Quality Assurance in Kyambogo University in Collaboration with the Association of African universities (AAU), 2018

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Quality Assurance in Kyambogo University in Collaboration with the Association of African universities (AAU), 2018

Quality assurance is all about the need to promote and maintain quality. Ensuring quality is a fundamental responsibility of every Higher Education Institution of learning, through the establishment of strong internal quality assurance systems and fulfillment of the external quality assurance requirements.

In line with this, the Kyambogo University (KyU) has over the years, taken steps towards strengthening its quality assurance systems to ensure that it meets world class standard.

One approach adopted included building the capacity of various members of the university, including staff who are directly involved and responsible for quality assurance across the university community.  In this light, the Acting Director of KyU (Sr. Dr. Kaahwa Maria Goretti DST) attended a Quality Assurance Conference organized by AAU at Kampala Uganda in December 2017,  and attended by participants from across the continent.  A lot have been achieved in KyU, in terms of quality assurance since this conference.

For instance, QA KyU has intensified its effort in promoting transparency and accountability by providing appropriate information on quality assurance to the public. Q-KyU has undertaken a number of assessments in monitoring of examinations, and in Distance Education of students with Special Needs among others.

A number of Committees have been put in place and coordinators selected to champion the QA activities. Due to the participation of KyU in the AAU workshop, the Quality Assurance Directorate -KyU has improved its support towards the production of relevant teaching and learning resources as well as students’ assessment instruments. The AAU workshop theme was “Quality assurance knowledge and skills training workshop for higher education personnel in the 21stCentury”, and was chaired by Dr. Violet Makuku of the AAU. The AAU

Background

In 2006, the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) of Uganda, issued a National QA Framework for universities covering two components: National Regulatory Component and Institutional self-regulating QA Component (NCHE, 2006: 17). Therefore, Universities in Uganda are primarily mandated and responsible for quality and quality management by establishing QA Units, Offices or Directorates to oversee the Quality in these Institutions. KyU remains committed to Quality Assurance as a means towards maintaining and enhancing the quality of the total student learning and teaching experiences.

Kyambogo University (KyU) was established in 2003 by an Act of Parliament, that is, the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001 as amended in 2003 and 2006 (Act 7).  KyU is a merger of three Institutions namely; Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo (UPK), the Institute of Teacher Education, Kyambogo (ITEK), and the Uganda National Institute of Special Education (UNISE). The University was created to advance and promote knowledge and development of skills in Science, Technology, Education, and in other fields, and has high regards for quality, equity, progress and transformation of society. The University is the second largest Public University in Uganda and has continued to commit itself to its vision of being a Centre of Academic and Professional Excellence with five focus areas – Teaching and Learning; Research, Innovation and Knowledge Generation; Physical Infrastructure, Facilities and ICT Development; Institutional Development and Strategic Marketing. The University has about 2000 Staff and over 60,000 Students. Quality and transformative Education has been at the centre of Kyambogo University. Since its inception, the University has trained world class teachers, engineers, scientists, architectures, nutritionists, entrepreneurs, and special needs specialists, to mention a few. Kyambogo University established a Directorate of Quality Assurance, which received inspiration and guidance from the Association of African Universities.

 

Conclusion

The materials and topics covered from the conference organized by AAU in 2018 will be of good help to the Kyambogo University as it continues to strive for excellence and promote quality assurance in all its activities. Most staff members of the University community are becoming aware of and support the KyU’s approach to quality.

 

Compiled by QAD-KyU: Sr. Kaahwa Maria Goretti DST, PhD.Uganda.

Kaahwa.goretti@yahoo.com/kaahwa.goretti22@gmail.com: +256 772 342 820

 

PO. BOX 1, KYAMBOGO – KAMPALA, UGANDA

Tel: 0414-286452 Fax: 041-220464

E-mail: vckyu@kyu.ac.ug, www.kyu.ac.ug

QUALITY ASSURANCE DIRECTORATE

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