MUK institutes computer system to monitor performance

By Innocent Anguyo

MAKERERE University's has instituted a computer system designed to track the performance of graduate students and their respective supervisors as the institution moves the fight against backlog to the fore.

The system was launched on Tuesday- by the Makerere University vice chancellor, Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu. The launch ceremony took place at Makerere's College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT).

Named the "graduate tracking system", the computer application will reveal the number of students being supervised by a specific lecturer. The system will also indicate the research being conducted by students and the progress made in the same.

It will therefore, as stated by Ssembatya- expose sluggish students and supervisors- especially at PhD level. The construction of the system, Ssembatya says was necessitated by the need to eliminate graduate backlog and ensure that Makerere churns out more graduate students and research findings annually.

Such students and supervisors who failed to complete their respective tasks within the stipulated period; Ssembatya says will then be dealt with by the university in accordance set guidelines.

In recent years, Makerere has suffered backlog to record scales, especially in graduate studies.

Thousands over stay on programme

Although by press time the New Vision could not establish the actual number of students who have failed to complete their programmes in time, by March 2011, at least 2,000 faced dismissal for overstaying on their courses.

Ardent to eradicate absenteeism among the teaching staff, Makerere's quality assurance directorate has also instituted a computer system that will track the performance of its 1,400 lecturers as pertains to conducting lectures.

The system equally launched on Tuesday is a sort of electronic time-table that expressly identifies lecturers designated for specific course units across the university.

Hailed as the "intelligent courses website", the same computer system equally allots venues and times for lectures. 

Dr Vincent Ssembatya, the Makerere University director for quality assurance says the system will spontaneously alert lecturers about the venue and time of their impending tutorials in advance by several hours. 

Students can report staff absenteeism

To establish absenteeism among the teaching staff, Ssembatya says students are expected to augment the system by sending emails to the administration on the address, lecturerabsent.mak.ac.ug.

Accentuating the essential role of students in the execution of the system, Ssembatya says students will be requested to identity the absentee lecturer, name the affected course unit and state the time of the lost lecture.

Even though dons who genuinely fail to conduct tutorials won't suffer the wrath of the management, Ssembatya stresses that their colleagues who persistently abscond from duty without reason will be punished by the disciplinary committee of the university council, Makerere's supreme governing body.

The system is further meant to end duplication of programmes at Makerere. "When a unit wants to develop a new programme, they should first check the system to establish if it is not being operated," reiterates Ssembatya. The system has information on upto 5,000 courses taught at Makerere.

The system is one of the reforms at Makerere in response to President Yoweri Museveni's recent directive that the university's management restructures the institution's academic programmes, stops programme duplication and subsequently lays emphasis on programmes that can speed-up national development.

Tracking research performance

In the works is another computer system which, on completion will list all the research being conducted at the institution, the source of research funding, the active researchers and the research collaborations with external bodies.

In a bid to improve operational efficiency at the smallest units at Makerere, the institution yesterday launched quality assurance, gender and ICT committees for all the colleges at Makerere.

Ddumba says the committees will improve the university's functions of human resource, library services, information and communication technology, physical infrastructure and planning, organisation and management, resource mobilisation and investment, as well as student support services.

Innocent Nkwasibwe, the head of university unit at National Council of Higher Education lauded Makerere for remaining a pace setter in Uganda's higher education, especially in instituting quality assurance mechanism before he warned the university's management against complacency.