By Peter Kigwilu

Recently, the Commission for University Education (CUE) conducted a three-day regular quality audit of the University, an activity that happens every five years under Regulations 17 (1) (2), (3) and (4) of the Universities Regulations 2014. USIU–Africa was due for such an audit this year. The Commission carried out the audit from November 2-4, 2021 on the basis of the Self – Assessment Report (SAR) the University had submitted and the interviews with various University constituents including students, academic and administrative staff, University Senate, Alumni, University Council, Board of Trustees and the Chancellor. It also inspected the University facilities.

In particular, the audit sought to enquire into how the University policies, strategies, programs, procedures and resources are utilized for quality assurance purposes; how specific parameters in student admission, teaching, research, community engagement, human resource, and facilities are complied with; and whether the University has the capacity to implement its strategic plan and achieve its targets.

On the last day of the audit, the Commission shared with the University management, an exit report which highlighted the areas the University is doing well and areas that need improvement. The Commission commended the University for having the required governance and management organs. It also applauded the University for enhancing access to higher education for 368 employees and their dependents through the University’s Education Tuition Waiver (ETW) program. The Commission further commended the University for mobilizing enough funds to meet its prioritized financial obligations, running relevant and quality academic programs that were accredited and achieving a high-level involvement of faculty and students in various research activities. It did not escape the Commission’s eye that at USIU–Africa, feedback on quizzes, assignments and examinations was given to students and 72.4% of the academic staff have PhD qualifications, the highest reported percentage in the country.

In the words of the Commission, the physical and instructional facilities and resources at the University are unparalleled. They noted that the University had adequate and suitable lecture rooms, supported by modern ICT facilities and an ultra-modern functional library. In the research and scholarship space, the University was much-admired for attracting a large amount of research grants.

The audit also recommended areas the University should work on to improve. These included the finalization of the process of approving the Charter, the diversification of revenue streams and the development of strategies to enhance enrollment of students. In her remarks during the handing over of the exit report, the Vice Chancellor acknowledged that the University is committed to providing quality education as guided by its vision of being a premier institution of academic excellence with a global perspective. She emphasized that the University will put in place mechanisms of addressing the recommended improvement areas. She thanked the Commission for re-affirming the accreditation of USIU–Africa for another period of five years.