General
Students Offer Insightful Feedback on Courses, Lecturers & Teaching for Semester 2 of 2022/23
On Friday, 24th November 2023, the Quality Assurance Directorate (QAD) hosted a dissemination meeting at which results of the Students Evaluation of Course and Teaching (SECAT) for Semester 2 of the academic year 2022/2023 were shared with Management as well as Academic and Student leaders. According to QAD, SECAT is one of the mechanisms for engaging students to have a say about the course they have enrolled for, the lecturer who teaches the course and how the course has been delivered so as to generate evidence that can be used for progressive improvement towards to attainment of the University’s strategic plan.
Delivering the welcome remarks at the event, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Umar Kakumba noted that SECAT is a standard requirement for institutions all over the world and expressed appreciation to QAD for undertaking the exercise. He was particularly appreciative that SECAT is an authentic tool that offers confidentiality to students and provides objective areas and metrics. Furthermore, he noted that since the mechanism is not cast in stone, it can be modified to cater for the unique or emerging teaching and learning needs of some academic units.
“The quality of learners is not a problem because from our cut off points, we take the best performers annually. However, how are the students prepared to learn? What is their attitude and what are their expectations?” pondered the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs).
Prof. Kakumba therefore appreciated the appropriateness of SECAT as a tool for receiving feedback from a tech-savvy generation that is not only good at juggling various tasks but also has a short attention span. He noted that it was important to evaluate whether the courses taught, the lecturers who conduct them and the methods of delivery all meet students’ expectations.
Presenting findings from the SECAT, the Director QAD, Dr. Cyprian Misinde noted that the exercise is essential for assessing teaching quality, aligning course expectations with outcomes, optimizing the timing of evaluations, influencing faculty teaching practices, and evaluating the effectiveness of instructional technology. “By providing valuable feedback and insights, student evaluations contribute to the continuous improvement of educational practices and the overall learning experience.”
It is against this background that Dr. Misinde urged all faculty members from all ten constituent colleges of Makerere University and the Jinja Campus to encourage their students to evaluate their courses. “When we send out the tools, encourage your students to complete them.”
Presenting results from the evaluation, Dr. Misinde reported that overall, 60.2% respondents strongly agreed that the course they took had positive impact on their learning, while 54.7% strongly agreed that courses undertaken improved their capacity to think and learn independently. In terms of courses’ impact on professional practice and relevance to career prospects, respondents were 52.7% and 57% respectively in strong agreement, while 55.9% strongly agreed that courses improved their knowledge and understanding.
As Makerere aspires to be a more research-led University, it was encouraging to learn that 45.9% of students strongly agreed that the courses improved their research skills. Additionally, 55.8% of students strongly agreed that the courses they took encouraged them to read widely.
With regard to the lecturers’ conduct the students strongly agreed that 60.8% of lecturers gave clear descriptions of course objectives, 52.6% were punctual, 51.4% strictly followed the timetable and 59.3% encouraged discussions and participation. Furthermore, students strongly agreed that 64.3% of lecturers were knowledgeable and resourceful on the subject matter, 46.6% assessed and gave timely feedback, 56.1% had a cordial and professional relationship with students, and 66.7% strongly agreed that lecturers dressed appropriately and decently.
On the methods of delivery of courses, students strongly agreed that 53.9% had clear outlines as well as up-to-date reading lists and references, 44% were taught with a variety of teaching methods, tutorials, and aids e.g. ICTs, and 47.1% of teaching and learning environments were conducive for academic pursuit. On the contrary over 50% disagreed that a variety of tools was offered during assessments.
Qualitative results from the evaluation also showed that students enjoyed diverse methods of course delivery, particularly the hands-on experiences, with some acknowledging that “We were sent out into the field to go and do research as groups, this improved on our student to student relationship as it encouraged teamwork and also helped us to do more research”. Additionally, students noted that “…We had to do a survey on marriages in Uganda and on top of the knowledge we attain from the syllabus, we also gained socioeconomic knowledge.”
