UNIVERSITÉ DE DSCHANG-----------

RECTORAT----------

VICE-RECTEUR CHARGE DES ENSEIGNEMENTS, DE LA PROFESSIONNALISATION ET DU

DEVELOPPEMENT DES TIC----------

B.P. 96 DSCHANG Tél. / Fax: (237) 33 45 13 81

REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUNPaix – Travail- Patrie

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SYNOPTIC PRESENTATION OF

THE UNIVERSITY OF DSCHANG

-------------------I. Geographic localizationII. Organization III. StatisticsIV. Swot analysisV. Strategic optionsVI. Remarks

I- GEOGRAPHIC LOCALIZATION7 campuses including 5 off-campus field stations

II- ORGANIZATION Organization chart of the University of Dschang

RECTOR

VRTeaching/ICT

VRResearch/Coop.

VRControl/Eval

Secretary General

Acad. Affairs/Coop.

Administrat. & Finance

Student Welfare

Infrastruct./Development

Tech. Advisor

Faculties/Schools

Financial Controller Accounting Officer Specialized Services

(Ministry of Finance)

COUNCIL

SENATE

D I R E C T O R S

Heads of DivisionsLibraryHealth

CenterOff-Campus

StationsMedia Center

Dean

Head of Div.

Admin. Finance

Vice Dean

Student Affairs

Vice Dean

ProgramingVice Dean

Research/Coop

Heads of Laboratories

Heads of Departments

C H I E F S O F S E R V I C E S

Organization chart of Faculties(Letters, Economics, Law, Science, Agronomy)

III- MISSIONS AND GOALSMissions : - University level training with emphasis on professionalization- Basic and applied research geared toward solving national societal problems - Extension and Service to the community

Main orientation / Mandate : - Rural development

Vision : “One of Africa’s best by year 2025, dedicated to excellence and sustainable development”

III- MISSIONS AND GOALS (continued)Slogan : “The University of Dschang, lever of rural development and pillar of Cameroon’s emergence”

Principles / values : - Responsability- Respect of laws and institutions- Quality- Excellence- Innovation

IV- SOME STATISTICSa. Year of creation: 1993b. Faculties and schools: 7c. Student enrolment: 30,000d. Cost of training: average of FCFA 400 000/student for the Statee. School fees : FCFA 50,000 – 1,000,000f. Teaching staff: 500g. Support staff: 550h. Success rate: 40-60%i. Academic departments : 40j. Research laboratories : 35 k. Student hostels : 3 (beds : 390)l. Restaurants and meals : 2 , 400 seats, m. Sport facilities : for most Olympic sports n. Student unions and clubs : several o. Budget : FCFA 6,500,000,000 (5-20 % for research)

IV- SOME STATISTICS (continued)o. Specialized units

i. EIG (Economic Interest Group): linkage between the University and society to promote entrepreneurship, professional training and income generating activities.

ii. “Cyberium” (internet shop) : 30 computers; 3.5 Mbps connexion

iii. Campus security : guards iv. Library : 500 seats; about 120 000 booksv. Media Center (Printing Press)vi. Center for Distance Educationvii. Health Center : 1 physician, 1 lab, 1 x-ray machine,...viii. Teaching and research farm : about 130 ha (10 ha on

campus)ix. Teaching and Research forest : Belabo off-campus field

station

V- “ SWOT ” ANALYSISStrengths

• Well established national and regional reputation ;• Well defined missions ;• Strategic development plan available;• Existence of concertation bodies and consultative committees • Existence and execution of annual calendar of activities• Bilingualism;• Implementation of BMP (BMD) system;• Qualified and dynamic teaching staff• EIG (Economic Interest Group) in place and functioning• Internet connexion available • emerging distance education • Laboratories• Some interaction with the private sector • High level of administrative decentralization

V- “ SWOT ” ANALYSIS (continued)Weaknesses/constraints :

• Insufficient infrastructure• Limited funding for most activities• Insufficient and obsolete scientific equipment • Deficit in teaching and support staff• Weak administrative evaluation system• Limited access to internet• Low level of collaborative and multidisciplinary research• Dependence of research themes and funding from external

sources• Limited means of transportation ;• Lack of extension of research results

V- “ SWOT ” ANALYSIS (continued)Opportunities :

• Increasing interest of funding bodies for higher education• Increasing awareness of environmental issues• Institutional framework for collaboration between universities and

enterprises• Dynamic diaspora• Political stability• Cooperation opportunities

Threats : • Widespread poverty • Regional instability• Climatic change• Weak private sector and poor employment opportunities• Energy crisis• Brain drain• Lack of mastery of staff appointments and movements

VI- STRATEGIC OPTIONSVI-1- Improving Professional training

• Reinforce and train staff• recruit more professionals for part-time teaching positions• update teaching programs• Diversification of professional training programs• Promote the teaching of languages• put in place an observatory of graduate employment and commit

tracer studies• include internships in most curricula• create spin-offs• teach entrepreneurship• create university enterprises• re-enforce bilingual training and the teaching of national

languages

VI- STRATEGIC OPTIONS (continued)VI-2- Reinforcing research and outreach activities

• Design strategic plan for Research• Plan and execute conferences and seminars• Create Centers of excellence for research in sustainable

development, in green economy, in climate change impacts and in renewable energy,

• Develop a Charter for Income generating activities• Increase budget for research• Equip laboratories• Promote collaborative and multidisciplinary research• Support extension of research results• Encourage patenting• pursue the development of the Graduate school• put in place a committee for ethics• train staff on research project design and fund seeking• update the infrastructure of off-campus stations

VI- STRATEGIC OPTIONS (continued)VI-3- Promoting income generating activities

• Promote the creation of income generating activities• Create university enterprise• Strengthen EIG• Promote consultancy activities• Develop university farms

VI-4- Improving on governance :• Management:

- Improve filing system- Develop a Handbook of procedures and good practices- Modernize internal circulation of information - Update and reinforce the capacities of administrative and

finance officers and staff- Conduct regular follow-up and evaluation of activities

VI- STRATEGIC OPTIONS (continued)

• Social :- Promote equity (gender, handicapped persons,...)- Put in place a task force to fight corruption - Reinforce sensitization in the fight against HIV/AIDS- Build or extend sports facilities- Reinforce Health facilities- Build student hostels- Build more restaurants- Improve water supply facilities and campus hygiene- Develop environmental management schemes for all campuses- Train physical education teachers for more efficient

performance

VI- STRATEGIC OPTIONS (continued)

• Electronic :- Update administrative, financial and academic management

software- Re-enforce and extend computer and internet facilities- Seek access to online library documentation- computerize library documentation- Update and reinforce printing press (Media Center)- Produce and publish online pedagogic materials- Develop and modernize e-learning, distance-teaching and other

computerized services (visio- and video- conference equipment, computerized ID cards, ...)

REMARKS• The University of Dschang has been recently ranked First in

Cameroon and in central Africa (“Webometrics” ranking / Spanish National Research Council)

• In the absence of a full Faculty of Medicine, there is a Department of Biomedical Sciences in the Faculty of Science, with specific professional programs (Epidemiology and Public Health, Physiotherapy, Medical Laboratory at the moment), but in need of teaching expertise, research laboratory equipment and teaching hospital for Hands-on training and health service to the community.