CROSS DIVISIONAL PROJECTS
As I welcome you to this semester let me share some key University projects initiated last semester. To be completed this semester, these projects are poised to transform our approach to providing quality education for all our students.
The Employability Survey will help us better prepare our students for the very dynamic and competitive job market.
The Retention Survey will help us to better understand challenges that make some students to discontinue their studies. Such understanding will help us develop strategies that will deliver a higher completion rate at USIU-Africa. In this way we will deliver our mandate to each student.
The Persons with Disability Taskforce will help us develop policies, strategies and services to students, faculty, and staff with disability.
The Sexual Harassment Taskforce to review the findings from the Sexual Harassment Survey conducted in 2015-16 Academic Year and make recommendations on existing sexual harassment policies and come up with an implementation plan.
LIFE-LONG LEARNING
Leadership at USIU-Africa has distinguished itself as lifelong learners. As our leaders engage in various learning events, we are confident that their learnings will help raise the bar in serving USIU-Africa. During the Spring semester members of our team attended:
- Conference on the "Role of the Diaspora in the Revitalization of African Higher Education" held at Harvard University, March 30-31, 2017. Co-organized by USIU-Africa, Harvard University and the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program which is based at USIU-Africa.
- The Annual Meeting of the Association of Governing Boards held in Dallas, Texas, April 1-4, 2017. Seven members of the University Council and Management Board;
- The Annual Academic Resource Conference of the WASC Senior College and University Commission, held in San Diego, USA, attended by 8 USIU-Africa administrators, faculty and staff in preparation for the university's ten year re-accreditation next year.
- CORPORATE TRAINING PROGRAMS: To build strong leadership skills within the university, over 130 supervisors and managers have participated in a Supervisory Skills Training Program, where it is expected that heads of divisions, departments and other supervisors, will collaborate in ensuring skills learnt lead to effective delivery of services in the university.
- OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING: The University has been providing health and safety training to the 40 members of Occupational Health and Safety Committee and 80 student leaders since the beginning of the year. The training program will be expanded to the rest of the community by the end of this semester.
SENIOR RECRUITMENTS
I also wish to update you on our strategic recruitment of key university administrators and faculty. Searches for the Deans of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Science and Technology, and the Chandaria School of Business, the School of Graduate Studies, Research and Extension, and the Associate DVC for Academic Affairs are now complete. Successful candidates will be announced soon. Searches will be conducted this semester for the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the Associate DVC for Student Affairs. All the new Deans and Associate DVCs will assume their positions in August 2017.
FOCUS ON RESEARCH
Among the many strategic priorities we are pursuing, research will remain a core pillar of our vision. This semester we will host a series of activities and events as part of our efforts to strengthen the University's research culture and productivity. This include;
- The first ever Faculty Research Bazaar and;
- The Students Research Fair;
- Launching of the inaugural Chancellor's Lecture on June 7, 2017
- Hosting and co-sponsoring a series of conferences with other institutions, e.g. State of Education with The Africa-America Institute, Kenya Chemical Society 9th International Conference, etc.