Verbal war has erupted at the prestigious Makerere University where students and lecturers are seeking an explanation from the management over the mysterious move to dump evening programs.
Makerere university staff and students have since last week been enraged after the vice chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe announced the scrapping of evening programs.
This unforeseen pronouncement was made during the vice chancellor's monthly press briefing on Friday last week, generating mixed reactions from students and staff.
Now, staff under their umbrella body of MUASA want answers from the university management on how they reached a conclusion that led to the pronouncements during a heated executive meeting of Makerere University Academic Staff Association- MUASA held at the association offices on Monday.
According to Dr. Deus Muhwezi Kamunyu, the MUASA Chairperson, staffs are seeking an elaborate explanation on how the university management plans to run the day and afternoon programs as suggested.
Through their social media platforms, the staffs have been questioning why the Vice Chancellor didn't with consult them before making such a big decision.
They argue that while changes in running of academic programs might be well intentioned, the university managers failed to consult the primary stakeholders, the staff in effecting the changes.
"What was the role of Senate and Academic Boards in Colleges in informing this council decision? To the best of my knowledge Senate is the highest academic organ in the university and is chaired by you. Did these decisions originate from there? If the answer is no; this is the origin of the problem and suspicions. Participatory governance may look very slow, but top-bottom decisions attract some resistance in this university," one lecturer pointed out.
Dr. Kamunyu further states that the pronouncement of the vice chancellor came as breaking news to the staff and that it was a serious omission to skip the staff.
Also, Jothan Yamureebire Burobuto, the Makerere University Guild Speaker and fourth year law student, says the university council did not carry out a feasible study on how to approach the matter, saying it was rushed.
