The Commission for University Education (CUE) has completed a comprehensive assessment of the academic programmes and facilities of the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM).
The week-long exercise started on Monday February 26 and ended on Friday March 1, 2024.
CUE is the university's apex regulatory body hence regularly conducts quality and standards verification exercises in local universities to ensure compliance.
So the just ended exercise was purposed to assess the adequacy and quality of academic resources available to students and faculty.
The CUE officials visit was a proactive measure to ensure that TUM maintains high standards of education and provides students with the necessary resources to excel in their academic pursuits.
Vital academic resources
The Commission regards academic resources in a university as essential for creating a conducive learning environment and facilitating effective teaching and research.
Such resources include libraries, laboratories, ICT infrastructure, textbooks, research materials, laboratory equipment, lecture rooms, offices and human resource.
Adequate and up-to-date academic resources are crucial for enhancing the quality of education and promoting academic excellence.
Verification process
During the verification visit, CUE experts led by Prof Urbanus Mutwiwa who doubles as the director accreditation department, assessed various aspects of TUM's academic resources in all the TUM's five schools and one institute.
They include the School of Applied and Health Sciences, School of Business, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Engineering and Technology, School of Medicine and the Institute of Computing and informatics.
The experts were keen on the availability of textbooks, research materials, laboratory equipment, and IT infrastructure.
Also, they also evaluated the quality of facilities such as libraries, lecture halls, and research centres.
Prof Mutwiwa reiterated that the main agenda for CUE is quality and had nothing to do with witch-hunting or frustrating Universities.
“The goal of the verification process is to ensure that TUM meets the required standards for academic resources as set out by CUE,” Prof Mutwiwa stated.
Meeting the threshold
TUM dons presented several programmes and here are some of them that were given a nod by CUE:
Doctor of Philosophy in Immunology, Doctor of Philosophy in Food Science and Technology, Doctor of Philosophy in Supply Chain Management, Doctor of Philosophy in Entrepreneurship, Doctor of Philosophy in Accounting and Finance, Master of Business Information Systems, Master in Food Science and Technology, Master in Computer Science and Bachelor in Human Resource Management.
School of Medicine
Prof Peter Gichangi, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academics Research and Extension made a presentation on Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.
Prof Gichangi emphasized that there was a need to establish the School of Medicine at TUM to bridge the shortage of medical doctors in the country.
"The ratio as of now in Kenya stands at 1:700. The recommended ratio by the World Health Organization (WHO) is 1:1000," Prof Gichangi explained.
Dr David Kariuki, the chief executive officer of Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council (KMPDC), said he supports the idea; however, he advised TUM observe all the necessary procedures to make the goal a reality. He noted that once the doctors graduate, they will not only serve in Kenya but the whole of East Africa region.
Verdict
The officials pointed out a number of issues that needs to be addressed in the School of Medicine programme in order to meet the threshold.
Prof Stephen Ogendo, a CUE council member and renowned Professor of Medicine at Maseno University, directed that the anatomy laboratory be re-designed to improve its ventilation.
He also added that the windows be made translucent as legally required. He advised TUM management to ensure all the necessary equipment is in place to kick start the programme.
Prof Laila
Vice Chancellor Prof Laila Abubakar promised the CUE team that TUM has taken all the recommendations positively, for the betterment of the institution.
"Our dream to establish the school of medicine at TUM is still alive. We have been training students in Medical Engineering, Pharmacy, and Laboratory Technology, and it's high time for a school of Medicine to be established.
"We take quality very seriously at TUM. We shall follow all the recommendations to produce quality graduates," Prof Laila assured.
The verification visit by CUE to TUM underscores the importance of ensuring that academic resources meet the required standards for quality education.
That is by conducting thorough assessments and providing recommendations for improvement.
