Kampala University

P. o. Box 25454, Kampala,W Uganda (Ggaba) TEL: 256-31 -2111294, oz72-4s0601. Website: www.ku.ac.uq Email: [email protected] GENERAL CIRCULAR REF: KU/GEN-CIRCU LAR/021 t042

8th January,2021

Dear Parent / Guardian/ Sponsor and all Students,

I have the pleasure on behalf of the University Council, the Management, Senate, Staff and on my own behalf, to take this opportunity to thank the Almighty God for having enabled us to complete this very engaging Semester, for the groups of students who managed t,o report, despite the very difficult times of this COVID 19 period. I once again, call upon all students to carry with them this General Circular and Fees lnvoice to help them update their parents, guardians, sponsors, alumni and other stakeholders about the key issues and recent developmJnts at the University.

As this Semester, draws to an end, I would like to share the following issues and updates with the University fraternity and call upon you to read and take note: l) Commencement of the Semester Following the abrupt breaking of the semester as directed by H.E. the President of Uganda due to the COVID 19 breakdown, the semester was prematurely ended until later guiOLO by the Ministry of Education and Sports. Having put in place all the standard Operatin! Procedures, (SOPs) arrangements were made to finalize the semester that was running but hal not yet been completed. This was done and examinations have all been completed iuccessfully fbr those students who managed to make it back. This will enable them start with a new and fres-h semester when we officially resume.

As this difficult phase of concluding the previous semester comes to an end, I would like to thank all the parents/guardians and Sponsors, for supporting our students and responding to the demands as they have arisen despite the difficult times. Otfrerfactors remaining constant] I would like to inform all of you that the next Semester (New) will officially commence on Monday 1st February, 2021 with strict observance of the Standard Operating Procedures. (SOp)

ll) Open and Distance Learning Training (ODeL) Following the COVID 19 experience and the current trend in institutions of higher learning, the university has gone ahead and developed the ODeL system that will be used toiacilitate teaihing and learning. As earlier shared with the students, we had planned to train students during the December season but this did not materiatize for reasons beyond our control. Currenly trainings for administrators, Deans of Schools, Heads of Department,lecturers are going on and students will be attended to in the final phase of this agenda whose training will take ptice in the first two weeks of the semester. Therefore, all students are called upon to report in time so that they attend the trainings. lll) 17th and 18th Graduation Ceremony The Universitywill hold the 17th and 18th Graduation ceremonies on two separate days atthe beginning of the second quarter of 2021. The specific dates will be communicated in the due course after the approval of the senate. The functions will as usual be presided over by the University Chancellor Prof. Mondo George Kagonyera. All students expecting to gradudte should clear with the relevant departments in time and make sure that they accomplish the process by finalizing with the Academic Registrar's department at all campuses. After all processes are completed satisfactorily, you should finally register in the graduation clearance book in the Registrars' offices at all campuses and confirm that all your bio data and the name appear in the correct order. All clearance should be done by or before 19th Febru ary 2021 .

lV) NGHE lnspection for COVID 19 Operation Compliance On 4th December, 2020, a team from National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) visited the University to check and confirm whether the stipulated SOPs had been put in place as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health, that of Education and Sports as well as the NCHE. The outcome of this inspection was to consider the institution and confirm the readiness of the institution to reopen during this COVID 19 period. At the end of this exercise, the report of the combined team indicated that we had performed excellently implying that we had what was needed to reopen.

V) Finalists' Examinations Combined with Special Examinations Examinations for final year final semester students (3-2 for Bachelors and 2-2 for Diploma) will be combined together with Special Examination and will both officially take place from 22nd February to 7th March 2021. This will cater for all groups including the graduating class whose issues require special exams. There will therefore be only one set of special examinations this time round. As we break for elections on 13th January, the final year final semester students will have to return on 18th January 2021 to continue with their studies till examination time.

Students in the special exams' category will be expected to fill in the Special Examination Request Form (Picked from the office of the Academic Registrar) and attach all the necessary documents accordingly. All applications for specials should be done immediately at the end of the Semester (before students break off for the holidays) and at any rate not beyond the first week of reporting. This should be done at the Academic Registrar's Department through the Deans of the different Schools.

