Why truancy, 'sex for marks' plague UB

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Wednesday January 21, 2009 00:00

 

The deputy vice chancellor for academic affairs, Professor Frank Youngman, suspects that the students are forgetting their core business. Some students boycotted classes over allowances last week. Youngman guessed at the reasons for neglect of academic work. 'They may include the nature of preparation in the school system. The reasons may also include a lack of commitment on the part of some students. UB has just commenced a research project to investigate the reasons for non-attendance in classes,' he said.

He also indicated that the reasons might include lack of familiarity with university teaching methods. He explained that UB has introduced a new 'learning and teaching policy' to encourage student centred teaching that will help to produce more self-motivated learners.

The students have accused the management of failing to manage their staff properly to root out the common problems of selling of exam papers.

Lecturers have also been found to be generous with marks to students who give them sex. There are also lecturers who fail almost all the students in the class.

Youngman said the allegations of misconduct among lecturers are largely anecdotal because students very seldom lodge formal complaints. He said such cases of sex for marks are seldom reported with relevance to the university's sexual harassment policy.

'Where cases are presented, they are investigated and if wrongdoing is substantiated it is followed by disciplinary action, including the reporting of cases to the police,' the professor said.

Youngman refuted allegations that the university is now employing substandard lecturers. He said that 63 percent of UB academic staff have PhDs and the vast majority of those who have masters degrees have tertiary teaching experience. 

'UB has a staff development programme. This includes a number of citizen staff who join UB with a first degree who only teach under supervision,' he said, adding that the programme also includes citizen staff with Masters degrees who are sent out for PhD studies. He revealed that in September 2008, UB had 133 academic staff on study leave, 11 doing their Masters degrees and 122 doing their PhDs. 

'The university council in June 2008 decided that in the future the PhD or appropriate professional qualification will be the minimum for appointment to the rank of lecturer. In summary, UB has very well qualified and experienced academic staff,' the professor asserted. He emphasised that the success of the students is of paramount importance for the University of Botswana. He stated that a strategic priority area within UB's new strategic plan is providing relevant and high quality programmes. Youngman pointed out that the UB's institutional key performance indicators will in 2009 and in 2010 include retention rates of students, their progression rate to next level of study, pass and failure rates, time to completion rates, graduate throughput rate and student satisfaction with courses and teaching. 'UB is committed to achieving continuous improvement in all these areas,' he said.