What next MUBS?
THE Makerere University Business School (MUBS) can no longer offer degree programmes after Makerere, the Mother University, renounced it
By John Eremu
THE Makerere University Business School (MUBS) can no longer offer degree programmes after Makerere, the Mother University, renounced it.
The future of the over 7,000 students at the school now hangs in balance unless the Ministry of Education and Sports quickly comes up with a legal package to rescue the status of the Nakawa-based institution.
The amendment of the 2001 Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act has resulted into a legal complexity that has reduced the status of MUBS to a non-degree awarding institution.
The replacement of Section 38 (q) of the Act, which removed MUBS principal, Wasswa Balunywa from the University Council and Senate cut off the little link the school had with the parent University.
MUBS problems are historical and basically centred around the quest for greater financial and administrative autonomy. While the Amanya Mushega Ministerial Instrument of 1997 established MUBS as a Constituent College of Makerere, the new Act has turned it into an Affiliated College.
Section 132 (1) of the Act states: “At the commencement of this Act, MUBS shall be deemed to have been affiliated to Makerere University and shall assume the status of an affiliated public tertiary institute.â€
“At the current legal status MUBS can only offer diploma courses. It cannot offer degree programmes because it is not a university,†a university official said.
Under the Constituent arrangement, the parent university admits and supervises the programmes but cannot offer the same programmes already delegated to the Constituent College. However, under the Affiliation agreement, while the university recognises the programmes offered and issues transcripts to the affiliated institutions, it is free to offer similar programmes.
This was the case between Makerere and the Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK). Until ITEK became a university last year, it offered Bachelors of Education (BEd) programme, although Makerere run similar courses at the main campus. The same arrangement applies to the National Seminary Ggaba and Bishop Tucker Theological College.
Through the Institute of Computer Science, that of Economics and that of Statistics and Economics, Makerere is already re-introducing business courses hitherto offered by MUBS. The current students at MUBS who were issued with Makerere University admission letters would, however, not be affected by the new shift in relationship, said the source.
In a letter to Education Minister, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, Balunywa says the re-introduction of business courses by Makerere will create confusion to the detriment of students and embarrassment of the Government.
“The current amendment of the law has now removed the basis of the contact between Makerere and MUBS and is going to lead to unnecessary delays in approval of results of MUBS students or approval of MUBS programmes,†Balunywa said in the September 12, 2003 letter.
“It is under these circumstances that the School Council feels that the solution to MUBS problems lies in expeditiously turning it into a separate public university,†Balunywa wrote.
While this is the best option for MUBS, it would have to go through the tideous legal framework. Section 22 (1) of the new law stipulates that: “The Minister (of Education) may by statutory instrument, on the recommendation of the National Council for Higher Education and by resolution of parliament, establish a public university.â€
This however, has heavy financial implications. The rationale of creating another public university to offer programmes already at Makerere is also likely to be questioned.
But Section 29 (1) of the Act states that, “The National Council may, after consultation with the relevant institution and with the approval of the University Council and the senate of a public university, by statutory order, establish any college or institution as a constituent college of that public university or declare any public tertiary institution as a constituent college of that public university.â€
THE Makerere University Business School (MUBS) can no longer offer degree programmes after Makerere, the Mother University, renounced it.
The future of the over 7,000 students at the school now hangs in balance unless the Ministry of Education and Sports quickly comes up with a legal package to rescue the status of the Nakawa-based institution.
The amendment of the 2001 Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act has resulted into a legal complexity that has reduced the status of MUBS to a non-degree awarding institution.
The replacement of Section 38 (q) of the Act, which removed MUBS principal, Wasswa Balunywa from the University Council and Senate cut off the little link the school had with the parent University.
MUBS problems are historical and basically centred around the quest for greater financial and administrative autonomy. While the Amanya Mushega Ministerial Instrument of 1997 established MUBS as a Constituent College of Makerere, the new Act has turned it into an Affiliated College.
Section 132 (1) of the Act states: “At the commencement of this Act, MUBS shall be deemed to have been affiliated to Makerere University and shall assume the status of an affiliated public tertiary institute.â€
“At the current legal status MUBS can only offer diploma courses. It cannot offer degree programmes because it is not a university,†a university official said.
Under the Constituent arrangement, the parent university admits and supervises the programmes but cannot offer the same programmes already delegated to the Constituent College. However, under the Affiliation agreement, while the university recognises the programmes offered and issues transcripts to the affiliated institutions, it is free to offer similar programmes.
This was the case between Makerere and the Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK). Until ITEK became a university last year, it offered Bachelors of Education (BEd) programme, although Makerere run similar courses at the main campus. The same arrangement applies to the National Seminary Ggaba and Bishop Tucker Theological College.
Through the Institute of Computer Science, that of Economics and that of Statistics and Economics, Makerere is already re-introducing business courses hitherto offered by MUBS. The current students at MUBS who were issued with Makerere University admission letters would, however, not be affected by the new shift in relationship, said the source.
In a letter to Education Minister, Dr. Khiddu Makubuya, Balunywa says the re-introduction of business courses by Makerere will create confusion to the detriment of students and embarrassment of the Government.
“The current amendment of the law has now removed the basis of the contact between Makerere and MUBS and is going to lead to unnecessary delays in approval of results of MUBS students or approval of MUBS programmes,†Balunywa said in the September 12, 2003 letter.
“It is under these circumstances that the School Council feels that the solution to MUBS problems lies in expeditiously turning it into a separate public university,†Balunywa wrote.
While this is the best option for MUBS, it would have to go through the tideous legal framework. Section 22 (1) of the new law stipulates that: “The Minister (of Education) may by statutory instrument, on the recommendation of the National Council for Higher Education and by resolution of parliament, establish a public university.â€
This however, has heavy financial implications. The rationale of creating another public university to offer programmes already at Makerere is also likely to be questioned.
But Section 29 (1) of the Act states that, “The National Council may, after consultation with the relevant institution and with the approval of the University Council and the senate of a public university, by statutory order, establish any college or institution as a constituent college of that public university or declare any public tertiary institution as a constituent college of that public university.â€