NOTE: Please be reminded that the specials examinations are done at a fee of 100,000 l- per paper. Students who pursue this must have applied for them and should have met all the examination requirements before the end of the Semester i.e., registered the units online during the Semester, met the over 75o/o lecture attendance, done course works, and where applicable completed paying all the tuition fee balances. They should also have paid for each unit before permission to sit for (iU them) is granted. Serious Key Reminders for students to take note o Dead,semester/ Dead Year after COVID 19;According to the University policy regarding this issue/matter, any student who may wish to miss a year or a Semester should apply for a dead yearl Semester at the beginning of the Semester (within two weeks) of the Academic yearl Semester. However, considering the difficulties realized during this season including movement challenges, all students who didn't appear/return to complete the work done in the earlier semester will have to redo the semester thus considering it (the preceding) as a dead semester. . Academic Progression/ Self Promotion; the Academic Policy guidelines indicate that academic progression is not automatic to all students. lf a student doesn't sit for the end of Semester examinations; either at the end of Semester or during specials at the beginning of the subsequent Semester, then he/she is not eligible to proceed to the next Semester. On toptf that, if one does examinations and fails up to 30% of the units done, then he/she is expected to re-do the whole Semester and so cannot proceed to the following one. NOTE: a. All students in the category mentioned above should repeat the semester and not promote themselves b. All the units of the previous Semesters should always be done first, before one proceeds to the nexUfollowing Semester. o Research Viva Voce for schools The different schools are already holding the research viva voce for which all of the finalists should attend and fit in the available'programmes. Please confirm with your school coordinator and make sure that you don't miss out on this requirement as well. Have your research work ready for presentation during the viva voce especially for the finalists who have completed. . lnternships/ Practicum and School Practice All finalists who missed their internship due to COVID 19 in June- July and have not yet undertaken this requirement should make sure that they use the period of January to March to handle this and get supervised. I believe you already got internship and School Practice letters and all you need to do is to return the acceptance letters to your school coordinators. You should follow up with your school coordinators so that you meet this obligation before graduation. Students in this bracket should make it a point that they pay the required fees accoidingly and should look for places near their campuses for ease of supervision and in light of time limiiations. . Examination Malpractices I would like to generally commend the students' fraternity for conducting themselves fairly well during this examination season. Students have exhibited a high degree of seriousness with only a few reported cases of malpractice. However, those few cases netted will still face the examinations disciplinary committee on dates that will be communicated in the course of next Semester U) Payment of Fees and Tuition Allow me to use this opportunity to thank allthose parents/guardians and sponsors (external/self) who have managed to pay their students' fees in time more so at the beginning of the Semester. I call upon you to continue with this practice and encourage the rest to alwayJmake it a point to pay these dues in time to avoid disrupting students as they concentrate on their studies. Note: All monies must be paid in the bank to avoid being conned hy strangers and imposters. The policy of the University Administration as far as this issue is concerned is very cleai; . Allstudents are expected to pay allthe amount due on the opening day . For any payments in installments, there must be at least 60% down payment on the starting day and the remaining amount of 40o/o to be paid within a month thereafter. According to our poticy, one should make sure that by the examination time all the monies due should havL been paid to zero balance; short of which no examination will bb given. ^,. :! - &: ' All the old balances will have to be cleared first before the student is allowedto register for the current Semester. . Lecture pards will be issued shortly after the commencement of the Semester to all those who will have paid at least the required tuition percentage (60%). No one will attend lectures without a Iecture card once they have been issued. . Students offering programmes of lndustrial Art and Design, Leisure Tourism and Hotel Management and Environmental Management are meant to pay/should pay an extra 10Q,000/= each Semester for their practicals, materials and field trips depending on the programme offered. This should apply to students at all campuses. Vll) Accommodation in the University Hostels The University hostels are available to cater for the students' accommodation. You are reminded that according to the University policy, it is compulsory for all first-year international students to be accommodated with in the university hostels for security reasons. Payment for the accommodation fees is supposed to be made during the holiday and at any rate not beyond the reporting day. All current hostel occupants and those intending to join are called upon to carry with them at least two passport size photographs which will be used in capturing your personal details in the hostel records. Vlll) Kampala University School of Nursing and Health Sciences-Mutundwe I am glad to inform you that on 22nd September 2020, a team from the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examinations Board (UNMEB) and the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) inspected the institution to establish its readiness to resume operations during this COVID 19 period. At the end of the inspection, the school was permitted to start operations and a Certificate of Compliance with the COVID 19 guidelines was issued. The semester for the nurses started on 28th September 2020, they studied and finalists registered with the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Examinations Board (UNMEB) for the national examinations which were dully done between the 20th Novemberto 11th December 2020. The current finalists will be reporting back on 18th January 2021. The Nursing School is still receiving applications and handling admissions for the 2021 intake. The opening date for the new students will be officially communicated when the government guides on the reopening of educational institutions. lX) Conclusion Despitethe COVID 19 pandemic, lwish to conclude byappreciating the Chancellor, Chairman Council, all the members of Council, Senate and Kampala University staff that is, Academic, Administrative and Support together with the students' Guild for doing a very good job at various levels of the institution which has enabled us to successfully complete this Semester despite the obvious challenges of the COVID 19 pandemic.

May the Almighty God bless you all as we wish you a Happy New year, 2021. Stay safe.

Yours faithfully,

O'WEK. . AI HAJ. PROF. ONGO, BADRU D. KATEREGGA VICE CHANCELLOR Copy: University Chancellor Chairman Council 4