COVID-19: All KIU Students To Continue Studies Online and WhatsApp

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Students are required to electronically submit any given assignments by email to the appropriate Lecturers and copy to the Director Quality Assurance and Director Academic Affairs

Students of Kampala International University (KIU) are to continue with studies using online platforms that the University has created and WhatsApp groups for “classroom” communications.

In a letter addressed to the students and staff of the University, the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Mouhamad Mpezamihigo, explains that considering the requirement to comply with the government directive in containing the potential spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus), and the recommendations of the Senate Examination Committee, various consultations (with the Board of Trustees, University Council, Senate Members, Management, student leaders and programme coordinators) have been held.

“In line with the above and the directive, and in exercise of my powers entrusted to me as the Vice Chancellor and Chair of Senate; and given the fact that the shutdown is going to last 32 days (about 4 weeks of teaching and learning), and that for each course unit, there is content that was earlier planned for delivery in the four weeks of the shutdown (as per the academic calendar), I hereby direct the Students and Academic Staff of Kamapala International University as follows:” stated the Vice Chancellor in the letter.

The first directive issued requires all lecturers are required to submit soft copies of the specific content to the school or Faculty Dean or College principle, through the appropriate Head of Department. This should be done not later than 5pm, Tuesday 24^th March, 2020.

When that is done, the Dean/ Principle, shall immediately submit to the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Acadamic Affairs), who shall ensure immediate upload on the KIU web-based Learning Management System (LMS). At the Western Campuses, the same procedure will apply, except that it is the Assistant Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) who will be responsible for final upload of content to the LMS.

For purposes of tracking compliance by both students and staff, the necessary Quality assurance monitoring and evaluation measures shall apply to ensure compliance with the approved standards in the delivery of the said content.

All KIU students shall have open access to the LMS via University website from which they will interact with the appropriate KIU web-based content through hyperlinks specific to schools, Faculties or Colleges (http://ims.kiu.ac.ug).

Other than use of emails, students are required to be active on WhatsApp groups created and administered by class coordinators in different years of study. According to the letter, information for the download of learning material and instructions will be shared via the class WhatsApp groups.

Students are required to electronically submit any given assignments by email to the appropriate Lecturers and copy to the Director Quality Assurance and Director Academic Affairs.

Open the link below for details of the letter:

https://infogram.com/guidelines-for-online-classes-for-kiu-students-and-staff-1h7k23goy8eg4xr?live

Graduating Students

It is evident that, this shutdown has come at a time when some of the students are supposed to graduate in different qualifications in June this year.

According to the letter, the University will make the online graduation clearance form available for students intending to graduate in June 2020. In the meantime, all Faculties, Schools and Colleges are required to submit names of cleared students to the Director Academic Affairs at both the Main and Western Campuses, while all the concerned offices (Finance, Library, Dean of Students eyc.) supposed to clear such students shall remain available to offer service and, any query will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Postgraduate Students

All Postgraduate students will be allowed to continue with their proposal and other research work via electronic means with their supervisors and through their respective Schools, Faculties and Colleges. The directorate of Higher Degrees and Research (DHDR) will continue to offer e-guidance and e-administrative support to both students and Schools/ Faculties/ Colleges at the Main and Western Campuses and, the DHDR is supposed be contacted via dhdrinquiries@kiu.ac.ug , PhD and Masters Forums.

KIU Western Campus

All Continuous Assessment Test exams for January intake have been postponed for until the shutdown is lifted and according to the directive, this affects all Schools and faculties and if there is any change in circumstances, students will be informed accordingly.

Student Nurses

All student nurses currently on posting to various hospitals and communities, have been directed to stop all their activities forthwith and go back to their respective homes directly from their current locations and NOT via the Western Campus.

On the other hand, the Certificate of Nursing students’ online registration for the June 2020 examinations will continue.

“It is strongly recommended that this task is completed before going home,” directed the letter.

KIU- Teaching Hospital and Clinical Practice

The KIU- Teaching Hospital will remain open to the public while operating under Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provided by the Ministry of Health.

The Accident and Emergency Unit of KIU Teaching Hospital will handle the quarantine and management of any reported COVID-19 cases in accordance with guidelines from the Ministry of Health.

According to the letter, KIU-Teaching Hospital will continue to work hand-in-hand with the District Directorate of Health Services and Ministry of Health on any reported cases of COVID-19.

All undergraduate Medical students in the teaching hospital have also been advised to return to their homes during the shutdown period. However, all postgraduate medical students (SHOs) on clinical skill training, including those on bed side teaching duties (ward rounds) will remain on duty as long as there is no crowding of more than 10 people per ward round. Concept papers, research proposals and research projects will be on-going via online platforms with the involvement of appropriate supervisors.

These guidelines given by the University have come just on time as the President of Uganda directed on Wednesday 18^th March, 2020, that all schools, tertiary and higher instutions of learning in the country suspend classes for the period of 32 days, beginning Friday 20^th March, 2020.

“When I visited Masaka SS in Masaka Town, it had 4,000 pupils without counting the other non-student people staying in that compound. It is wise that we temporarily remove these concentration points by closing all the Primary and Secondary schools as well as all the Universities and Tertiary Institutions for one month, starting with Friday, the 20^th of March, 2020, starting at mid-day,” stated the President.

According to the President, Uganda has about 10.7million children in the Primary Schools; 2million children in the Pre-Primary Schools; 2 million students in the Secondary Schools; 314,548 students in the Universities and Tertiary Institutions.

All East African countries except Uganda have confirmed cases of Coronavirus. The disease has spread to approximately 150 countries including China prompting WHO to declare the disease as a global pandemic.

The novel Coronavirus has killed more than 6,500 worldwide, according to an estimate from Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking cases reported by the World Health Organization and additional sources.

At least 174,085 cases have been confirmed globally with 77,866 recovered cases according to worldometer statistics.

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