General
MUDF Continuation Emphasizes role of Deans in realization of Academic Policies
The Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA organized a continuation of the third Makerere University Deans’ Forum (MUDF) on 21st October 2022 to further acquaint Deans with the policy environment in which they operate. At the previous workshop held on 29th September 2022, Deans received presentations from the Vice Chancellor – Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, DVCAA and Patron MUDF – Prof. Umar Kakumba, Chairperson MUDF Executive Committee and Dean, School of Public Health – Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Quality Assurance Director (QAD) – Dr. Cyprian Misinde as well as policy highlights from the Deputy Registrar (Senate) – Mrs. Patience Mushengyezi and Deputy Director Research and Graduate Training – Prof. Robert Wamala. Also shared at the previous workshop were past experiences of Deans, Prof. Ronald Bisaso and Prof. John Mango.
Welcoming Deans to the workshop, Prof. Wanyenze said MUDF, the brainchild of Prof. Umar Kakumba, was founded on 14th June 2019 out of the need to create a space for Deans to get together outside Senate, get to know each other better and share common interests. “We have had the opportunity to share what’s challenging us and we have passed these on to our patron the DVCAA.”
She added that orientation of Deans and leaders in the university is an important activity and the workshop was an opportunity to specifically acquaint themselves with the foundations of academic policy. She equally advised Deans to take keen interest in the activities of the MUDF particularly its governance, with elective positions that run for two-year terms, renewable once.
The role of Dean is clearly spelled out under section 53 of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act (UOTIA), 2001 (as amended). Subsection (4) of the same states that:
“The Dean or Director shall be responsible for the general supervision and administration for the affairs of the faculty, institute, college or other academic body and as such shall be responsible for the promotion and maintenance of efficient teaching and research in the relevant body.”
section 53, subsection (4), UOTIA 2001 (as amended)
Making a presentation on Academic Policies and Roles of Senate to the Deans, Mrs. Mushengyezi noted that the Senate whose membership consists of Deans has executive, advisory and delegated roles. These are further broken down as; Executive – organisation, control and direction of executive matters, Advisory – initiate academic policy and advise Council on implementation requirements, and Delegated – may delegate any of its powers or functions to a School/College board of studies.
The membership to Senate as outlined in the UOTIA section 44 2(c) equips Deans to be, “an implementer of the academic policies at the School, a custodian of the polices, an enforcer of regulations and an instructor of students on Policies” explained Mrs. Mushengyezi.
She added that the School Board of Studies; regulates teaching, monitors attendance of students and lecturers, admission of both undergraduate and graduate students as well as progression of students, and approves examination results. “The question you ought to ask as you admit students is, do you have capacity, infrastructure, and human resource required to teach that programme?”
Mrs. Mushengyezi additionally appraised Deans on the functions of the Academic Programmes and Library Committee which is responsible for approval of developed and revised curricula from departments. She further expounded on the Research and Graduate Training (Higher Degrees) Committee that oversees the appointment of supervisors, internal and external examiners and doctoral committees as well as organises viva voce meetings and public defences of theses.
“The academic leadership role of the Dean is enshrined in the mandate, functions and roles of Senate, hence the Dean is the arm of Senate at the School. Let us all strive to do our best” she concluded.
The roles of Senate and by extension the Deans notwithstanding, whereas the day-to-day affairs of graduate students are handled at each academic Unit, the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) is expected to coordinate the quality assurance and policy oversight roles. Prof. Wamala therefore shared that the Makerere University Graduate Handbook is a living document informed by several University policies including the; Research and innovations policy, Intellectual Property Management (IPM) Policy, and Conflict of Interest Policy among others. “It is very important for us to have that background information as we guide various committees.”
Prof. Wamala equally advised Deans to familiarize themselves with the various Masters’ programme plans and the typical progression of PhD programmes from Year Zero (0) to Year Four (4). Makerere University offers four Masters Plans; Plan A – coursework and dissertation, Plan B – Extended Coursework and Project Report, Plan C – Coursework and Comprehensive Examination, and Plan D – Thesis only.
