General
Students Disciplinary Committee Sworn In, Urged to Uphold Professionalism, Ethics & Integrity
Members of the Makerere University Students Disciplinary Committee were on Thursday 29th February 2024 sworn in at a ceremony presided over by the Chairperson of Council represented by Mr. Timothy Ssejjoba, the Chairperson Student Affairs Committee of Council. The oaths, administered by Counsel Balondemu Kenneth, were witnessed by the Vice Chancellor represented by Prof. Henry Alinaitwe the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Chairperson of the Students Disciplinary Committee, Mr. Isaac Newton Kyagaba, University Secretary, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, Dean of Students, Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli, Ms. Phiona Natukunda, and other officials.
Members of the Committee sworn in included;
- Hon. Beatrice Kiraso,
- Prof. Godfrey Akileng,
- Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nakimera Nannyonga-Tamusuza, and
- Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa.
Mr. Timothy Ssejjoba on behalf of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson and Members of Council congratulated the members upon being sworn in and expressed confidence that they are going to exercise their duty and mandate very well. “I am excited to see gallant and very committed members of our community who have decided to take part of their precious time to uphold the values and principles of this esteemed institution.”
Recognizing the paramount role of the Disciplinary Committee in fostering an environment conducive to the conduct of academic affairs, and where respect, integrity and discipline thrive, Mr. Ssejjoba urged newly sworn in members to strive to ensure that Makerere remains a centre of excellence not only in academics but also character formation and social conduct.
“Your commitment to fairness, impartiality and due process will be the cornerstone of your service. As you undertake this duty, I urge you to approach every case with empathy, with understanding and with a commitment to justice” he added.
Mr. Ssejjoba urged the Committee Members to always remember that their decisions will shape the lives of students and impact the future of the institution. “The trust bestowed upon you comes with great responsibility. Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, ethics and integrity in all your endeavours. Let your actions reflect the values that Makerere University stands for.”
The Chairperson, Makerere University Students Disciplinary Committee, Mr. Isaac Newton Kyagaba who was officially sworn in on 18th March 2022 is yet to complete his term and as such, was not required to take oath. Addressing the gathering, he thanked the Chairperson of the Student Affairs Committee, the Vice Chancellor and Members of Management for sparing time to witness the event. He extended gratitude to the newly sworn-in members for sacrificing time to serve Makerere, noting that Committee proceedings sometimes last an entire day.
In the same breath, Mr. Kyagaba thanked the University Management and Directorate of Legal Affairs represented by Ms. Phiona Natukunda for supporting the Committee in the execution of its duties. He nevertheless urged the University Officials to ensure that all the cases brought before the Committee have sufficient supporting evidence to enable them be disposed of quickly and permit the accused to proceed with their academic programmes.
Prof. Henry Alinaitwe in his remarks thanked the Chairperson and Members of the Disciplinary Committee for accepting to serve Makerere, noting that discipline; be it of staff, students or stakeholders, is very important especially for an academic institution. He added that unlike past decades where the student population was smaller, today’s population is bigger and demands more attention.
He decried past disturbances on the campus that led to destruction of property and loss of life and reiterated Management’s zero-tolerance to acts that go against the University’s policies and regulations. “We really ask the Disciplinary Committee to help us in arresting such cases so that they serve as a deterrent.”
Prof. Alinaitwe added his voice to that of the University Secretary who had in the opening remarks appreciated that the precious time Members of the Disciplinary Committee spend rendering pro bono services to the Makerere Community’s cannot be compensated enough. “We don’t take that for granted.”
Mr. Kiranda in his opening remarks stated that the duties performed by Members of the Disciplinary Committee are a true reflection of the spirit of community service, “so we sincerely thank you very much for this sacrifice.” For example, he noted that academic staff who serve on the Committee do not get their workload reduced, and Committee Members who hold jobs elsewhere spend a significant amount of their time handling University business.
This Committee’s service, he nevertheless added, is important for the enforcement of university rules, which must be done transparently, fairly and impartially. The University Secretary noted that students as they go about their academic life might error either unintentionally or as an act of indiscipline, hence the need for a Students Disciplinary Committee to help the University Management determine each case.
“This Committee is a very strong component of the University Governance ecosystem because as an academic institution, we operate under a set of policies, rules and regulations that everybody must obey, for the maintenance of social order, and for us to work collectively in the pursuit of the goals and objectives of this university, and for creating an enabling environment for research and learning” affirmed Mr. Kiranda. He concluded by thanking the Committee Chairperson and Members for contributing to Makerere’s mandate in the overall nation building agenda.
The swearing in ceremony which opened with a word of prayer by the Dean of Students, Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli was moderated by the Principal Public Relations Officer, Ms. Ritah Namisango.
By Gerald Ochwo
On 25th March 2025, a delegation of Registrars from Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) undertook a benchmarking exercise at Makerere University, with a specific focus on the latter’s pioneering efforts in academic records digitalization. The delegation, led by Dr. Dickson Kalungi, Ag. Deputy Academic Registrar was received by Mr. Charles Ssentongo, Deputy Academic Registrar in charge of Admissions and Records Division, who represented the Academic Registrar (AR), Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi.
The visit was prompted by Makerere University‘s trailblazing achievements in digitalizing academic records, as exemplified by the Digitalization of Academic Records Project (DARP). This initiative has been instrumental in creating a centralized, digital one stop repository of all University’s academic records, thereby enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, and security of academic records management.
In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Ssentongo conveyed the Academic Registrar’s message and highlighted Makerere University‘s efforts to digitalize all its processes and records. He further noted that the university is intentional about creating a digital ecosystem that makes academic records retrieval easy and efficient.
“As a university, we are now intentional with the digitalization of all our processes including, digitization of our manual records that date as way back as the inception of Makerere University. Currently, the DARP project as gone as far as creating a one stop center for both Academic document verification and certification, whereby our former graduates, will only need to access the online verification and certification portal and submit their documents without necessarily having to travel many physical distances to Makerere University” Mr. Ssentongo remarked.
In his appreciation remarks, the MUST head of delegation, Dr. Dickson Kalungi, thanked the Academic Registrar for honoring their request to come and learn from the best practices that exist at Makerere University and particularly commended the Department for the great steps and strides made in pioneering modern Academic records storage management systems.
“I want to sincerely thank the Office of the Academic Registrar for sparing time and organizing this meeting. As a University, we have embarked on a transformative change drive whereby we intend to automate all our registry processes including, the management of Academic Records. The DARP project at Makerere University, has been one project where we draw a number of lessons and we are eager to go and implement some of the best practices we have observed here today”
Conclusion
The benchmarking exercise undertaken by Mbarara University of Science and Technology demonstrates the significance of Makerere University and particularly, the Office of the Academic Registrar’s achievements in academic records digitalization. The DARP project serves as a model for other institutions to follow, highlighting the importance of investing in digital solutions to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and security of academic records management. It further demonstrates the university’s commitment to sharing knowledge and best practices with other institutions. Makerere University‘s efforts in digitalizing academic records have set a high standard for other universities to emulate, and the DARP project is a shining example of innovation and excellence in academic records management.
Gerald Ochwo is the Liaison Officer, Office of the Academic Registrar
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