Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions (Institutional Standards) Regulations

Information Resources

Library Buildings

Staffing

Regulation. Library Services

General Requirements

Curriculum and Programmes

Assessment Requirements

Regulations may be cited as the Universities and Title Other Tertiary Institutions (Institutional Standards) Regulations, 2005.

2. These Regulations apply to all universities and tertiary Application. institutions.

these Regulations, unless the context otherwise Interrequires- pretation "Act" means the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001;

"National Council" means the National Council for Higher Education established by section 4 of the Act.

shall comply Standards for with the standards set out in Parts II to V of these Regulations. institutions.

of university or tertiary institution indicate the specific steps to be standards. taken towards the attainment of the standards.

Evaluation 6. (1) Every university and every tertiary institution shall of performance prepare and submit to the National Counciland supervision. (a) an annual report of its activities in each year of operation; and (b) once in every three years, a detailed self- evaluation report of the steps it has taken towards the achievement of the aims and objects for which it was established. (2) The National Council shall analyse all reports submitted to it under subregulation (1) and may make such comments or give such other instructions for action by the university or tertiary institution. (3) The comments made or instructions given by the National Council in accordance with subregulation (2) shall specify whether or not the objects for which the university or tertiary institution was established are being complied with.

Obligations 7. (1) Every university and every tertiary institution shallof universities (a) ensure that the institutional standards set by the and tertiary institutions. National Council are, at all times, maintained; (b) ensure that all lawful instructions issued by the National Council or other authority empowered to give instructions under the Act are complied with; (c) ensure that new programmes of instruction are not commenced or new regulations effected without the prior consent of the National Council; and (d) submit to such other modes of supervision including inspection and visitation and at such intervals as may be determined by the National Council. (2) The National Council may inspect a university or tertiary institution as and when it deems necessary to verify the contents of the evaluation report referred to in regulation 5 (1)

this Part, unless the context otherwise requires- "bibliographical control" means the creation, development, organisation, management and exploitation of records prepared in order to facilitate access to any item held in the library by describing such an item; "collection management policy" means the policy outlining the systematic acquisition and evaluation of size, appropriateness, accessibility and usefulness of a library collection in terms of the objectives, users and programmes of the sponsoring institution; "conservation" means the process of ensuring the survival of library or archive materials including basic repair or strengthening work; "E-mail" means a system of transmitting messages and data through the medium of a computer using telephone connections and modems; "information resources" means informal or formal, human, printed or electronic resources that contain information that can be accessed to meet an information need; "information services" means services provided by or for a library specifically to draw attention to the resources of the library in anticipation of demand and may take the form of newssheets, literature surveys, reading lists, abstracts or contents of current journals; "inter library loan" means the reciprocal system by which libraries borrow publications from other libraries and in turn lend publications to those

other libraries; "journal" means a magazine or periodical, published by a specialist or academic or professional body for its members, containing proceedings, transactions, contributions and reports of work carried out in a particular field;

"library budget" means the funds available for library purposes; but excludes staff salaries;

"paraprofessional" means a person holding a diploma or certificate in Librarianship or Information Science or a related field, who assists a librarian;

"preservation" means the provision of adequate care and maintenance to ensure durability and continuity of library and archive materials; and

"Senate" means the body responsible for the academic affairs of a university.

Information Resources Provision of information resources. 9. (1) A library established for a university or tertiary institution shall-

A library shall develop and maintain a system that information enables a user to access the information materials in its materials. collection, easily and efficiently.

Library Buildings Provision of space and security. 11. (1) A library building shall provide adequate space and security conducive to study and research with suitable environmental conditions for library staff and users, including persons with disabilities.

