The Patriotic Front (PF) Government has proposed to restructure the University of Zambia by turning the institution into University College.
Government says UNZA in its current structure is too big to manage.
The proposal if approved will see UNZA turned into five University Colleges namely, College of Medicine, College of Education, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, College of Science, Engineering and Mines and the College of Humanities and Arts.
According to highly placed Government sources, Higher Education Minister Professor Nkandu Luo has already prepared a Cabinet Memorandum to restructure UNZA in order to “improve efficiency and effectiveness in the operations of the institutions.”
Professor Luo contends in her Cab Memo that UNZA has become inefficient in its management due to its current which has resulted in operational problems.
She said UNZA will be restructured by shifting its niche opportunities and direct towards not only undergraduate training but postgraduate training, research, vocational skills training,and internationalization of the institution.
Professor Luo also wants to improve and remodel UNZA’s strategy for income generation which will ensure the smooth running of the institution and develop a performance culture with performance appraisal systems.
The said the action is provided for in the Higher Education Act of 2013, Part III Section 13 (3).
Am not educated to understand this Luo nonsense.
UNZA is not too big to manage, it is too big for PF to understand and fund, there are way much bigger universities in the world with an enrollment of over 60,000 students and operate efficiently.
Total chaos! You can call Unza whatever you want, even Oxford University, but that does not change the fact that it is underfunded and disorganized. Just like changing Bank of Zambia to Reserve Bank does not change anything when you have stolen the dollar reserves.
I has 19 Points and REFUSED to go to UNZA because of this nonsense and Govt interference
I was accepted to Natural sciences and declined and came to the UK
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Nkandu Luo just wants to be seen to be doing something, whether wrong or not, she cares less. Her goal is to “remain relevant” in the PF system.
Ba Nkandu knows(I hope she does) that UNZA has a perennial problem of underfunding, and her proposed strategy does not explain how this problem will be resolved. My simple advice to you ba Nkandu is that you should consult widely before you even present the so called Cab Memo.
It is not nonsense, as you think. Cambridge, Oxford, Nairobi and other big universities are run along the same lines. The only problem is that this has come from Professor Luo and not UNZA itself.
It is easy to target Prof. Luo because she has made the pronouncement. However, I think it is the Vice Chancellor Prof. Mumba who is behind all these maneuvres. Prof. Mumba has huge appetite for big posts and he thinks being the VC is not good enough. When he was Dean for school of Natural Sciences he was one of the proponents for creation of Executive Deans. Watch this out.
Am failing to undestand this logic, if all there is logic. All colleges are being turned to universities and you want to go back to college. A college offers 2-3 year diplomas while univeristies offer degree. my fffoooot
@Mushota you did well not to have gone to UNZA, you would have been worse than you already are! No wonder you went to Scotland, the standards are the lowest in the UK and none of any university there is in the top 10 let alone top 100!
I has 19 points? I has 19 points? I has 19 points? She got 19 points with this kind of grammar?
@Mushota, who did you phuck to get that leakage to get you 19 points? Lol
Am guessing UNZA is the biggest university in the world. How do they manage them without ‘down grading’, how was it run all along?
University of Michigan has 45,000 students and you probably have not even heard of it. And they are not about to disband.
Kingkong, you are ignorant. Its not a down grade if nkandu Luo knows what she is talking about. Universities here in the USA are “separated(if you wanna call it that” by colleges, I got my software development degree in the college of Engineering, which has Computer engineering, civil, aviation,aerospace, construction,mechanical engineering. There also other colleges such college of business which has marketing, finance, accounting,information management Systems, transportation logistic, management. liberal arts college, college of design which produces architects, city planners etc. You people are so ignorant back there in Zambia and I feel sorry for you. If Nkandu Luo and the ministry of education knows what they are doing then this might be beneficial to the education system. AGAIN…
@Nsimanadelele1. YOU ARE SUCH AN ***** KALEZA…
@Rainman…you love me because 99% of the sh!t I say is the truth.
@ Shimaini- I beg to differ with you about names. Colleges are equivalent to schools or faculties at non American universities. Colleges have departments. Schools also have departments. The difference lies in names only. Like USA universities, UNZA has schools headed by Deans. In short universities are not separated.
To start with, there is no such thing as patriotic front government. We just have the government of Zambia. If this passes, then I will consider myself privileged to have had acquired a University of Zambia degree. It will take time to sensitise the employers. Imagine applying for job requiring a university degree and you are rejected as not qualified because you have a college degree and they needed someone with a university degree.
