Makerere visitation committee to conduct head count of students

The visitation committee inquiring into Makerere University woes will start counting students next Friday to determine the precise number of students at Uganda’s largest public institution.

The university officials have always preferred to give an estimate of the students’ population. Daily Monitor understands that when university senior managers appeared individually before the visitation committee last month, they did not give exact of students enrolled at Makerere University.
The committee chairperson Dr Abel Rwendeire in an interview early said counting the students was among the committee priorities and that’s why they requested government to reopen the university.

According to the university facts book for academic year 2015/16, the students’ population stood at 39,546 at the end of the academic year in June last year.
The university academic registrar, Mr Alfred Masikye Namoah in a circular dated January 16, told students to get ready for the head count which will take place at college level starting on January 23.
“The purpose of this communication is to require all students of Makerere University to present themselves for the head count in your respective colleges at designated venues with your university identity card and admission letter for all continuing students. First year students should present their registration forms with an admission letter and their former secondary school identity card or national identity card,” Mr Masikye said.

He warned that students “who will not be verified by the committee shall be deemed not to be students of Makerere University and will be purged from all university records.” College principals and registrars have been asked to designate venues where counting of students will be held.
The students’ guild boss Mr Ssemboga Roy confirmed receipt of head count notice but argued that it came on a short notice, in a busy semester and will interrupt students’ preparation for end of semester exams.

“I appreciate the noble effort of cleaning the university because this will help determine the actual number of students and the amount of money we pay but the problem is the implementation of this noble cause. Management say they will purge students who will miss head count but we have students on internship or doing exchange programmes in other universities; how are they going to account for them?” he said. He said the committee should use exam period to do the head count.
Disdain
Students scorned the committee’s modus operandi arguing that they should have picked roll call sheets from lecturers and respective colleges.

“I agree we all want to know the number of students at Makerere University and how much we pay but I disagree with the counting process. Why should they count us like goats? They go and pick students’ lists from colleges, schools and departments and lecturer roll-calls so that they can compare and determine the number,” Ms Nantume Sylivia, a bachelor of education second year student said.
Manigamuka Patrick, a bachelor of software engineering student said: “I think it’s difficult to bring all students here at a go. They are many while others have got other works to do. They (visitation committee) should count students during exams because that is when all students will be here.” The end of first semester exams will commence on January 29.

Lecturers probed
The committee is also probing the quality of lecturers at Makerere and their research output. The academic staff has been given a form to fill requiring them to submit particulars regarding their profile, qualifications, teaching and research performance. They will also submit information regarding conferences they have attended, peer reviews, publications and the number of students supervised for the past three years.
Makerere University academic staff association (MUASA) spokesperson Dr Kamunyu Deus welcomed the initiative. He said: “The university human resource department should be doing such assessment annually. The information is in line with their mandate and the academic staff is not against it. We believe information regarding our productivity and input is important for the committee.”

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