By HELEN ZULU –
THE Zambia Open University (ZAOU) has adopted a number of strategies and made some policy decisions aimed at improving service delivery at the institution.
ZAOU Vice chancellor professor Mutale Musonda said this was in line with the institutional mission and part of its commitment to increasing access to higher education.
Prof Musonda said this follows a comprehensive review of the university’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) which include decentralising programmes and migrating from a
single mode Open Distance Learning (ODL) to a mixed mode institution.
He said the university had recognised the critical role of higher education as an engine for addressing socio-economic challenges in the country.
Prof Musonda was speaking at the official opening of the 2016 residential school for returning undergraduate students in Lusaka yesterday.
“Our delivery systems are designed to contribute to national efforts towards providing adequate and equitable higher education to Zambians in order to maximise their participation at all levels of
education, training system and creating new educational opportunities for all groups in society,” he said.
Prof Musonda said ZAOU was securing stand-alone office buildings at regional centres as part of the transformation process.
He said plans to open a regional centre in Muchinga Province and a sub-centre in Choma, Southern Province, were underway.
Prof Musonda said the university was also decentralising residential schools in all provinces and integrating the Information and Communication Technology (ICTs) into the teaching and learner support systems in order to address challenges faced in regard to course registration and delivery of modules.
He said the directorate of ICT had developed a strategy for equipping regional centres with ICT facilities for students and staff including wireless internet facilities.
ZAOU currently has stand-alone buildings at six regional centres.