Kyambogo woes delay recruitment of academic registrar
Sep 28, 2010
THE University Appointments Board filled other key positions last month, but a disagreement over qualifications has stalled the recruitment of the academic registrar. <b>Charles Ariko</b> reports.
SPECIAL REPORT
THE University Appointments Board filled other key positions last month, but a disagreement over qualifications has stalled the recruitment of the academic registrar. Charles Ariko reports.
THE filling of the post of the academic registrar of Kyambogo University has been deferred following controversy over the minimum qualifications for the job.
The appointments board last month conducted interviews to fill various top positions at the public university, but declined to interview those short-listed for the position of academic registrar pending clarification over the requisite qualification.
“The board could not proceed with interviews for the position of academic registrar. Council should be requested to refer the change of minimum qualifications for the post of academic registrar to the establishment and administration committee,†Prof. J. Okedi, the appointments board chairperson, said in a letter to the University Council.
The recruitment of the academic registrar is said to have split the University Council with one faction demanding that the doctorate of philosophy (PhD) minimum qualification be lowered to a Masters Degree.
But the other faction insists the PhD qualification is maintained in accordance with the recommendations of K2-Informatrics, a consultancy firm hired to advise on the restructuring of the university.
The appointment board is said to have thrown out the University Council decision to lower the qualification, saying it breached procedure. Such a recommendation, sources said, could only be initiated by the Establishment and Administration Committee, the organ in-charge of setting standards.
When contacted, the chairperson, James Kalebo, said, although the council had already okayed the lowering of the qualification for the job, it had now been decided that the matter is referred to the Establishment and Administration Committee following complaints from some circles. The committee is supposed to justify whether to retain or lower the PhD qualifications.
Eight people had reportedly applied for the position of academic registrar and three were short-listed. They included Christine Kayonkya, currently working at the university’s registrar’s department, Mrs. Ouma Bwire of Makerere University and Dr. Andrew Cula, the former Kyambogo academic registrar, who reportedly pulled out of the race.
Cula vacated the office after his contract expired.
Top positions at Kyambogo University fell vacant in September last year following a 2007 damning report by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) that their appointments were fraught with fraud, manipulation, connivance and collusion.
The report resulted in the retirement of the then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lutalo Bbosa, his deputy B.D Mpandey and the University, Secretary Goretti Katushabe.
However, filling the key positions of university secretary and the academic registrar has since been dogged in controversy. The matter came to the limelight early this year following conflicting advertisement from separate offices.
The first advertisement by the office of the deputy Vice Chancellor — finance and administration came out in March this year stipulating that applicants for the position of academic registrar needed a minimum qualification of a PhD in either educational planning and management or curriculum development from an institution recognised by the National Council for Higher Education, plus 10 years experience in university administration.
But in June, the office of the university secretary also placed newspaper advertisements inviting applications for the same post, but this time with lower qualifications.
The applicants were required to have a minimum qualification of a Masters degree in a relevant field plus a postgraduate diploma in public administration, educational management, human resource or general management while equivalent professional qualification would be an added advantage.
While sources said the university council disowned the first advertisement, the appointments board also now says lowering the requisite qualifications for the job was not sanctioned by the Establishment Committee as required.
Sources at the university say the staff are now saying that if the minimum qualifications for the position of the academic registrar are lowered, then the same should apply across the board for all the staff holding different positions.
Kyambogo University was established in 2003 as a merger between the former Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK), the Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo (UPK) and the former Uganda National Institute for Special Education (UNISE).
However, proper integration of the three institutions has failed mainly because the latter two feel marginalised since their appointments did not necessarily require them to have degree qualifications.
The IGG report wants the Act that established Kyambogo University, amended to allow proper restructuring and integration.
“The Act rendered it illegal to carry out any restructuring of the three institutions to come up with a uniform structure for Kyambogo University because the act provided for the automatic transfer of all staff formerly employed by ITEK and UNISE to Kyambogo University,†said the report.
