Makerere has more than 50% positions still vacant
Makerere academic staff in a recent meeting. A new report shows that the institution lacks more than 50 per cent of the staff it needs. PHOTO BY FAISWAL KASIRYE
What you need to know:
Staff Woes
Last month, lecturers at Makerere University unanimously agreed to lay down their tools until the approved Shs800 million top-up allowance fees is paid, communication masts from buildings are removed and external examiners are paid.
The decision made came just a week to the reopening of the university for second semester in mid-August.
The dons held a month-long strike last year that was only called off after government promised to pay the Shs800 million top-up allowances they were demanding.
More than half of the posts supposed to be filled in Makerere University are still vacant, a report from the office of the Auditor General has revealed.
According to the government accountant, of the 1,618 members of academic staff supposed to be recruited in the eight selected colleges, only 655 had occupied the posts by December 2011.
This means that 963 posts were still vacant, an equivalent of 59.5 per cent.
Among the worst hit colleges are the College of Computing and Information Sciences which has 89 per cent vacancy rate, College of Business and Management Sciences, where the Vice Chancellor-elect; Prof. John Ddumba Ssentamu is acting principal, with 81 per cent vacancy rate.
“Through interviews with senior staff in the human resource department and review of the appointment board minutes, it was noted that the vacant posts were due to failure by the university to attract, recruit and retain staff because of low pay and lack of auxiliary benefits such as: housing and transport,” the report reads in part.
Burden
The report notes that the staff constraints have increased the burden on lecturers in way of increased contact hours as well as the increased lecturer to student ratio.
For example in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the average contact hours of a lecturers stands at 30 which is far above the 10 hours recommended by the National Council for Higher Education.
It added: “Staffing gaps lead to work overload and fatigue to the existing staff, which affects effective teaching of students and supervision of their research projects. This will in turn negatively impact on the quality of education received by students.”
The issue of understaffing in the university, especially with staff on the level of Professors, has hit the 90-year old university hard.
Recently, the university released a list of 14 professors who are to leave the university soon.
The head of Information and Technology Department, Dr Jude Lubega, however, said the appointments board has made some appointments though he did not know the specifics.
“I do not know the specific number because the letters go direct to the people appointed and I only get photocopies,” Mr Lubega said.
