Makerere starts issuing transcripts ahead of graduation 

Graduates of Makerere University are relieved that they will start accessing their academic documents before graduation following a recent decision by management.

Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, told this publication yesterday, that the university has already started issuing transcripts to students who are due for graduation.

“We have kept our promise and started issuing transcripts to our graduands before the graduation ceremonies that commence on January 29. I thank the Academic Registrar and his team for a job well done,”Prof Nawangwe said.

Makerere University is expected to hold its 74th graduation on January 29 and ends on February 2. More than 10,000 students are expected to graduate from various programmes. 

The graduation that was initially slated for January 8 to 12 was extended due to what Prof Nawangwe described as “concerns raised by different stakeholders about their readiness to hold the ceremonies successfully”. 

The first extension was done due to the Non-Aligned Movement meeting that took place from January 15 to 20. 

Prof Nawangwe said students should be in position to get their transcripts before graduation to enable them search for jobs early enough.
 
He revealed that this is the second time Makerere is issuing transcripts before graduation.“This is not the first time. We did so before Covid-19. Transcripts are a testimony of what you studied and passed. Graduation is the official ceremony after which we can issue certificates,” Prof Nawangwe said.
 
Dr Umar Kakumba, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Makerere University in charge of Academics, said all transcripts are ready and that those who have cleared with the university are free to access them.
 
Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, the university’s Academic Registrar, said students started picking their transcripts last Thursday.
 
“We called the college principals and they picked the transcripts so that they are in respective colleges. Any prospective graduands can go to their college, show evidence of clearance and pick their transcripts,”Prof Buyinza said.

He said those who are not able to pick them now will receive their transcripts on graduation day.

Prof Buyinza attributed the previous delays in processing the students’ academic documents to a manual system that the university depended on.

“The marks and courses were manually entered into the computer. This would take a lot of labour time for somebody to input 14,000 students from year one to three of five. Now we have automated our system and our academic records are digitally available and therefore, it becomes easy to print the transcripts,” he said. 

Mr Aeron Namaasa, an Alumnus of Makerere University, said it took him a year to secure his transcript.

“I got mine after a year. I have friends who graduated last year but up to now, they are still struggling to get their transcripts, yet they need them to navigate the world of work, “Mr Namaasa said.