The IGG said it is inevitable that a number of staff of the three institutions would be laid off in the restructuring, but that this was not done.
THE University Appointments Board filled other key positions last month, but a disagreement over qualifications has stalled the recruitment of the academic registrar. Charles Ariko reports.
THE filling of the post of the academic registrar of Kyambogo University has been deferred following controversy over the minimum qualifications for the job.
The appointments board last month conducted interviews to fill various top positions at the public university, but declined to interview those short-listed for the position of academic registrar pending clarification over the requisite qualification.
“The board could not proceed with interviews for the position of academic registrar. Council should be requested to refer the change of minimum qualifications for the post of academic registrar to the establishment and administration committee,†Prof. J. Okedi, the appointments board chairperson, said in a letter to the University Council.
The recruitment of the academic registrar is said to have split the University Council with one faction demanding that the doctorate of philosophy (PhD) minimum qualification be lowered to a Masters Degree.
But the other faction insists the PhD qualification is maintained in accordance with the recommendations of K2-Informatrics, a consultancy firm hired to advise on the restructuring of the university.
The appointment board is said to have thrown out the University Council decision to lower the qualification, saying it breached procedure. Such a recommendation, sources said, could only be initiated by the Establishment and Administration Committee, the organ in-charge of setting standards.
When contacted, the chairperson, James Kalebo, said, although the council had already okayed the lowering of the qualification for the job, it had now been decided that the matter is referred to the Establishment and Administration Committee following complaints from some circles. The committee is supposed to justify whether to retain or lower the PhD qualifications.
Eight people had reportedly applied for the position of academic registrar and three were short-listed. They included Christine Kayonkya, currently working at the university’s registrar’s department, Mrs. Ouma Bwire of Makerere University and Dr. Andrew Cula, the former Kyambogo academic registrar, who reportedly pulled out of the race.
Cula vacated the office after his contract expired.
Top positions at Kyambogo University fell vacant in September last year following a 2007 damning report by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) that their appointments were fraught with fraud, manipulation, connivance and collusion.
The report resulted in the retirement of the then Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lutalo Bbosa, his deputy B.D Mpandey and the University, Secretary Goretti Katushabe.
However, filling the key positions of university secretary and the academic registrar has since been dogged in controversy. The matter came to the limelight early this year following conflicting advertisement from separate offices.
The first advertisement by the office of the deputy Vice Chancellor — finance and administration came out in March this year stipulating that applicants for the position of academic registrar needed a minimum qualification of a PhD in either educational planning and management or curriculum development from an institution recognised by the National Council for Higher Education, plus 10 years experience in university administration.
But in June, the office of the university secretary also placed newspaper advertisements inviting applications for the same post, but this time with lower qualifications.
The applicants were required to have a minimum qualification of a Masters degree in a relevant field plus a postgraduate diploma in public administration, educational management, human resource or general management while equivalent professional qualification would be an added advantage.
While sources said the university council disowned the first advertisement, the appointments board also now says lowering the requisite qualifications for the job was not sanctioned by the Establishment Committee as required.
Sources at the university say the staff are now saying that if the minimum qualifications for the position of the academic registrar are lowered, then the same should apply across the board for all the staff holding different positions.
Kyambogo University was established in 2003 as a merger between the former Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK), the Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo (UPK) and the former Uganda National Institute for Special Education (UNISE).
However, proper integration of the three institutions has failed mainly because the latter two feel marginalised since their appointments did not necessarily require them to have degree qualifications.
The IGG report wants the Act that established Kyambogo University, amended to allow proper restructuring and integration.
“The Act rendered it illegal to carry out any restructuring of the three institutions to come up with a uniform structure for Kyambogo University because the act provided for the automatic transfer of all staff formerly employed by ITEK and UNISE to Kyambogo University,†said the report.
The IGG said it is inevitable that a number of staff of the three institutions would be laid off in the restructuring, but that this was not done.