Big challenges await new Makerere chancellor
Sep 18, 2007
THE Makerere University Council has proposed Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, the Vice-President and Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, the deputy managing director of the National Social Security Fund to the Visitor (President Yoweri Museveni) as possible candidates for the position of chancellor. As everyone awaits Mus
By Stephen Ssenkaaba
THE Makerere University Council has proposed Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, the Vice-President and Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, the deputy managing director of the National Social Security Fund to the Visitor (President Yoweri Museveni) as possible candidates for the position of chancellor. As everyone awaits Museveni’s decision, the anticipation now turns to the office of the chancellor.
People are anxious to know the relevance of a chancellor and how far, if at all, he can cause meaningful change in a university like Makerere.
The position of the chancellor in a public university is provided for by law. Section 30 sub-section I of the amended Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001 says that: There shall be a chancellor for each public university who shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the University Council.
Sub-section III stipulates that the chancellor shall be a titular head of the university. “And as such preside over all ceremonial assemblies of the university and in the name of that university confer degrees and other academic titles and distinctions of the university. In principle, therefore, a chancellor is a ceremonial head of the university, whose major role is to officiate at academic functions. His office is not administrative.
“He does not get involved in the day-to-day running of the university and is not remunerated,†says Gilbert Kadilo, the university spokesman. But there is more to it.
Sub-section IV adds that, a chancellor shall at any time, on the direction of the Visitor, cause a visitation of the university to be conducted by a person or persons and for purposes specified in the directive. This gives the chancellor mandate to arrange a review into the affairs of a university through a visitation committee as may be directed by the Visitor.
He is also an ambassador of the university.
“A chancellor should be able to write about the university, to speak for it, to defend it where necessary and to advise through the council and administration on policy issues,†says Matthew Rukikaire, the chairman of the University Council.
He said the chancellor should be in position to redeem the image of a university, especially in instances where its credibility is questioned.
“It is the role of a chancellor to defend the university from an informed position, to counteract any adverse or incorrect judgments brought against it by critics,†he says.
“A good chancellor should also advise council on policy issues such as the ongoing debate on the privatisation of some services at the university,†he adds.
These roles make a chancellor a critical figure in university affairs. As such, enormous challenges await Makerere’s new top man.
“Over the last couple of years, Makerere has been subjected to public scrutiny over its academic rating and overall performance. Critics such as Prof. Mahmood Mamdani (through his work: Scholars in Market Place) have decried the rate at which the university is succumbing to the pressure of commercialisation at the expense of quality education.
The new chancellor, therefore, faces an uphill task of restoring public confidence in Makerere,†says Rukikaire.
Prof. Ogenga Latigo, the leader of the opposition in Parliament, says the new chancellor’s major challenge will be to gain acceptance, since he assumes office following a controversial election process.
But Dr. Pelgrin Kibuuka, a lecture in the School of Education differs: “In any institution, there is always an election. And just like in the election of a Pope, it takes time to determine the right candidate. The system in place will see the new chancellor accepted,†he says.
Kibuuka says that most important of all is the fact that the new chancellor will have to grapple with changes in the management of higher education.
“Over the last couple of years, governments in Africa have restrained their support to public universities. This has put a lot of pressure on universities. The chancellor will have to negotiate for government’s support for critical university programmes,†he says.
Dr. Augustine Nuwagaba, the chairperson of Makerere University Academic Staff Association, feels that independence will be a necessary aspect for the new chancellor.
“The chancellor will be constrained by his allegiance to both the Government and the university, which will compromise his independence. Nsibambi faced the same problem,†he said.
The office of the chancellor has a long history. In Uganda this office was not established until 1970 when the Makerere University Kampala Act of 1970 came into force. Section 6 sub-section I of the Act stipulated that the president of the Republic of Uganda would be the chancellor of the university.
Before that, Makerere College, then an affiliate of the University of London, was headed by a principal, who was appointed by the mother university.
The Makerere University Kampala Act 1970 was repealed in the late 90s and was replaced in 2001 with the enactment of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act. This provides that the President be the visitor to public universities and that he appoints a chancellor on recommendation of the council.
