A University of Namibia (UNAM) delegation recently visited the University of Botswana Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) to share lessons and experiences on organisational restructuring. UB is currently undergoing a restructuring process while UNAM completed a similar exercise in 2021.
UNAM has a Centre for Innovation in Learning & Teaching (CILT) which is similar to CCE which is a multi-disciplinary and inter-faculty arm of the University of Botswana that offers part-time evening classes, distance learning, professional development, and training programmes. CILT offers such service at faculty level, a concept UB aims to adopt in the new structure.
CILT Director, Dr Catherine Beukes-Amiss said, given the dwindling financial support, institutions of higher learning must be proactive in self-funding initiatives. As such, Dr Beukes-Amiss said, this scenario compelled UNAM to restructure and reduce faculties from eight to four. She also pointed out that restructuring did not necessarily equate to job losses but implementing systems and structures in tune with the times.
“When an institution changes its mandate, it comes with new structures,” said Dr Beukes-Amiss.
Dr Beukes-Amiss added that restructuring came with challenges that required positive responses across the board, highlighting, that was how UNAM was able to fulfill its mandate.
CCE Acting Director, Professor Olekae Thakadu, said CCE was amenable to the learning processes that UNAM had adopted as well as using relevant experience to guide their way forward. Professor Thakadu said: “CCE’s mandate was to efficiently deliver distance programmes and to afford students the same treatment as other UB students at faculty level while also allowing lecturers to be more effective.”
Various topics were presented during the meeting, among them was the re-integration of Distance and Online Mode students into a Faculty. The merging of the Faculties of Education and Human Sciences as presented by UNAM Executive Dean, Prof Alfons Mosimane, was such a case in point.
CILT Deputy Director eLearning and Teaching, Mr Erkkie Haipinge presented on Provision of Student Support Services within a fully integration Dual-mode Model: Roles of Faculties and CILT.
