MALAWI: Vice-Chancellor Challenges Catholic University Academic Staff
Luke Bisani
The Vice-Chancellor of the Catholic University of Malawi Rev. Dr. George Buleya on Thursday this week challenged Academic Staff to work extra hard for the University to strive on its stand as ‘centre of excellence in providing quality education’ in the country.
Speaking during a one-day workshop organised by the University for its Academic Staff at the main campus in Nguludi, Rev. Dr. Buleya commended the lecturers for their effort in filling the teaching gap through the use of Google classroom, an online platform that was being used to continue teaching students from their respective homes in the awake of Covid-19.
“We are doing quite well and we must forge ahead. This is not a university that fails; many universities have failed to provide solutions of teaching students during this time of crisis but we were able to register high numbers of students learning online. This is no mean achievement,” said Dr. Buleya.
Concurring with the Vice-Chancellor, the Director of Academic Affairs Rev. Dr. Dominic Kadzingatchire urged the lecturers to get their boots ready as the University is scheduled to open the second semester on Monday, 14th September with the fourth-year students on a face-to-face mode of teaching as other groups continue with online learning up to October.
Dr. Kadzingatchire added that the University is set to start teaching students on a face-to-face mode and online platform through the provision of necessary resources to the lecturers for their work.
The Director of Academic Affair also disclosed that the University is set to adhere to Covid-19 preventive measures with students being on campus.
The one-day workshop aimed at drilling the lecturers with new skills of teaching students using the Google class as students are expected to continue learning online and to share about the successes as well as challenges of online teaching at the University.
The Catholic University of Malawi embarked on teaching students online in April following government orders to close schools in the country as a preventive measure to further spread of novel coronavirus.
Students at the University were able to write their mid and end semester exams on Google classroom, with a high rate of students being able to use the platform.
A week ago, government officials from the Ministry of Education gave a nod for the Catholic University of Malawi to open following satisfaction with the institution’s preparedness to have students on campus in awake of Covid-19.
