Virtual graduation saves Egerton University millions of shillings
Egerton University Vice-Chancellor Prof Rose Mwonya speaks during a virtual graduation ceremony at Njoro campus in Nakuru County on July 31.
What you need to know:
- Prof Mwonya said organising a virtual graduation ceremony was not easy.
- Despite facing an acute financial crisis, the Njoro based campus held a successful virtual graduation ceremony.
If there is a silver lining amidst the devastating coronavirus which is ravaging the country, then Egerton University has touched the cloud.
Despite facing an acute financial crisis, the Njoro based campus held a successful virtual graduation ceremony.
The 42nd graduation ceremony was attended by Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha. The institution, which has been spending millions of shillings during graduation ceremonies, this time around saved millions of shillings, thanks to coronavirus.
The university has slashed the staff salaries by about 40 per cent to remain afloat. The university council has approved a retrenchment programme aimed at reducing the institution’s wage bill that currently stands at over Sh200 million per month.
The institution plans to send home some 400 employees before the end of the year.
Big debts
"The university spends between Sh7 million and Sh10 million to host a graduation ceremony. With virtual graduation we shall have a big saving and this is good news as the university has debts running into millions of shillings," said the university’s Vice-Chancellor Rose Mwonya.
"This has tested our online system, we achieved more than 90 percent as departments worked like a well-oiled machine," said Prof Mwonya.
"The beauty of this virtual graduation is that all the players were forced to think hard and do their best and this worked to the advantage of the entire team," said Prof Mwonya.
The virtual graduation was a big relief to deans as only those who had graduating students took part in the in the procession.
In normal graduation, the deans call out the names of graduands who rise before they are conferred with various degrees.
During virtual graduation, the names are called and the students' images appear on a projected screen that is streamed live on social media.
"This is the best graduation because it has minimal distraction, one can follow the proceedings from the mobile phone anywhere," said Prof Mwonya.
"We are used to long graduation ceremonies and hectic preparations that eat a lot of our valuable time but this time around we got a solution, thanks to coronavirus," she explained.
Distance learning
She attributed the seamless graduation to hard work and great teamwork led by Deputy Vice-chancellor Academic Affairs Prof Alexander Kahi, deans, lecturers, and other support staff.
Prof Fred Nyabuti Keraro and Prof Ezra Maritim played a key role in the success of the virtual graduation having previously worked in the School of Distance Learning at the university.
"By March, we had uploaded about 11 programmes but by the time we were holding our graduation, nearly all the programmes were uploaded," said Prof Mwonya.
She added:"We have a School of Distance Learning but it never crossed my mind that virtual graduation was possible. It is a wakeup call to the School of Distance Learning to start planning for integrated learning for certain programmes with minimal practical lessons."
