St. Mary’s University held its annual staff general meeting on October 07, 2024, at the Undergraduate Campus Multipurpose Hall. The meeting was chaired by Wondwosen Tamrat, PhD, founder, and President of St. Mary’s University, and was well attended by Instructors, Department Heads, Faculty Deans and other staff members.The primary focus of the meeting was to review the major performance highlights of the 2016 E.C. academic year and to prepare for 2017 E.C. academic year. The event also aimed to outline the major academic tasks for the year that require active involvement from the academic staff.
After the opening remarks, different offices presented their achievements and challenges.During his presentation the ICT Director highlighted that the University’s strides towards digitalizing teaching, learning, assessment, and communication through the Learning Management System (LMS) and Outlook. All LMS materials, including curricula, course outlines, references, and assessment materials, have been uploaded, marking significant progress toward a paperless and digitized University environment. The director of the Centre for Educational Improvement and Quality Assurance (CEIQA) ,explained about online evaluation of teachers by students. While acknowledging areas for improvement, the results were deemed encouraging. On his presentation SMU Testing Centre representative, emphasized on preparing up-to-date and standardized assessment materials. He clarified that all exams are carefully evaluated and standardized by the exam committee, following a standardized “Assessment Guideline.”
During his presentation Research and Knowledge Management Office (RakMO),Director briefed attendees on the University’s research undertakings and encouraged increased research participation among staff. The Career and Internship Unit Head then discussed the unit’s success in facilitating practical apprenticeships at various organizations, significantly enhancing students’ employability.
Finally, Misraku Mola,(PhD), the Academic Vice President, underscored the major academic tasks for the year. These include increasing staff engagement in research, publication, and conference participation; implementing performance-based staff recognition and promotional packages; designing strategies to support low-performing students; engaging instructors to enhance students’ preparation and success in Higher Education Entrance Examinations (HEEE); and creating awareness and implementing new teaching methodologies, such as the Flip Methodology, which will be uniformly adopted across all courses. He emphasized the importance of using LMS in teaching, learning, and assessments.
The meeting concluded with a lively discussion, during which participants raised academic and administrative issues and provided valuable feedback. The University President appreciated the contributions and highlighted the importance of such platforms in maintaining and enhancing the University’s performance. This meeting set a collaborative tone for the 2017 E.C. academic year, focusing on continuous improvement and academic excellence.
Recent Comments