Similarly, the PhD progression consists of; Year Zero (0) – Admission and appointment of supervisors, Year One (1) – Coursework, examination and start of thesis work, Year Two (2) – Continuation of coursework, approval of research topic, and thesis work. Year Three (3) is characterized by thesis work, while Year Four (4) entails conclusion of thesis work, formal approval for thesis defence and actual public defence. All this takes place in the midst of continuous extracurricular writing labs, seminars and conference presentations as well as evaluation.
Prof. Wamala particularly emphasized the need for Deans to appreciate the scope of the IPM Policy and its provisions for Intellectual Property (IP) created by staff and students. Under scope, he shared that the policy applies to all staff members, students and visitors who participate in a research project or produce inventive, creative, scholarly or artistic works.
Further explaining the spirit of the policy, Prof. Wamala shared that the University is the primary owner of all IP created by staff during the course of their employment or contract by the university. However, he noted that exceptions of ownership will be made in cases where IP is created outside the scope of a member of staff’s employment and without substantial use of university resources.
Delivering the day’s concluding remarks, Prof. Umar Kakumba noted that Deans as leaders need to always seek ways of adding value to the institution, especially since it is a living entity that is constantly growing. “At the end of the day we have a contribution to make to our institution either individually or collectively as well as a duty to leave a good legacy.”
He acknowledged that the COVID-19 lockdown had affected the sitting of Advanced Level examinations in 2020 and 2021 and by extension, the admissions process, which the Deans are responsible for at School level. He nevertheless reassured the Deans that the full reopening of the economy had brought forth stability that would henceforth normalise the number of students admitted to the various degree programmes and ease their work.
On initiatives to improve Makerere’s contribution to knowledge generation, the DVCAA and Patron MUDF noted that the university had allocated a portion of Government support through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) to PhD students to enable them complete their research. “What we are targeting for this year is completion; for PhD students to collect data, analyse it and write their reports.”
Prof. Kakumba thanked the Deans for sparing time to attend the workshop and expressed his readiness to continue championing their various causes in the relevant fora.
General
Minister Janet Museveni Lays Foundation Stone for School of Graduate Studies Building, Commissions the School of Law Building and the renovated Lumumba Hall
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, has laid the foundation stone for Makerere University’s School of Graduate Studies building, whose construction is now underway.
The Minister laid the foundation stone for the USD8 million project during a brief function held on Wednesday 18th December 2024 at the site opposite Makerere University’s Lumumba Hall. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including the State Minister for Primary Education, Hon. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, University Council Chairperson Mrs. Lorna Magara, and Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe.
Others in attendance included Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, Professor Henry Alinaitwe; Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Professor Buyinza Mukadasi; University Secretary Mr. Yusuf Kiranda; Dean of Students Winfred Kabumbuli; Guild President Vincent Lubega Nsamba; and the Vice Guild President, Joy Eve Serunjogi among others.
The building is a donation (in-kind) from the late Hasmukh Patel, an industrialist and former Chairman of Tororo Cement who passed away on August 29, 2024, after a short illness. The journey to this befitting donation to Makerere University started in December 2022, when Hasmukh Patel accompanied by some members of his family and friends visited the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe to declare his donation. From December 2022, a number of meetings were convened involving the Minister of Education and Sports, the University leadership, Mr. Hasmukh Patel, his family and Tororo Cement regarding this donation. Living true to his commitment during those meetings, his family and Tororo Cement are implementing his wishes to construct the building, which will house the School of Graduate Studies at Makerere University.
Before laying the foundation stone for the School of Graduate Studies building, Hon. Janet Museveni first unveiled a plaque to officially open the new building for the School of Law. She then headed to Lumumba Hall, where she unveiled another plaque marking the completion of its renovation.
The First Lady, who had initially laid the foundation stone for the School of Law building on May 17, 2022, returned to the main campus to officially open the completed structure. Funded by the Government of Uganda to the tune of UGX 7.3 billion, the new three-storeyed building features lecture rooms, tutorial and seminar rooms, a library, a moot court, offices, a cafeteria, a lactation room, and other teaching and learning facilities. Construction was undertaken by M/S CK Associates, with Symbion serving as a consultant.
The renovation works for Lumumba Hall commenced in June 2023, with the site handed over to the contractor, National Enterprise Corporation (NEC). Funded by the Government of Uganda to the tune of UGX 9 billion, the project involved extensive renovations to restore Lumumba Hall to its original splendor. Lumumba Hall now accommodates about 725 students.