A library shall have adequate staff to be determined by, inter alia (a) the academic programmes offered; (b) the number of students; (c) the number of service points; and (d) the hours for which the service is offered. (2) Library staff shall include librarians, paraprofessional library staff and skilled technical and clerical staff. (3) A library shall maintain staff ratios as follows- (a) qualified librarians shall constitute 35% of the total library staff; (b) paraprofessional and skilled technicians shall constitute 50% of the library staff; and (c) other workers shall constitute 15% of the remaining staff. (4) The terms of employment of library staff shall be equivalent to the terms of employment of the academic staff. (5) Library staff shall have access to different forms of on-going and continuous training, research funds and benefits accessed by other academic staff. (6) A person qualified to be a librarian in terms of these standards may be appointed to be in charge of the library department. (7) The functions of the librarian include- (a) developing the mission, goals and objectives of the library;

shall establish a library committee to perform and exercise such functions as the Senate may confer on it (2) The library committee shall be responsible to the Senate.

Library Services Maintenance of quality

A library shall establish, promote and maintain a services wide variety of quality services that will support the academic programmes of the university or tertiary institution and

encourage optimal use of the information resources. (2) Library staff shall be responsible for developing and teaching of information literacy skills to the entire academic community. (3) Library staff shall maintain a system through which the users are informed of the resources available and in particular recent additions to the library. Library information system.

A library information system shall be integrated within the campus wide network (2) A library shall provide information access and delivery services through inter-library loan-schemes and electronic data transfer using the Internet, e-mail and other information technology medium. Access to library resources. 16. (1) A library shall ensure optimal access to its own resources and other resources available elsewhere by developing and maintaining appropriate policies and procedures. (2) A library shall provide directional, instructional and reference services.

appropriate policies and procedures concerning opening and borrowing hours Reference and bibliographic

A library shall provide information and instruction services. to users through a variety of reference and bibliographic services such as course-related and course integrated instructions, hands- on active learning, orientations, formal courses, tutorials and point-of-use instruction, including reference interviews.

maintain information information technologies and shall- technologies.

this Part, unless the context otherwise requires- "academic staff" means members of the teaching staff of a university or tertiary institution; "academic year" means a continuous period of teaching, examination and study organised in a full year mode, semester mode or quarter mode and extending over not less than thirty calendar weeks; "compensation" means the practice of awarding a pass mark in respect of a failed course by reason of a candidate having passed other courses offered in

the same curriculum or programme of study; "course" means a single unit of study in a curriculum or programme of study; "curriculum" means an organised programme of study for a given degree, diploma or certificate award, incorporating all matters such as academic staff requirement, duration of academic programmes, admission requirements, programme content requirements and assessment process requirements; "department" means an academic division into which a faculty is divided for purposes of teaching, examinations and administration; "faculty" means an academic division so designated or established under the instruments constituting a university or tertiary institution and it may also mean academic members of staff; "institute" means an organisation founded for particular work such as education, promotion of arts or scientific research; "lecture hour" means a period of time equivalent to one hour representing one such continuous hour in lecture form, two in tutorial session, three in laboratory practicals and five in farm or similar practice; "programme of study" means the prescribed syllabus that students must be taught at each key stage; "re-sit examination" means an examination taken again by a candidate who has not been successful in a previous attempt; "school" means a faculty or a cluster of departments specialising in a particular subject area; "supplementary examination" means the practice of re- examining a candidate who was not successful in a

previous attempt; "syllabus" means a full description of the content of each course offered in a given programme of study.

General Requirements Academic and support

shall maintain staff adequate academic and support staff for each approved programme of study.

defined in terms of the academic years, which shall conform to any of the following modes- (a) the full year mode, which consists of three terms and one end of year examination; (b) the semester mode, which consists of a programme with two sections and an examination at the end of each section; (c) the trimester mode, which consists of three sections

and an examination at the end of each section; or (d) the quarter mode, which consists of four sections and an examination at the end of each section.