Representing the 89th Guild Academic Affairs Minister Hon. Patience Nambaziira and student body in general, Mr. Matsiko Timothy expressed happiness that QAD invited the student leaders to participate in rollout of SECAT. Furthermore, he was pleased that SECAT demonstrated the University Management’s appreciation of the changing trends and keenness to receive feedback from the student body on their experience and expectations. “This is surely something to help us build for the future as the Makerere University motto says.”
Concluding the day’s remarks, Dr. Misinde recommended that all units should study the evaluation report and set targets for improvement. He further urged that courses should be grounded in students’ real life situations by evaluating and implementing the suggestions they provided. The Director further recommended that lecturers should take particular note of aspects of courses, their own conduct and methods of delivery that the students enjoyed and seek to inculcate more of these best practices going forward.
Makerere University, through the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and the Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC), has signed an open Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). This MoU is one of several initiatives aimed at strengthening the university’s global collaborations and research partnerships.
In his remarks, Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe highlighted Makerere’s recent centenary celebrations as a testament to its long and influential history in Africa. He reaffirmed the university’s commitment to serious, research-driven collaboration, noting Makerere’s aspiration to become a leading student-centered research university that develops solutions to regional challenges.
Prof. Nawangwe emphasized that Makerere’s research addresses critical issues such as widespread poverty, high youth unemployment, the devastating effects of climate change on agriculture, rapid population growth, and political interference in production. These challenges, he explained, call for climate-resilient agriculture, stronger health systems to address emerging diseases, and more inclusive governance. He further observed that Africa’s ambitious goal of producing one million PhDs in the next decade remains constrained by inadequate supervision capacity across the continent, stressing that collaborations like this MoU are key to bridging that gap.
EPRC Executive Director, Dr. Sarah Sewanyana, described the signing as particularly significant for EPRC and its Board of Directors as they embark on a new five-year strategic plan (2025/26–2029/30). She explained that the plan strongly emphasizes strategic collaborations, with this partnership serving as a prime example of leveraging collective strengths to deepen impact. She underscored EPRC’s role in advancing evidence-based policymaking for national development, aligning with Uganda’s National Development Plan IV.
Prof. James Wokadala, Acting Principal of CoBAMS, emphasized that the collaboration seeks to preserve and expand vital human knowledge while strengthening partnerships between academic institutions and global research networks. He noted that these networks are instrumental in advising legal and policy professionals, as well as aligning research agendas with both national and corporate priorities. He expressed pride in the extensive efforts of the School of Economics that have expanded these activities in recent years. He pointed to significant accomplishments that have been achieved in collaboration with IGC, including hosting a 2025 high-level international conference on mobile money payment systems, which positioned Makerere University as a thought leader on critical African economic issues. He also celebrated the successful bid by the School of Economics to host the ‘Africa Meeting of the Econometric Society’ in 2027, further demonstrating its contribution to impactful scholarship and policy influence.
The Acting Principal further emphasized that the new partnership with LSE will build on these achievements, offering immense benefits such as expanding capacity-building opportunities for faculty and students, especially in research and Public Infrastructure Management (PIM). The collaboration will also provide platforms for knowledge dissemination and policy dialogue, while addressing pressing socio-economic and health challenges. Ultimately, he said, formalisation of the partnership amplifies CoBAMS’ commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and innovation.
Speaking on behalf of LSE’s International Growth Centre (IGC), Executive Director Dr. Jonathan Leape expressed delight at formalizing the long-standing collaboration with Makerere and EPRC. He highlighted current joint projects, including research on the impact of the 2020 gender-based vaccine program on women’s skills and learning, studies on reforms in STEM education, and investigations into barriers limiting business growth for entrepreneurs. He stressed that the core mission is to bring researchers and policymakers together to address pressing policy challenges with robust, reliable evidence and innovative solutions.
The event, held on 27th August 2025, was attended by several dignitaries including Dr. Richard Newfarmer, Country Director for Uganda and Rwanda (IGC); Dr. Nhial Kuch, Senior Country Economist (IGC); and Mary Teddy Nakyejwe, IGC Programme Officer. Also present were the Director of Research, Dr. Ibrahim Kasirye and other members of EPRC leadership.
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