Lumumba Hall was the first hall of residence to undergo renovation, followed by Mary Stuart Hall, which has also been handed over to NEC for refurbishment. These renovations, which began last year, are a result of the Government of Uganda’s efforts to improve the nine (9) halls of residence at the main campus.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Janet Museveni thanked the University Council and management for their dedication to rebuilding the institution. She expressed confidence that the physical restoration efforts would also rebuild the character of young people.
“There is a restoration of dignity that comes to an institution or a community when we choose to rebuild and it is not only physical, there is a spiritual restoration that comes as well. For Nehemiah, it was not just the rebuilding of a physical wall it was the rebuilding of broken lives and a broken covenant. It was the rolling away of the reproach they had suffered as a nation,” she said.
Adding; “I therefore salute the Council and the management of Makerere for your dedication to the rebuilding of this University. I am confident that as you rebuild physically, you are rebuilding the character of our young people. My prayer is that the physical restoration is translating into the spiritual restoration of this great institution.”
The first lady, Hon. Janet Museveni recalled her earlier visit to Makerere University, where she observed the dilapidated state of the halls of residence, which prompted her to initiate the renovation works.
“I remember taking a tour of the halls of residence in this University and Kyambogo University in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. My heart bled when I saw the state of the halls of residence. Like Nehemiah, I took my burden to the Lord and now see what the Lord has done! Commissioning of the refurbished Lumumba Hall today is a testament to the faithfulness of our God. It is even more gratifying to know that other projects are ongoing and these include: the renovation of Mary Stuart Hall, the construction of the Perimeter Wall, and improvements at the University Hospital, including setting up an operating theatre and ICU.” She said.
Hon. Janet Museveni also expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, for his leadership, which facilitated the realization of the Tororo Cement project. “This Project would not have been possible without the guidance and leadership of the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Nawangwe, who drew my attention to this offer by Tororo Cement, and requested me to endorse this Project, which will be named after Mr. Hamukh Patel,” she said.
Adding: “I am informed that the construction of this building is estimated to cost 8 Million US dollars and will consist of: lecture and seminar rooms, smart classrooms, laboratories, an innovation space, a conference hall, offices and other facilities. We remain forever grateful for this donation, which will increase access and contribute to improving the quality of postgraduate education.”
Speaking at the event, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nawangwe commended Hon. Janet Museveni for prioritizing the development of Makerere University, which has seen remarkable progress under her leadership. “Hon. Minister, from the time you took over the Office of Minister of Education and Sports and the Higher Education Sector, Makerere University in particular has transformed tremendously. Most notable is the infrastructure revolution at Makerere. On several occasions, you have come to Makerere to lay the foundations for new buildings and to open completed buildings, including our iconic Main Administration Building,” he said.
“When you inspected the halls of residence in 2021, I could see the frustration in your eyes, looking at the dilapidated state the halls were in, especially Lumumba, part of which had been condemned for 2 years,” Prof. Nawangwe said.
“Hon. Minister, I am sure that today, after seeing the glamorous new building for the School of Law and the glittering renovated Lumumba Hall, you are in a completely different mood compared to that visit in 2021. We are as delighted as you must be and your efforts are the reason for our happiness today. Our law students and professors can now comfortably study, work and conduct research in the best building for any school of law that I have seen,” Prof Nawangwe added.
Reflecting on the Graduate School Building, Prof. Nawangwe recalled when he received a proposal from Mr. Hasmukh Patel in 2022 who had initially intended to donate the Main Administration Building, which had been destroyed by fire, but opted to donate School of Graduate Studies Building after finding that the main building reconstruction had already started.
“Hon. Minister, in the morning of 13th December 2022, a miracle happened in my office in the Frank Kalimuzo Building. General David Muhoozi and Major General Apollo Gowa walked into my office with the Late Hasmukh Patel. Gen. Muhoozi introduced Mr. Hasmukh Patel as the Chairman of Tororo Cement, who after learning about the destruction by a fire of our Main Administration Building, expressed the wish to reconstruct that iconic building. On reaching Makerere, Mr. Hasmukh Patel found a contractor already on site, and he told us, that he would all the same donate a building to Makerere University as a gift on our 100th anniversary,” Prof Nawangwe said.
