By Brenda Odhiambo

Last week, USIU-Africa hosted a three-day site inspection visit by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The purpose of the visit was to evaluate the university's readiness to launch six new online programs and three blended Programs across undergraduate and post-graduate levels. The CUE team, led by panel chairs, Dr. Dorcas Omukhulu and Prof. Marcela Mwaka, reviewed the program proposals for the new programs, which included:

• School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences: Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Master of Science in Clinical Pharmacognosy and Complimentary Medicine, Bachelor of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
• School of Science and Technology: Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Analytics.
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences: Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and the Master of Arts in International Relations.
• School of Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts: Master of Arts in Media and Communication Studies.

The site inspection involved a deep dive into the facilities and equipment to support the programs, faculty quality, technological infrastructure, and systems established to enable the university to offer quality online learning in each of the programs. The inspection ensures that the new programs uphold USIU-Africa's rigorous academic standards and deliver an exceptional learning experience to learners across the globe.

In attendance were the university’s leadership team, led by the Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Lola Odubekun, USIU Online, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning Initiative, Quality Assurance, the Deans of the six schools, the Chairs of Departments in the Schools of; Science and Technology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and Communication, Cinematics and Creative Arts, the University Registrar, and the DVC Student Life.

In her comments, Dr. Omukhulu acknowledged USIU-Africa’s dedication to providing exceptional learning experiences, as indicated by its foray into online learning.

"We remain impressed by USIU-Africa's commitment to quality teaching and learning, and quality learning outcomes for her students. The university's well-established infrastructure and resources dedicated to supporting online education are truly commendable. We look forward to working collaboratively with USIU-Africa to ensure the successful launch of these innovative programs," she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by the Interim Vice Chancellor, who noted that online learning was key in the achievement of the University’s core mandate of teaching, learning and research.

"We are thrilled to welcome the CUE team to our campus and share our vision for expanding access to quality education through innovative online programs. These new programs cater to the evolving needs of learners seeking flexibility and accessibility, while upholding USIU-Africa’s commitment to academic excellence, "she said.

The site visit featured presentations from USIU Online, the various schools presenting new programs, followed by campus tours during which the Panel was able to inspect the infrastructure put in place to support online learning at the university.

The site inspection visit ended with a plenary session, during which the CUE delegation gave a report of their findings over the three days. The CUE team acknowledged USIU-Africa's proactive approach to online learning and expressed their appreciation of the university's robust infrastructure and dedicated faculty.

"The university's investment in advanced technology, qualified faculty development programs, and strong student support services reflects a deep commitment to providing an exceptional online learning experience, “said Dr. Omukhulu.

In his remarks on behalf of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Transformative Teaching, Learning and Research, Prof. Martin Njoroge expressed his appreciation of the continued partnership between the Commission and USIU-Africa, and pledged the university’s commitment to implement the feedback received to ensure that each of the programs would be in line with CUE’s recommendations.

The site visit marks a significant milestone in USIU-Africa's journey towards expanding access to higher education through quality online learning, with the university set to launch 17 new online programs through the support of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program e-Learning initiative.