4 ebenezer Friday, july 29, 2022 EDITORIAL The story behind Ebenezer On the morning of April 15, 2022, when a team of six Ugandan journalism/ communications professionals proposed we call this publication “Ebenezer,” all I could think of was the unlikable character from the 1843 Charles Dickens novel, A Christmas Carol. My Ugandan colleagues were so excited that true to the spiral of silence theory that a person with a minority opinion doesn’t speak out, I remained silent. This time, I was glad I was quiet because as with many times in my decade-long association with Uganda Christian University (UCU) and despite the fact most call me “teacher,” the people here teach me. The Ebenezer reference that day from my team (Frank, John, Jimmy, Constantine, Edwin and Geoffrey) was from the Bible, 1 Samuel 7 with events occurring in 1,100 B.C. The nation of Israel revives its belief in the Lord in the midst of an attack from the Philistines. Because of their belief, the Israelites received God’s help. They erected a stone as a reminder of God’s power and protection and called it Ebenezer, meaning “stone of help.” Thus, this publication – the first such printed piece from UCU in two years – is rightfully called Ebenezer. to perseverance among believers in Christ. Teaching and learning and using that knowledge and skill to make the world and its people better are what UCU continues to be about. As a collaborative among the UCU Communications and Public Relations office, The Standard newspaper, the Uganda Partners NGO and the UCU School of Journalism, Media and Communication, our team has put together a small slice of the stories generated by us and UCU students and recent graduates during the past year and a half. We hope you find this publication interesting and that it instills in you the hope we have for UCU, its graduates and prospective students. To God be the glory. Patty Huston-Holm, Communications Director, Uganda Partners, Pennsylvania, USA (Submitted on behalf of John Semakula, head of undergraduate studies for the School of Journalism, Media and Communications; Frank Obonyo, former manager of the UCU Communications and Public Relations Office and now Senior Public Relations Officer at the Law Development Centre; Constantine Odongo, Chief Production Journalist, New Vision; Edwin Byarugaba, Elearning and Development Officer with Mildmay Institute of Health Ebenezer publication team: (First row, left to right) Constantine Odongo, Patty Huston-Holm, Geoffrey Ssenoga; (second row, left to right) Jimmy Siyasa, Frank Obonyo, Edwin Byarugaba, John Semakula Through Covid-related education lockdowns and with faith in God’s deliverance, the University has persevered and now thrives. The stories here of on-line and blended learning, graduate successes, entrepreneurial implementation and growing projects and programs were written over the past 18 months and are a testimonial Sciences; Geoffrey Ssenoga, UCU broadcast media lecturer; Jimmy Siyasa, communications assistant; Roggers Akanyijuka, supervisor, The Standard; and Peggy Noll, wife of UCU’s first vice chancellor, Stephen Noll, and our last-look editor.) Blended learning helped our students to continue with studies (This article, slightly edited by Frank Obonyo, was first published by New Vision newspaper on February 7, 2022). Before the Covid-19 onset, virtual learning was taking place in some institutions, although it was not widespread. On September 1, 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, formerly Head, Department of Journalism and Communication, Makerere University, took office as the new Vice Chancellor of the Uganda Christian University (UCU). All education institutions had closed as a result of the pandemic, and were stuck on how to proceed. In June 2020, as a response to the coronavirus pandemic and government lockdown measures, the University Council had suspended most activities and staff. It was a never-before, difficult situation. “As management, we realised that online learning was the way to go,” said Mushengyezi, who was front and centre in the education continuance storm. “The University already had an eLearning system, but there were several hiccups, including the system crashing.” The investment UCU upgraded its system to a larger and functional one that would sustain learning for all students, not just those who were studying at the main campus in Mukono, but all regional campuses and colleges that include: Kampala, Arua, Kabale and Mbale. Without giving a figure, Prof. Mushengyezi said considerable money was injected by the University to upgrade Uganda Christian University Vice Chancellor By Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi the already existing small eLearning center. “We invested more money in purchasing servers and a larger eLearning system. We upgraded the eLearning center to a level that is enough to cater for all 13,000 students,” disclosed the Vice Chancellor. The added challenges The next move was to shift all the University staff and students to online teaching and learning. However, the move was not without challenges. “People were unfamiliar with online teaching and learning, and so there was a lot of resistance,” the Vice Chancellor said. “Some faculty told me that they would not teach online but we insisted by encouraging them to go online.” The University also undertook measures to enlighten its faculty members and students in small groups, to understand that eLearning was the way to go. At one point, management requested the Chancellor and Head of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, to add his voice onto theirs, encouraging everybody to go online. “Once the majority of students agreed to learn online, we considered it a victory,” Prof. Mushengyezi said. “That’s how we made the shift to eLearning. We were able to sustain learning for our students.” Students continued with their studies, (Left to right) UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) John Mulindwa Kitayimbwa, Vice Chancellor Aaron Mushengyezi and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) David Mugawe in their academic regalia and some completed their programs and graduated. This, in turn, brought operational revenue to UCU. “We held virtual graduations. The students elected their leaders online using the e-chagua platform (Chagua meaning “choose” in Kiswahili),” reveals Prof. Mushengyezi. “We were able to keep the inflow of intakes going. Our students never got stuck. Those who were meant to complete studies, did so online, and graduated virtually and we got new intakes for May and September 2021 as well.” The future: Blended learning To maintain success with eLearning, the University has adopted a blended model of learning. It is a hybrid system that involves a mix of physical lecture room learning and online learning. “Our emphasis on full online learning is mostly for Master’s and PhD students — the working class who have no time for fulltime class attendance,” the Vice Chancellor said. “For undergraduates, physical classes are important for instilling Christian values and life skills. But, having some level of blended learning will help our students keep abreast with e-Learning skills as well.” Mushengyezi adds that blended learning is the future, and the cushion for future disruptions. “I do not think that online learning will stop,” Prof. Mushengyezi said. “However, we also need our students physically on campus to teach them Christian values and soft skills (hands-on practice).” (UCU Vice Chancellor Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Arts from Makerere University; and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Connecticut in the United States. The Vice Chancellor and his wife, Patience Rubabinda Mushengyezi, have four children.)
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