“He said it in such a simple way, that I thought I was dreaming. That evening, at the invitation of Mr. Patel, I visited the building that Mr. Patel had built for a school at Bukoto and I told him that a similar building for Makerere would be just what we needed for our School of Graduate Studies and Research that we needed. The University Council unanimously voted to thank Mr. Patel for his magnanimous offer and, you, Maama Janet graciously endorsed the project. I later visited Mr. Patel in Mombasa and was amazed at the humanitarian work he was doing among the communities. He was such a rare human being,” Professor revealed.
“Today we are here to witness the laying of the foundation stone for this, the largest academic building at Makerere University, and the first such donation I know by an African philanthropist to a university in Africa. The building will have lecture and seminar rooms, a conference hall, innovation spaces, PhD student rooms, computer and other laboratories, a restaurant, staff offices and other facilities. I thank Tororo Cement and the family of the Late Hasmukh Patel for honoring his wish and I wish to assure Mr. Patel, who must be in heaven smiling at us, that we will honor his legacy in this building and that we will put the building to its best use in the service of humanity, which is what Mr. Patel lived for,” Prof Nawangwe added.
On her part, the state Minister for Primary Education, Honorable Joyce Moriku Kaducu acknowledged Hon. Janet Museveni for prioritizing the Education sector in her leadership, which has led to the tremendously development of the sector.
“On behalf of the education sector, we want to thank you as the mother of the nation, indeed you are a big gift and a blessing to the nation and education at large, all this achievement would not have been possible if it was not under your visionary leadership and the guidance you have offered,” Minister Kaducu said.
Hon. Kaducu also hailed Makerere University for playing a very critical role in sensitizing, disseminating knowledge, and raising awareness to the public on the message of the Parish Development Model, which is intended to create wealth among citizens.
“As President Museveni is preaching the message of wealth creation, I want in a special way to thank Makerere University for playing a very critical role in sensitizing, disseminating knowledge, and raising awareness to the public on the message of the Parish Development Model (PDM), and they have a committee that monitors and informs government. They are indeed part of the team promoting wealth creation in this country,” she said.
Mrs. Lorna Magara, the Chairperson of the Makerere University Council said that the construction of the Graduate studies building speaks to the University’s mission of being a research-led institution because it comes as a dedicated building to house the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, which marks the resolution of a critical gap in our institutional framework
“At the heart of Makerere University’s current strategy is the promotion of a research-led institution, with a strong focus on graduate training. The establishment of a dedicated facility for the School of Graduate Studies, which also houses the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, marks the resolution of a critical gap in our institutional framework. The late Patel’s timely and generous contribution will undoubtedly advance graduate training and research for generations to come. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your exceptional support,” she said.
Mr. Manish Varsani who represented the Patel family took the first lady through how Mr. Hasmukh Patel started the idea of donating the building to Makerere. He explained that, Mr. Patel intended to present a gift that was coming from the bottom of his heart, and he teamed up with General Muhoozi who led him to Prof. Nawangwe’s office.
He also recalled when Mr. Patel met H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Museveni in Bukoto where he (Patel) had donated a building to a school and told the President that he would want to donate the same building to Makerere University as a gift to the First Lady Janet Museveni because he loved her so much, and in response, the President said he would take the message back to the First Lady.
The Guild President Lubega Vincent Nsamba asked the First Lady to consider constructing another hall of residence for the female students to solve what he described as an accommodation imbalance.
“Maama Janet Museveni, allow me to report to you that we still have only three halls of residence gazetted for female students against the six halls of residence gazetted for male students. These halls of residences were built back in colonial and independent times when the female students were fewer compared to their male counterparts, and to me Maama, this accommodation imbalance is something that should be addressed,” he stated.
“To me Maama, this speaks to the sense of how there is a dire need to invest in another additional hall of residence for the girl child here at Makerere University, and Maama, without any fear of contradiction, we humbly request that you consider building an additional hall of residence named after you in recognition of the contribution and honor of the service you have made for this country as a mother and as an educator,” he said.
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