You have failed to run the whole thing and now you think by dividing it you will magically get capacity to run it. It is like how sata and pf created new districts thinking that will lead to development. Since when did imaginary demarcation lead to development. The problem are those cadres who have failed to run a mere university and want us to believe they can run Zambia. Very thick
For once i agree with you.They have failed to run UNZA,ZESCO & ZAMTEL because of thick headedness!! Like you have stated,dividing wont magically make the university run itself better.
Wrong thinking. Dividing it up will only divide and multiply many of its problems because the issue here is not the size but the stupidity in planning and implementation of plans. Look seriously into the poor research culture. Any ***** can lecture at UNZA. Many lecturers only have masters degrees and have never known good research. When I went to see if I could lecture part time, I found mediocrity and left. I found lecturers in fields they had little elementary knowledge.
Divide and rule tactics! Very effective! The devil is always in the details! The monsters UNZA produced will finish it! Welcome to UNZA college!
Wrong thinking. Dividing it up will only divide and multiply many of its problems because the issue here is not the size but the stupidity in planning and implementation of plans. Look seriously into the poor research culture. Any ***** can lecture at UNZA. Many lecturers only have masters degrees and have never known good research. When I went to see if I could lecture part time, I found mediocrity and left. I found lecturers in fields they had little elementary knowledge.
these dunderheads..why should they spoil the University..?let it be the way it’s been running..
How do these very large universities manage, even in some African countries! bigger universities than UNZA in nearby East Africa and Central Africa. cant understand the reasoning of these tandem of thieves.
I was very impressed when Professor Luo made that pronouncement to the effect that she would not allow any higher institution of learning to close but deal with the ring leaders causing the rumpus. But this one,no,she’s out of line. Dividing UNZA into university colleges is not going to solve UNZA’s problems. At the end of the day it is the same challenges that it will continue facing. It won’t change anything.
UNZA is a problem of funding, nothing else. Find money and it will be ‘Eureka!”.
Surely if it is broken into 7 colleges then you have increased your management overheads by 6.
Is the Honorable really meaning one university but wkth 7 faculties which is how most universities operate.
Am sure UNZA is or should be structured that way already
Faculties, departments, schools etc are just names for the same thing. Luo and PF are just enamoured of the term “University College” , the way old UK universities (Cambridge, Oxford, University of London, Imperial etc) have colleges in them but the umbrella university issues the degree. It has nothing to do with efficiency or quality of research and teaching.
@Buck, exactly. A lot of people, including UNZA “Graduates” don’t even know what this entiles, they are freaking out and its sad that our so called gradutes don’t understand that UNZA will be UNZA still but will have colleges specializing in those discplines with deans that overseas the operations of those colleges. Wow.
Some changes you are making has destroy education the more degree holders the passing percentage is also low standards are low.
Changes by name same management Zambian drama!
OK, let me get this straight: does she mean it remains UNZA and the degree is still a UNZA degree but the management and the day to day operations are divided into ‘colleges’ or ‘campuses’ that operate independently (independent budget; independent planning; independent schedule; etc.)? Or does she mean downgrading the university into colleges offering college diplomas? I note the meaning of ‘college’ is different between, say USA, and Zambia. In the US a college could mean a university a degree.
OK if I understand it well, I thought to some extend UNZA is already divided into ‘faculties’ or ‘schools’, except it is managed and operated by ‘Central’ management. I think she may actually have a point if she is trying to ensure faculties run autonomously and independently -…
Mushota comment… Hope you will tell us more how UK universities are managed….. Anxiously waiting to hear from you
Mushota works in nursing homes taking care of old retirees, so don’t expect her to really tell you anything sensible, she just blows smoke on people’s a$$es, that’s all.
Some institutions are symbols of national pride! Fund university education by introducing a 1% tax on all employees and 0.05% (up to a maximum of K100k giving credit for internal bursaries) on revenues for all businesses in no time all these woes will finish.
Very primitive thinking by the minister, foolish approach to solving UNZA crisis!!! we all know that the problems at UNZA and CBU are not enshrined in the so call called “too big to manage” but rather the ridiculously poor funding. Even Universities like university of Botswana that sent a team to carryout bench-marking studies at UNZA sometime back is far more developed with world class teaching infrastructures and has equally 7 schools. Its not all voodoo what the did over there, but rather proper funding policies from the ministry!!! The education ministry should learn from such rather than just yapping so as to appear to be serious.
