By Rose Odack

On March 28, the Advancement and Partnership Division organized a very exciting workshop bringing together over 60 staff from various Departments including, the Alumni Relations, Partnerships and External Linkages, Development/Fundraising, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, Mastercard Foundation e-Learning Initiative, Advancement Services, and Mastercard Foundation Graduate Associates. The workshop provided an opportunity for the Departments to introduce their teams, explain their roles, and to reiterate the teamwork that is the hallmark of the division’s success.

Mr. Eannes Ongus, the Division’s director, opened the workshop with a very encouraging speech on the roles of each Department towards the realization of the university’s vision. A key aspect of the workshop included a session on Emotional Intelligence (EI) during which Mr. Ongus outlined the behaviors that emotionally intelligent people should avoid. He stated that emotionally intelligent people are unable to make decisions through the following behaviors; being emotionally driven, being preoccupied with the past, not being willing to discuss sensitive matters, gossiping and making decisions out of fear. The session provided both the theoretical knowledge and the practical implementation which brought very crucial lessons like self-awareness, resilience and effective communication in professional and personal life.

Each Department at the workshop explained their specific roles and achievements which clearly explained their contribution to the realization of USIU-Africa’s strategic goals.

The e-Learning Initiative reiterated its commitment to enhancing digital learning through the creation of high quality, inclusive online content. It works with instructional designers, data analysts, researchers and technologists to ensure that learning is uninterrupted for students in all locations. The team strives to create a digital learning future for USIU-Africa through expanding online education access and sustainability.

The Finance Lead from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program said that the Department has four main mandates: Recruit, Educate, Prepare, Transitions with an extension to Monitoring and Evaluation.

The Partnerships and External Linkages Department has made some progress in the international branding of USIU-Africa through the improvement of diplomatic relations with embassies and corporate partners and supporting university-wide partnership and development efforts.

The Development/Fundraising Office is currently in the process of improving non-tuition revenue through the creation of grant management systems, individual and corporate giving, donations and facilities hire.

The office of the Alumni Relations is responsible for the growth of the alumni community which has now grown to 28,000 members. The office also continues to improve the image of the university through networking, mentorship, and fundraising activities to foster lifelong engagements with the Alumni.

The Advancement Services Department helps the Advancement and Partnership Division in the coordination of fundraising, donor relations and stakeholder relations. It oversees the databases, risk management, budgeting, development of policies and standard operating procedures and compliance to the same. The team also coordinates Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, supports student engagement, and manages the Office of the Director, providing vital administrative and logistical support to ensure that the activities are well executed.

Not only did the workshop recognize these achievements, but it also reiterated on the shared vision of growth and cooperation to ensure that the Advancement and Partnership Division is a key contributor to the growth of USIU-Africa.