A total of 176 participants, comprising students, guild leaders, academic staff, and university management, converged at Mpanga Library on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, for Nkumba University’s town hall meeting.
The meeting, officially opened by Vice Chancellor Prof. Jude Lubega, aimed to address three key areas including an overview of the eLearning policy, the institution’s eLearning platform, plus gender, disability inclusion, and gender safeguarding.
“It’s been over two years since the project was initiated,” Prof. Lubega revealed, highlighting the project’s achievements, including providing scholarships to students, training students and staff for e-learning capacity building, and supporting students with laptops.
“Lectures are to disseminate 30% of the semester’s syllabus through our e-learning platforms, this semester, it’s going to be business unusual,” Prof. Lubega emphasized, urging lecturers to stop selling notes to students and instead make them accessible via the university’s e-learning platform.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jude Lubega addressing participants during the Town Hall meeting on Tuesday // Joshua Baleete
Mr. Julius Opio, the Capacity Building Team Lead at Cyber School Technologies Limited, echoed the importance of open discussions. “Town hall meetings are open discussions for all to participate. Today, we aim to understand the fundamentals of e-learning: what it is, why we need it now, and for whom.”
The Academic Registrar, Dr. Frank Pio Kiyingi, expressed gratitude for the support provided by Cyber School and Mastercard Foundation. “This is a significant step forward in enhancing digital literacy for our students,” Dr. Kiyingi noted.
Mr. Joseph Lwevuze, the eLearning officer, emphasized the need for inclusivity, noting that systems have been developed to provide an inclusive academic environment.
During the interactive session, participants shared their experiences and proposed recommendations. The Guild President, Mr. Kasimba Noah, appealed to Cyber School and Mastercard Foundation to improve internet coverage.
Students proposed recommendations, including self-enrollment for courses, subsidized laptops, and a fully equipped computer lab for inclusivity.
Lecturers also shared their experiences, with Nayiga Rose recommending more training for students on navigating the Learning Management System.
As Nkumba University continues to navigate the eLearning landscape, it is clear that the institution is committed to providing a world-class education that prepares students for the digital age.
Some of the participants // Joshua Baleete