, and protection for all.
The Safeguarding Sensitization Meeting concluded with a collective pledge to uphold safety, dignity, and mutual respect within the University community.
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