Curriculum and Programmes Design of curriculum.

to facilitate a balanced learning process and ensure that students are able to acquire such cognitive, effective and psychomotor skills as are consistent with the educational goals and aspirations of Uganda as may, from time to time, be defined by the National Council (2) Account shall be taken in the design of every curriculum to ensure that the programme proposed- (a) is broad-based or integrated; (b) is practical oriented; (c) is diversified; (d) does not compromise the standards of excellence set by the National Council; and (e) contributes to the overall national human resource development and requirements. Contents of curriculum and 24. (1) A curriculum or programme of study shallprogrammes. (a) clearly indicate the core courses; (b) clearly indicate the elective courses; (c) provide common courses;

Assessment Requirements Assessment of students.

on the basis of the following

establish a systematic mechanism for the internal and external moderation of examinations Board of Examiners.

shall establish a Board of Examiners consisting of internal and external examiners for each degree programme (2) The Board of Examiners shall determine whether a candidate has successfully completed or failed an examination on the basis of the pass mark.

this Part, unless the context otherwise requires- "adequate water supply" means water in such quantities as would permit maintenance of a reasonable level of personal and environmental hygiene; "Building Code" means any standards prescribed for the construction of buildings by the relevant Government department; "classroom" means a room accommodating several students for the purposes of instruction; "full time students equivalent" (FTSE) means a number of hours of teaching required by one student to fulfill the requirements of the course in an academic year; "Master Plan" means a programme of a university or tertiary institution showing the order of development of physical and academic aspects for

a given period of time; "physical facilities" means any structure fixed or movable and any part of the structure used or intended to be used for teaching, lecturing or instructing or as a dwelling house or for recreational activities and all ancillary facilities, including drainage works, services installations and road works; "reader station" means space occupied by a student in a library; "recognized water laboratory" includes the Government Chemist, the laboratory of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, and any other laboratory registered with or belonging to the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Lands, Water and Environment, or any other public institution, person or organisation duly authorized by the Government of Uganda to undertake water analysis; "relevant local authority" means a city council, county council, municipal council, subcounty council, town council or a local authority under whose jurisdiction a university is situated; "research" means an investigative study of any physical, biological or social phenomenon through a systematic approach; "residential university" means a university in which ten or more students are boarded; "safe water supply" means a supply of water free from any contamination; "site works" means a place where construction activities are carried out; "surface water" means any ground water, subsoil water, storm water or rain water which discharges on the

ground surface; "utility services" includes any service that is connected to any physical facility through pipe or wire network, other medium for helping to convey fluids, energy and messages, people and goods in and out of any physical facility; "waste water" means any water after it has been fouled by a variety of uses and which constitutes a combination of liquid and water carried wastes emanating from residences, toilets, kitchens, laundries, laboratories, workshops and other drainages. Application of standards for physical 29. These Standards apply tofacilities. (a) any building or part of a building purposely designed and constructed for use by a university or tertiary institution; (b) any alterations or extensions of a building or parts of a building of a university or tertiary institution; (c) every building undergoing material change of use in the university or tertiary institution building; and (d) all related utility services installations and site works for a university or tertiary institution. Factors for which standards

are the followingprescribed. (a) public health, including-

provide the following physical facilities to accommodate its activities (a) classrooms or lecture rooms/ theatres;

shall, in addition to the facilities to be provided under regulation 5, provide the following physical facilities (a) kitchen and dining facilities; and

intended to be used as part of physical facilities of a university Code.

or tertiary institution shall comply with the requirements of the Building Code and the provisions of the Public Health Act, and in particular- (a) it shall maintain the minimum requirements for health and safety of the public prescribed by the Public Health Act; (b) it must be approved by the relevant local authority; (c) there shall be evidence of- (i) approval of drawings of the proposed buildings; (ii) approval of alterations or extensions, if any; (iii) approval of proposed change of use, if any; and (iv) a certificate of occupation for a newly constructed or altered buildings.

Public Safety Safety of physical

operate in facilities physical facilities that are safe for the public and in particular- (a) all buildings and other physical facilities used by a university or tertiary institution to accommodate its activities shall be serviceable and functional; and

two storeys or more or in which provision may be made for future development of other storeys; (b) any building or structure in which any suspended structural floor panel beam or frame exceeds six meters in span; and (c) any building or structure in which a balcony is provided for purposes of public assembly. Fire safety.

facilities used by a university or tertiary institution to accommodate university or tertiary institution activities shall provide adequate fire safety (2) All buildings and other physical facilities shall conform to the requirements of the Building Code, the Public Health Act Cap 281 and other standard practices with regard to fire resistance, means of fire escape, access from fire escape and fire fighting equipment. Fire escape.