Yes, way to go Prof. Luo. Universities world wide are vehicles for STEM revolution which of course incorporates other specializations in the social sciences. Non-medical and medical treatment is one such example. Universities flourish on linkages with communities, industry etc using high caliber research/teaching staff. Not riffraff’s. Staff appraisal is a motivational tool that is beneficial not only to the University but to staff too. UNZA as it is known must be disbanded as the right Hon Prof Luo has suggested.
Honestly this does not make sense at all. UNZA is number 200+ in the world ratings. All other Universities do not have such plans. Get back to basics and find out the real problem and not making it into Colleges.
The College system or Faculty system or School system, what matters is the search for viable solutions to academic challenges, mainly problem solving through research output, funding and wastage. Some of networking is necessary for specialized areas, such as between Vet and Agro, between Med and Health, between Socio and Arts, between Edu and Teaching. However, it is highly advisable to sell the idea to the academic community by demonstrating the benefits and savings that will be derived from Colleges. Will the College system involve financial autonomy or not? Will academic staff manage their affairs geometrically? Which academic units are more affected by mismanagement? Is the College of Law a vehicle for justice, rule of law and respect of human rights? These questions need to be…
However, it is highly advisable to sell the idea to the academic community by demonstrating the benefits and savings that will be derived from Colleges. Will the College system involve financial autonomy or not? Will academic staff manage their affairs geometrically? Which academic units are more affected by mismanagement? Is the College of Law a vehicle for justice, rule of law and respect of human rights? These questions need to be addressed by wide internal and external consultations.
Bravo Prof. What this means is that all degrees will continue bearing the emblem of UNZA. People according to total quality management structure is the first thing you deal with followed by systems. What the Minister of Higher Education has done is a brilliant first step towards sanity. Under the same roof of UNZA there will then be university colleges corresponding to technical study areas e.g. Medicine and Health, Education etc etc. Under each university college, we shall then have the different schools e.g. law, medicine, nursing, mining etc. In other universities, they have what they call Faculties under which schools fall. This restructuring will hopefully improve management and hopefully the bureaucracy in career reform will reduce. Another thing the academic staff who will be…
WHO IS GOING TO BE TEACHING THE A LEVELS?
How is she going to manage each college? Each college is going to have its own administration which means she is increasing the number of people employed. These people will need salaries. Does it mean each college is going to be enrolling their own students separately? Which means school of medicine will be admitting grade 12s who are going to study medicine, is that what she wants to do? If she wants to go ahead then A levels should be studied at secondary schools to separate the chaff from the real stuff.
UNZA should make its own decision minus interference from the government.It has become too dependent on ideas from outsiders.These institutions,being the oasis of knowledge and excellency,should stand on their own.They have become like empty bags which cannot stand upright.Government interference,has become a fly in an ointment,in as far as management and administration of institutions of higher learning are concerned. These institutions have got councils which are like toothless bulldogs.There is too much mismanagement as reported in Auditor General’s reports.Minister should not have a hand in the affairs of the universities apart from providing policy guidance.
At what point does synergy come in this whole issue and what role is it gonna play?
What role is application of value chain and portfolio management gonna play?
Its about profitability and funder confidence at play.
– How do you expect someone who failed to run TASINTHA retirement Home for Prostitutes to run UNZA? someone who stole funds meant for HIV/Aids research?
– How do you expect someone who failed to run a small Law firm, then failed to run a BOTTLE STORE in Chawama to run the country?
– How do you expect someone who was an ILLEGAL FOREX DEALER to run police & home affairs?
– How do you expect a NEWSREADER from DeadNBC to run Agriculture?
Guys STOP expecting the impossible. The country is TOO BIG for PF00Ls to run.
*ILLEGAL FOREX DEALER from KATONDO Street.
True that is.
The idea sounds good but let us be mindful of how we go about it. In essence, each faculty will have its own management structure reminiscent of decentralization were accountability will be the key KPI. Each faculty would be able to provide quality education and promote competition among these faculties. However, input from technocrats and academia will be needed in order to see this through. But if this is for political expedience then am afraid we are in for another disoriented experience that will bring more bad than good. UNZA right now is an institution that is directionless regardless of who leads it. The economies of scale have have had their impact and the best option is split it into smaller faculties but retaining its culture as the highest institution of learning in Zambia.
