…but says funding must be significantly higher
The University of Guyana’s strategic plan for 2009 to 2012 envisages higher quality teaching particularly in science and technology but its administration has pointed out that the institution has to be funded at a significantly higher level and tuition fees are to be hiked.
The plan released to Stabroek News sets out four broad goals: achieving higher quality teaching in line with expanded national needs particularly in science and technology; improving institutional governance, administration and management; broadening the financial base of the university and bettering the teaching, learning and service environment.
In terms of finances, the plan notes that each year the government provides the 46-year-old university with a sum for capital works, a grant towards recurrent expenditure and tuition fees for students who receive loans from the Student Loan Agency. For the Turkeyen Campus, the grant towards recurrent expenditure for the 2007/2008 academic year was $519 million which represented 41% of its total income.
For the same period it collected $700 million in tuition fees and $53 million from other income which includes payments for summer courses, IT, investments, interest and others. Its total income was $1.2 billion. However, the university plan points out that recurrent expenditure routinely outstrips income, putting severe pressure on the university.
Tuition fees are now the largest contributor to income at the Turkeyen Campus, while at the Tain, Berbice campus the grant is the biggest contributor to income. The plan said that over the past four years the percentage of fees paid through the state loan agency has dropped at both campuses reflecting the fact that more students are paying cash.
It was also pointed out in the plan that the basic tuition fee for students at the university has over the years remained unchanged in local currency ($127,000) even though it has decreased in converted value from US$1,000, when first established, to US$618 for the last academic year, a decrease of 38%.
Since the majority of students are resident nationals who pay the basic fee of $127,000, the dollar value of income – while rising because of increased numbers – has hardly increased in terms of the US$ which is the currency that determines the cost of commodities.
The composers of the plan believe that Guyana can afford a significant part of the requisite financing for the strategic plan because of the value that investment in the university can add to the success of the plans of the government for the development of the country.
“However, a substantial part of the input must come from other sources at very early stages in the life of the plan,” it said in the section on considerations and assumption.
In its discussion of expenditure and income, the plan revealed that for the Turkeyen Campus between 1993 and 2008, the recurrent expenditure has been less that its total income for five years but larger for the remaining 10 years – and this without provision for capital expenditure. The Tain campus showed a deficit for the first time in 2007/8.
It was further argued in the plan that the average institutional cost of training a student is now significantly larger than the basic tuition fee of $127,000, with only 56% of the cost of a Turkeyen student being covered by the government through the grant, capital provision and student loan.
The plan also asserted that internationally the cost of training each student tends to rise annually. While UG’s operational cost has jumped significantly since 1993/94 the instructional cost has been constrained by the low pool of finances available for recurrent expenses. “The impact of this is evident in the state of the institution’s resources, its plant, infrastructure and the limited sustainability of its quality,” the plan lamented.
Broadening
financial base
So how can the financial base of the university be broadened? The plan makes several proposals. A new tuition fee structure established and operational by next year is proposed along with a “new basis and rhythm” for subvention payments negotiated with the government and made operational. In terms of generating new income, the plan envisages the setting up of a consultancy/business office by 2011 which targets national consultancy needs. This has been long talked about. Strategies to attract foreign fee paying students, an English programme for Portuguese speakers and summer programmes are also being earmarked to raise funds.
Also proposed under special income sources is a unit to develop alumni relations and the soliciting of resources channelled at areas of potential excellence such as biodiversity and forestry. Procurement processes are also to be revised along with the improvement of emoluments, conditions of service and incentives.
Comparable
Under the stewardship of Vice Chancellor Lawrence Carrington, the institution envisages working to improve its curriculum, governance and administration, finance and equipment with the aim of making the institution one that is comparable with its counterparts in other countries.
The plan which acknowledges the university’s strengths and weaknesses is expected to position it in the future to seize its potential and develop in a manner commensurate with the needs of Guyana.
Part One of the document outlines achieving higher quality teaching and learning aligned with expanded national needs, especially in science and technology as its number one goal. Secondly, it is looking to improve institutional governance, administration and management by statutory and structural adjustments.
The plan recognizes an expressed desire and intention of the university community to have an institution that is held in high regard and a core staff that displays a high level of commitment.
It also lists as one of its strengths, a student body that has a cordial relationship with the administration and an alumni and ex-staff who indicate a willingness to assist the university.
Further the university has acknowledged that it has a number of graduates who bring credibility to the quality of its programmes by their accomplishments. It noted too that it has a comparatively low cost tuition and cost of living which makes it affordable and attractive.
However, while the university acknowledged its strengths which help pave the way ahead, its greatest weakness by far its under-financing resulting in major deficiencies (material, human, technological etc) as well as a number of secondary negative effects, the document stated.
Meanwhile, the plan also recognised that the university’s weakness lies in its inability to attract well qualified staff due to its uncompetitive and unattractive staff remuneration, resulting too in rapid turnover. This lends to a stressful environment with a sense of insecurity, low staff morale and poor performance. It has acknowledged, too, inadequate operational and capital budgets, insufficient learning resources, limited capacity to automate management systems and an inability to seek appropriate accreditation programmes and implement staff development policy.
Fixing it
To achieve the goals set out in the strategic plan, the university plans to establish training programmes for lecturers by August 2010 aimed at enhancing their programme delivery. It is also looking to have a student study and development experience enriched by improved tutoring, mentoring, opportunities for study abroad, exchange programmes, internships and formalized co-curricular activities.
By May 2010 too the university is hoping to have a formal programme of reward incentives for student excellence and the first set of awards will be made in August/September 2010.
In terms of establishing and mobilising a more consistent quality assurance system, UG will undergo a cyclical review of the curriculum at programme level. By August next year the university would have established a coherent and comprehensive quality assurance system.
To align teaching focuses with national needs, there will also be a review and adjustments of the current programme offerings. The university is also hoping to review its board for graduate studies and operationalise a forum for research dialogue among public and private agencies. It wants too to strengthen its research mentorship programme in the new year, adjust its library acquisitions and services to facilitate a research thrust and to offer at least two new areas of national strategic importance at the Masters level.
In the wake of plans to turn to renewable sources of energy, UG intends to focus on science and technology with an expected outcome of research and development work applied to conservation, use of natural resources and alternative energy.
In this vein too UG will enhance the curriculum, infrastructure and incentives for increased student intake in science and technology.
To achieve its goal of improving institutional governance, UG is to update its acts and statutes. Accomplishing this goal would also mean the rationalization of the posts of vice chancellor and deputy vice chancellor.
Executing capacity
The plan also cites three issues that must be addressed for success. The first is executing capacity. The plan admitted that the university is not at present equipped to manage these changes and it was therefore imperative that the first step in the plan be the “financing of a project execution capacity independent of the existing Bursary and linked to the Office of the Vice Chancellor.”
The second requirement is the bolstering of that component of collaboration with the University of the West Indies that relates to improving the level of the qualifications of staff. The third requirement for success relates to quality assurance provisions.