Makerere University is at crossroads where independence, a crucial value for the new chancellor, is badly needed.
THE Makerere University Council has proposed Prof. Gilbert Bukenya, the Vice-President and Prof. Mondo Kagonyera, the deputy managing director of the National Social Security Fund to the Visitor (President Yoweri Museveni) as possible candidates for the position of chancellor. As everyone awaits Museveni’s decision, the anticipation now turns to the office of the chancellor.
People are anxious to know the relevance of a chancellor and how far, if at all, he can cause meaningful change in a university like Makerere.
The position of the chancellor in a public university is provided for by law. Section 30 sub-section I of the amended Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001 says that: There shall be a chancellor for each public university who shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the University Council.
Sub-section III stipulates that the chancellor shall be a titular head of the university. “And as such preside over all ceremonial assemblies of the university and in the name of that university confer degrees and other academic titles and distinctions of the university. In principle, therefore, a chancellor is a ceremonial head of the university, whose major role is to officiate at academic functions. His office is not administrative.
“He does not get involved in the day-to-day running of the university and is not remunerated,†says Gilbert Kadilo, the university spokesman. But there is more to it.
Sub-section IV adds that, a chancellor shall at any time, on the direction of the Visitor, cause a visitation of the university to be conducted by a person or persons and for purposes specified in the directive. This gives the chancellor mandate to arrange a review into the affairs of a university through a visitation committee as may be directed by the Visitor.
He is also an ambassador of the university.
“A chancellor should be able to write about the university, to speak for it, to defend it where necessary and to advise through the council and administration on policy issues,†says Matthew Rukikaire, the chairman of the University Council.
He said the chancellor should be in position to redeem the image of a university, especially in instances where its credibility is questioned.
“It is the role of a chancellor to defend the university from an informed position, to counteract any adverse or incorrect judgments brought against it by critics,†he says.
“A good chancellor should also advise council on policy issues such as the ongoing debate on the privatisation of some services at the university,†he adds.
These roles make a chancellor a critical figure in university affairs. As such, enormous challenges await Makerere’s new top man.
“Over the last couple of years, Makerere has been subjected to public scrutiny over its academic rating and overall performance. Critics such as Prof. Mahmood Mamdani (through his work: Scholars in Market Place) have decried the rate at which the university is succumbing to the pressure of commercialisation at the expense of quality education.
The new chancellor, therefore, faces an uphill task of restoring public confidence in Makerere,†says Rukikaire.
Prof. Ogenga Latigo, the leader of the opposition in Parliament, says the new chancellor’s major challenge will be to gain acceptance, since he assumes office following a controversial election process.
But Dr. Pelgrin Kibuuka, a lecture in the School of Education differs: “In any institution, there is always an election. And just like in the election of a Pope, it takes time to determine the right candidate. The system in place will see the new chancellor accepted,†he says.
Kibuuka says that most important of all is the fact that the new chancellor will have to grapple with changes in the management of higher education.
“Over the last couple of years, governments in Africa have restrained their support to public universities. This has put a lot of pressure on universities. The chancellor will have to negotiate for government’s support for critical university programmes,†he says.
Dr. Augustine Nuwagaba, the chairperson of Makerere University Academic Staff Association, feels that independence will be a necessary aspect for the new chancellor.
“The chancellor will be constrained by his allegiance to both the Government and the university, which will compromise his independence. Nsibambi faced the same problem,†he said.
The office of the chancellor has a long history. In Uganda this office was not established until 1970 when the Makerere University Kampala Act of 1970 came into force. Section 6 sub-section I of the Act stipulated that the president of the Republic of Uganda would be the chancellor of the university.
Before that, Makerere College, then an affiliate of the University of London, was headed by a principal, who was appointed by the mother university.
The Makerere University Kampala Act 1970 was repealed in the late 90s and was replaced in 2001 with the enactment of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act. This provides that the President be the visitor to public universities and that he appoints a chancellor on recommendation of the council.
Makerere University is at crossroads where independence, a crucial value for the new chancellor, is badly needed.