activities shall have adequate, reasonable and easily accessible means of escape in the event of fire (2) All means of fire escape shall be properly maintained and kept free from any obstruction. Provision of fire fighting

lecture theatre, seminar room, auditorium, laboratory, library, dormitory or residential hall, shall be provided with adequate fire fighting equipment, such as hose reels, portable fire extinguishers, fire buckets, dry risers, fire hydrants, sprinklers and water storage tanks. Central fire fighting

outside the area covered by a Government or local authority fire station, a central fire fighting unit shall be located in a purpose built station forming part of the university service area; and the equipment for the fire station shall be provided by the university

Water or tertiary institution for its use. supply system for 41. A university or tertiary institution shall procure a water fire supply system for fire fighting which shall be drawn through the fighting. main water supply distribution system via a series of underground hydrants located at regular intervals throughout the site of the university or tertiary institution.

Teaching Laboratories, Hospitals, Workshops and Studios Laboratory facilities. 42. A university or tertiary institution conducting courses requiring the use of laboratories as part of instructional facilities shall, in addition to providing classrooms and lecture theatres provide adequate laboratory facilities.

Adequacy 43. In assessing the adequacy of laboratory facilities the of laboratory following shall be taken into accountfacilities. (a) provision of adequate laboratory facilities in close proximity to classroom or other teaching facilities; (b) provision of room for instructional workstations;

offering medical medical courses shall have the necessary basic pre-clinical sciences courses. together with the laboratory requirements and any specialised provisions for anatomy and pathology. (2) The university or tertiary institution shall also have or secure access to a teaching hospital easily accessible to students and equipped with the usual outpatient and inpatient facilities covering all specialisations in medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, community health. (3) The university or tertiary institution shall also provide support facilities such as X-ray, radio-therapy, anesthetics and pathology, accessible to medical students, except that where the hospital is not the property of the relevant university or tertiary institution, adequate legal and administrative arrangements shall

Hospital to be made in respect of such access. have necessary 45. The hospital shall have the necessary resources such as resources. human, physical, technical and financial resources to meet professional and academic requirements. Design of teaching hospital.

shall conform to the requirements of the Ministry responsible for health in providing relevant health services; and in addition, the hospital buildings shall conform to the requirements for buildings under the Building Code Facilities for fine art courses. 47. A university or tertiary institution offering fine art shall have a studio for drawing from life, general drawing, basic design painting, ceramic and film room, graphic photography print-making studio, life painting, composition or still life studios, textile design and weaving, sculpture studios together with the following- (a) a ceramic glazing and testing laboratory, glass design and testing laboratory, glass design and technology, silver smithing and jewellery and museology laboratory; (b) workshop space for modeling, casting and woodcarving; (c) space for sculpture, garden, outdoor wood burning kilns and such other facilities as may be specified by the National Council; (d) studio spaces and drafting room with adequate lighting; (e) photogrammetic laboratory; (f) remote sensing laboratory; (g) computing laboratory; (h) hydrographic laboratory workshop; (i) cartographic workshop; and

urban and and regional regional planning shall have adequate studio space for every year planning courses. of study and the university shall also have a model-making workshop. Facilities for building courses.

building or building technology courses shall have studio space for every year of study and shall also have (a) for every year of study, workshops for carpentry and joinery, mechanical works and welding, masonry and concrete works and electrical wiring and building services; (b) laboratory space for each course of study for material sciences, structures and services; and (c) spaces for demonstration units in various building construction techniques. Facilities for architecture

architecture courses shall have design studios for each class with adequate individual workspace at the rate of 2.5 square metres per workstation and shall also have- (a) a modeling workshop with equipment enough for at least two class years; (b) an architectural science laboratory with sufficient equipment; (c) a photographic laboratory; (d) one material testing workshop; (e) one wood working workshop; and (f) spaces within the overall premises of the department, for external activities such as those required for workshop fabrication and for erection of building