This could work if well implemented. UTH has been split into 5 separate hospitals but all under one name, prescription slips for all the new hospitals bear the name UTH. Even across the border UB has Botswana college of agriculture standing alone and being ran by professors/doctors.
To this added costs such each college university will have it Deputy – VC and staff required to that university college. We also need to know how much it will cost to have new structures?
UNZA is already doing the postgraduate, consultancy, research etc. the main problem with UNZA is funding. Have you not seen universities with larger number of students?
The problem is funding because the chanselor or President of UNZA is useless. He needs to be raising money for the school. They need to have a fundraising commette and have a call center asking for donations. How do you think most USA universities operates? Its us alumi that donates to our schools, and the states contribute a certain amount. But in Zambia they want the broke government to write them a blank cheque yet they are not even producing an cutting edge discoveries.
Invest in improvements of UNZA and management practices or privatize and let govt retain some shares……….efficiency will go up 1000%.
Lets just restructure even Mukobeko Maximum Prison……………………..
1. Mukobeko Maximum Prison for refusing to give way to edgar in Mongu
2. Mukobeko Maximum Prison for refusing to recognise edger as president of Zambia
3. Mukobeko Maximum Prison for refusing to welcome edgar in Southern Province
4. Mukobeko Maximum Prison for Treason
5. Mukobeko Maximum Prison for First Degree Murder
This will improve efficiency and effectiveness in the dubious arrests and charging of innocent Zambians with uncalled for charges.
Mushota says “I has 19 points” is that coming from England?
UNISA has got 600,000 students. I think it is ten times the size of UNZA
and it is still one university. Makerere has 60,000. Africans like copying ichikopekope
If this done right then it is a good move and here is why. There could be useless degree out of UNZA that are a drain to resources, so if we have college of Business that produces good graduates that gets hired after completion of their degrees then more students will be enrolled in that college there by bring in more money for research and development. Those degrees that don’t bring in more funding and pretty much obsolete will be eliminated there by saving tax payers money. The problems with you people there in Zambia you don’t understand what this is all about and are just running your mouths without understanding what this means. Nkandu Luo and those that are responsible have not done a better job of educationg you ignorants on this matter, so please give em a break. UNZA will be…
…. UNZA will be there as an umbrella per say, but will have all these branches called colleges that will operate effeciently and will have specialized professors and deans that will oversee those colleges and degrees conferred.
So don’t freak out, you will still have you UNZA degree for whatever its worth.
I am not a PF cadres but atleast I have the intelligence to know that this is a good move. Now get the chancellor raise money for research and development instead of expecting the government to keep writing a blank cheque all the time. Infact I should apply to be a UNZA chanselor(President) and see how I will turn that institution into among the best in the world. Those fat f00ls ain’t doing much and they claim to be doctors. Useless.
You are making too much noise, like all empty tins do!!!
Aaa nkani fulu fulu everyday, vintu vano longosoka… Millions of implementations with no practical outcomes… Epotu chili… only God knows…
The minister is correct,nothing Will be managed by this government !
This is a brilliant idea, I said this years back that the schools or colleges should be located in every province to allow Zambians to appreciate different cultures. Most universities in the UK do the same, including Oxford. This will require adequate funding to succeed.
Transforming Unza into a composite of Colleges is a phenomenon that can be likened to UK’s University of London, Oxford University and Cambridge University. In principle, if Unza were to be turned into a College system, we expect that Unza’s Great East Rd would be a College tocater for the School of Medicine at Ridgeway; Chalimbana another College of Education based in Chongwe; Palabana another College of Agriculture.
A college system would decentralize student populations and instill specialized teaching and promote research, the latter of which is the corner stone of University life. This is how the British Universities of Cambridge, London and Oxford have progressed positively.
Who wants a degree from UNZA anyway? The degree from UNZA is as worthless as shinda paper. The graduates used to be half baked. Now they don’t even reach the oven. Thanks
Shindapaper is one of the most useful inventions.
It is also a billion dollar (kwacha) industry that only a pillock like @Mark Tabu(sic) will not understand…
The thing is some Zambians hav only traveled up to SA ? There have never been to the real world . To them when there come across a name college to them there think it is a down grading , you need to lean the definition of some wards before yo commity
Your (English?) grammar is pathetic! Where are you based, by the way, Mr. Gulliver…?
Degree from UNZA is as worthlessness as comments on this site, esp from Mushota.
This is a good model for UNZA and I hope CBU will also adopt it. There are other Universities in the UK and Africa which have followed this model