CAES Principal Assesses Condition of College Facilities, Engages Staff on Challenges Affecting their Performance

In order to strategize and plan better, the Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Dr Gorettie N. Nabanoga on 4th – 7th April 2022 visited various units to establish the condition of facilities and challenges faced by staff.

On Monday, 4^th April 2022, the Principal visited the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering where she toured different facilities including the Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre, the laboratories, Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre Phase III Building under construction, the library and teaching spaces. The Principal was guided around by the Dean, Dr Abel Atukwase, the Head, School of Food Technology and Nutrition, Dr Ivan Mukisa Muzira, the representative of the Head, School of Agricultural and Bio-systems Engineering, Dr Joshua Wanyama, and the Manager of the Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre, Dr Yusuf Byaruhanga. The Principal later held a meeting with staff and students during which they briefed her on their challenges and plans to improve operations at the school.

On 5^th April 2022, the Principal visited the School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences. At the School, she was guided around by Dr Justine Namalwa, Head, Department of Environmental Management, and Dr Edward Nector Mwavu, Head, Department of Forestry, Bio-diversity and Tourism. The Principal visited the School of Agricultural Sciences on 6^th April 2022 and concluded her visits on 8^th April 2022 with a tour of facilities at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyolo (MUARIK). At the School of Agricultural Sciences, the Principal was guided around by the Dean, Dr Johnbaptist Tumuhairwe; the Head, Department of Extension and Innovation Studies, Prof. Nelson Turyahabwe, the Head, Department of Agribusiness and Natural Resource Economics, Dr Gabriel Elepu; and the representative of the Head, Department of Agricultural Production, Dr Hebert Talwana. In all the schools, the Principal toured the teaching laboratories, lecture spaces, libraries, offices, and washrooms to assess their status.

During the meetings at schools, staff and students shared different challenges affecting their performance. These include: limited exposure of students to practical training due to limited funding for research and inadequate number of technicians. Other challenges included limited study space, limited office space, loss of morale due to the scrapping of the Bachelors programmes in Environmental Management and Land Use Management, poor sanitary facilities, and insecurity within Campus and at MUARIK.

Both staff and students called for more investment into practical training, institutionalization of knowledge transfer partnerships, transformation of MUARIK into a one stop centre for research and practical training, and a consistent system of staff recognition & promotions. The staff appealed for seed capital to support proposal development for research grants.   Students called for support to student councils, noting that they are crucial in ensuring their welfare. Staff hinted on the need for an academic counsellor to manage students’ psychosocial wellbeing. They also called for improvement of security on Campus & at MUARIK, and improvement of training facilities for graduate students.

In her remarks, the Principal, re-echoed the need for teamwork, noting that everyone has a contribution to make towards transforming CAES. She said her focus is to make every activity at the College entrepreneurial during her term of office. The Principal reminded academic staff of the need to make teaching research grounded if CAES is to make contribution towards transforming Makerere into a research-led University. She implored MUARIK management to intensively involve researchers of the Department of Agricultural Production-animal discipline in the diary unit to improve its activities and realize better quality and quantity animal breeds.

While touring the facilities and products at the Food Technology and Business Incubation Centre, the Principal called for the expansion of the innovations into large scale business projects.

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