Facilities in components and for testing their exposure to food and home care weather activities. laboratories. 51. (1) A food laboratory shall be provided with installations adequate for instructions in food preparation, cooking and services using a variety of cooking energy resources; including electricity, gas and wood. (2) Home care laboratories shall be equipped with Computers laundry and ironing facilities. for computer science 52. A university or tertiary institution offering computer students. science and related programmes shall have one computer per Land for student in any given lesson. agriculture courses.

a university or tertiary institution farm over and above that stipulated for an ordinary university or tertiary institution Catering facilities. Catering and Accommodation

shall provide adequate, well-lighted and ventilated accommodation Adequacy for cooking, service and eating materials. of catering facilities.

catering facilities, the following factors shall be taken into account (a) provision of the following functional areas- (i) a food preparation area of not less than 0.50 square metre per student;

provide common rooms with adequate recreational facilities for staff and students. Accommod ation facilities.

shall provide adequate light and ventilated student accommodation facilities and in particular (a) open rooms used as student accommodation shall not accommodate more than four students; (b) the total floor area of the rooms shall not be less than the following per student- (i) single room, 8.00 square metres; (ii) double student room or cubicle, 7.00 square metres; and (iii) three or four student room, 6.00 square metres; (c) every living room in the hall shall be located so as to get maximum access to outside light and air; (d) every room or hall shall be provided with vents in the walls in such a manner as to provide permanent ventilation; and (e) sufficient doorways shall be provided in every student hall to ensure rapid exit in case of fire or other emergency. University Utility Services or tertiary institution to

adequate adequate water supply installed in accordance with the water supply.

Assessing requirements of the Building Code and these Standards. adequacy of water supply. 59. In assessing the adequacy of the water supply for the university the following shall be taken into account- (a) the wholesomeness of the water and in particular, the fact that it is free from any contamination that may cause disease or injury to health, has no objectionable taste or odour, is aesthetically acceptable and has been certified as such by a recognised water laboratory; (b) the extent to which the quality of the water provided conforms to the requirements of the Ministry responsible for water; (c) the availability of a cold water storage facility in each building for domestic purposes taken from the main supply to the buildings or a cold water storage tank in each building with sufficient capacity to meet not less than twenty four hours demand from the building's users or a minimum water demand of 150 litres per day per person; (d) the availability of a central cold water storage facility from the main water supply to the university or tertiary institution or of a storage facility with sufficient capacity to meet not less than three days demand from the university community or a minimum water demand of 150 litres per day per person;

provide an appropriate and adequate wastewater collection, treatment and disposal system. Assessing adequacy of waste water

waste water system, the system following shall be taken into account- (a) the availability of a satisfactory drainage system for water; (b) the availability of adequate means of sewage and waste water disposal by means either of the relevant local authority main sewer or of septic tanks, conservancy tanks or stabilisation ponds or cesspool constructed to specifications contained in the Building Code;

connected to a local authority's sewage system shall have at least two hectares of land set aside for the construction of a sewage plant and the land shall be so situated as to ensure public health and safety from effluent originating from the plant. Surface water system.

Assessing 63. A university or tertiary institution shall provide an adequacy of surface adequate surface water collection and disposal system. water 64. In assessing the adequacy of the surface disposal system. system, the following factors shall be taken into account- (a) the capability to drain and dispose of surface water in such a manner as to cause the least inconvenience or nuisance to the public; and (b) the absence of surface run-off or storm water from buildings and related infrastructure such as roads, General parking areas and playing fields. sanitary conveniences. 65. (1) A university or tertiary institution shall provide, keep clean and maintain adequate and suitable sanitary conveniences which conform in all respects to the requirements of the Building Code, for the students and all persons working in the university or tertiary institution.

shall residential university provide well-lighted and ventilated closets, urinals, wash hand or tertiary institution. basins, bathrooms and drinking water fountains as follows- (a) one W. C. for every fifteen male students; (b) one W. C. for every fifteen female students ; (c) one urinal for every ten students; (d) one wash hand basin for every ten students;

Master Plan Contents of Master Plan.

any other details required by law to be included, indicate (a) the location of the existing and proposed buildings of the university;

PHENNY BIRUNGI, Acting Executive Director, National Council for Higher Education.