The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu University is overwhelmed by shortage of key academic staff leaving several positions vacant.
The University is supposed to have 1,343 staff including both teaching and non-teaching personnel. However, only 441 positions, 33 percent have been filled up.
According to the 2018 Auditor General’s report, the University does not have the requisite number of academic staff despite teaching and research being its core mandate. The report revealed that out of 183 approved posts for key academic staff, only 37 were filled leaving 146 positions vacant.
Khalid Mahmoud, the University Public Relations Officer disclosed that at the time of auditor’s report, some staff had retired, died, resigned from the university.
Khalid explained that the University did all it could within its means to replace all staff that left by engaging part-time lecturers and visiting Professors who are paid per hour to ensure quality service delivery to the students.
According Khalid, the University could not achieve approved staffing levels because of Government ban on new recruitment in all other public institutions due to the wage bill.
Gulu University is one of the nine public universities in the country established by Act 7 of Parliament 2001 that Act was subsequently amended by Act 3 of 2006. The university admitted its first students and commenced teaching activities in September 2002.
The University has up to 56 running academic programmes offered across its Faculty of Science; Faculty of Business and Development Students, Faculty of Education and Humanities and Faculty of Agriculture and Environment with a current enrollment of 4,500 students.
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