In a letter dated May 8th, 2020, the Vice Chancellor of Uganda Christian University, Rev. Canon Dr. John Ssenyonyi has re affirmed the University’s stand to provide Take Home Examinations for the students in the January semester after the ongoing National lock down.
“Consequently, unless we are guided differently, we still believe that when Government re-opens education institutions, UCU should still be able to administer the Take Home exams to her students. Indeed, over 90 percent of the Easter Semester students had already registered their gadgets for the exams, and others were continuing to register, to access the examinations by the various means we were going to use ( Whatsapp, emails etc)” the letter read.
The Vice Chancellor goes on to state that students whose programmes will be unavailable in the May semester do not need to return to the University after the lock down. He particularly expressed the situation of some International students.
“Some International students managed to depart the country before the borders and the airport were closed. For these students, it is a prohibitive cost to return just to sit examinations,” the letter stated.
Rev. Ssenyonyi highlights some of the guidelines to govern the Take Home exams if the University is allowed to proceed with them.
They include purchasing internet for each student to access the exams, an option of printing out question papers and answer sheets as well as other arrangements in plan for students who may find it difficult to access the exams using the available means.
He adds that these examinations need not invigilation stressing that students will be availed time to read, research and reflect on the questions.
It should be remembered that the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni denied the University the opportunity to administer these online exams during the lock down. The Vice Chancellor says he still in talks with the National Council of Higher Education (NHCE) in a bid to have these exams given to students after the lock down.
