Closure of Unam regional centres
Mariselle Stofberg
The University of Namibia (Unam) announced at the end of 2020 that all the stand-alone regional centres would be closed as of 18 December 2020 and all services offered by the centres would be diverted.
The university operates 12 campuses nationwide, with five regional centres based at the campuses and seven stand-alone regional centres.
“The university has made the decision to move completely online with distance education. This means all the services that were offered at Unam regional centres will now also be available online.
“This will be everything from lectures, library services and even troubleshooting. The main reason for this is to allow Unam to reach more students and offer better support gleaned from the instant data we will collect from students’ performance and enquiries,” said Johannes Haufiku, the public relations officer of Unam.
“The university has invested a lot in e-learning and has therefore provided the nation with the ability to access Unam from every corner of the country. This investment has provided the university with the opportunity to restructure the university’s physical and operational infrastructure,” said Dr Hilkka Ndjaula, the acting university registrar.
“We know that this is a drastic change, and we anticipated that some students and parents may be concerned, but we are confident that this is the best way to move education forward,” Haufiku added.
Diversion of services
As of 1 January 2021, administrative functions such as applications, admissions, registration and graduation and promotion for all students regardless of the mode of study will be serviced directly at the office of the registrar at the nearest campus. All academic activities will be serviced from the home faculty where academic programmes are offered.
All financial matters will be directed to the nearest student finance office at any of the Unam campuses countrywide.
In the event that library services or inquiries and study materials, such as printed study guides, are not available online, they will be available at the nearest campus.
“Some examinations will be offered online, while others will still be offered at selected venues that will be communicated to students in their respective towns or regions in due time,” Haufiku added.
“Be assured providing quality tertiary education and efficient service remains our biggest priority as we steer the university through challenging times, some owing to the impact of Covid-19. We thank each valued student and client because we couldn’t do what we do without you,” Ndjaula said.
The University of Namibia (Unam) announced at the end of 2020 that all the stand-alone regional centres would be closed as of 18 December 2020 and all services offered by the centres would be diverted.
The university operates 12 campuses nationwide, with five regional centres based at the campuses and seven stand-alone regional centres.
“The university has made the decision to move completely online with distance education. This means all the services that were offered at Unam regional centres will now also be available online.
“This will be everything from lectures, library services and even troubleshooting. The main reason for this is to allow Unam to reach more students and offer better support gleaned from the instant data we will collect from students’ performance and enquiries,” said Johannes Haufiku, the public relations officer of Unam.
“The university has invested a lot in e-learning and has therefore provided the nation with the ability to access Unam from every corner of the country. This investment has provided the university with the opportunity to restructure the university’s physical and operational infrastructure,” said Dr Hilkka Ndjaula, the acting university registrar.
“We know that this is a drastic change, and we anticipated that some students and parents may be concerned, but we are confident that this is the best way to move education forward,” Haufiku added.
Diversion of services
As of 1 January 2021, administrative functions such as applications, admissions, registration and graduation and promotion for all students regardless of the mode of study will be serviced directly at the office of the registrar at the nearest campus. All academic activities will be serviced from the home faculty where academic programmes are offered.
All financial matters will be directed to the nearest student finance office at any of the Unam campuses countrywide.
In the event that library services or inquiries and study materials, such as printed study guides, are not available online, they will be available at the nearest campus.
“Some examinations will be offered online, while others will still be offered at selected venues that will be communicated to students in their respective towns or regions in due time,” Haufiku added.
“Be assured providing quality tertiary education and efficient service remains our biggest priority as we steer the university through challenging times, some owing to the impact of Covid-19. We thank each valued student and client because we couldn’t do what we do without you,” Ndjaula said.
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