The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Dr Josephine Ahikire, an associate professor of Gender Studies has committed to increasing the vibrancy of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences once appointed the next principal of the College.
Ahikire is a sole contender in the race to substantively become the Principal of the college, a position she has held for the past two years in an acting capacity, following the departure of Professor Edward Kirumira.
The college has in the past been masked in scandals ranging from missing marks, examination malpractices including change of marks, conflict and the more pronounced being sexual harassment.
The former Dean, School of Women and Gender Studies says these ills have always put the College in the spotlight bringing the University unit into disrepute. She maintains that her leadership as a substantive Principal will focus on ensuring zero tolerance to corruption.
According to Ahikire, there is a reported decline in cases of sexual harassment of both students and staff. she says this vice tends to distort the learning environment and that it will be dealt with to zero levels.
The college of Humanities and Social Sciences is the second largest college of Makerere University after Makerere University Business School (MUBS).
Currently, with a population of close to 8,000 students spread across five schools and an institute which include; School of Social Sciences, the School of Women and Gender Studies, School of Liberal and Performing Arts, the School of Languages, Literature and Communication, the School of Psychology and the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR).
CHUSS, which is one of the nine constituent colleges of Makerere University has an overall 54 academic programs with one diploma, 10 Bachelor’s Degree programmes, six postgraduate diplomas, 24 masters and 13 PhD programmes.
As of January 2020, the College reports indicate that CHUSS has a total number of 261 academic staff, 20 administrative staff and more than 70 support staff. Further aggregation of staff show that the college currently has a total of 12 full professors, 28 Associate Professors, 30 Senior Lecturers, 96 lecturers and 95 assistant lecturers.
Ahikire has expressed a desire to enhance transparency in the implementation of the college budget as well as collective and consultative prioritization. She says that even without more financial allocations, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences has the potential to perform extremely well is excesses in expenditures such as unnecessary travels outside the country are regulated.
Ahikire adds that in the next four years, she will channel her efforts towards revamping of Campus FM which she says has been on the College Agenda for the last over five years.
She contends that the office demands for a person of undoubted integrity, good managerial skills, high intellectual capability and knowledge of the Higher education sector and the general political and sector environment nationally and internationally which she says she has.
Associate Professor Ahikire has a teaching experience spanning over 20 years both at Makerere University and internationally as visiting professor. She has been a member of Senate, the University Academic Organ since 2015.
She went to St Joseph’s Primary School in present-day Isingiro where she concluded in 1979, and completed her Advanced level in 1986, from where she joined Makerere in 1987 to pursue a degree in Social Sciences.
For the past 20 years, Dr Ahikire has been researching and teaching extensively in the fields of women’s empowerment, gender, politics and society, livelihood and culture.
The Position of the Principal is established under the College Statute 2012 of Makerere University. The statute highlights that the Principal is the chief administrative, academic and accounting office who promotes and maintains academic excellence, efficiency and good order at the College.
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