Dr P. Kurasha's October 2009 Orientation Speech
Dear Students,In my capacity as the Vice Chancellor, I would like to start by thanking you for making the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) your university of choice. You have decided to join the thousands of students, past and present, who have seen the light by pursuing their studies through Open and Distance Learning.
Indeed, you have made a wise choice and I would like to assure you that you will never live to regret it. Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is fast gaining momentum as a popular mode of delivering and acquiring education throughout the world. In some countries, as high as 90 percent of the student population is opting to obtain a degree or diploma though ODL.
This is for obvious reasons. Students seeking qualifications through ODL enjoy the privileges of flexibility, affordability and convenience. They do not suffer the rigours that come with traditional methods of teaching and learning associated with the lecture room. They study while engaging in other activities. For those that are already employed, it is fairly easy to shuttle between the workplace and the study room. What you learn during the night or weekend, you are able to apply during the day in the office. Put differently, you learn while you earn.
Those that are not yet in employment do not have to worry about daily transport costs as they travel to and from a college or university. They do not have to scratch their heads about where they are going to get the money to pay for campus accommodation or food since they can study in the comfort of their homes. Furthermore, learning material is rich yet easy to follow, while tutors are available to guide you wherever you might be encountering problems.
I have alluded to the relative affordability of open learning. Granted, things are tough at the moment and raising enrollment and tuition fees is not a morning stroll in the park. That is precisely why I feel motivated by the dedication you have demonstrated by successfully placing your names in our register. At the Zimbabwe Open University, we are acutely sensitive to the financial status of our students. We are regularly deploying our minds to find the best practical ways in which to cushion you. That is why, at ZOU, we are asking for the lowest fees among all public and private universities.
You might still find the fees to be high given the generally low salaries that those in employment are currently receiving or the subdued status of formal and informal business enterprises, but what we are charging at the moment is, upon intense consideration, the least possible we can manage. Please bear in mind that as a university, we have the mandate to roll out to you quality education to ensure that you get the qualifications that would make you the most relevant and suitable to commerce and industry or any other sector you might be in or wish to join.
Our dear students, you might care to know that the ZOU is the leading ODL institution in Zimbabwe and is poised for greater things. In terms of enrolment, no other local university comes near us. We have peaked at more than 20,000 students but, I will admit, that figure went slightly lower this year because of the inability by some students to pay their fees. However, with you having come on board, there are indications that we are picking up once again and our projection is that by next year, we would have more than 30,000 students. Even with the dip in enrolment figures, we still come second to UNISA in southern Africa and enjoy an elite position on the continental ladder.
The ZOU seeks to extended tertiary education to every capable Zimbabwean and that is the reason we have centres in all the ten provinces, to make it easy to our students to learn from every corner of the country. We also have district learning centres and are in the process of increasing these, again to boost accessibility to the degrees and diplomas we are offering. As we humbly and professionally render you our services, we are guided by the vision of becoming a world class university that makes you the envy of every employer. We are dedicated to the highest levels of excellence, the creation of innovative culture and integrity while always striving to attain the best ethical standards in our provision of services to our stakeholders, of which you form the core. We have a paramount social responsibility to you as Zimbabweans and dream of a day when every citizen will have a qualification obtained from ZOU in their drawers.
As I have already said, the sky is the limit for ZOU. In our quest to become a world class university—a dream that is, as you will see, not far away—we have launched a modern learning system whereby students will be able to get their education through the internet. This is a project that has just started and I am urging you to take advantage of it. Through this e-learning facility called ZOU Online, you will enjoy greater convenience in that you would only need internet connection, from wherever you are, to apply, register and carry out your studies. You would not be required to make periodical visits to your learning centre to interface with your tutor as he or she would also be available online.
Let me wind up by urging you to take your studies seriously. Open and Distance Learning requires maximal discipline from you since, for the bulk of any semester, you are studying on your own. Discipline requires that you set your priorities right and dedicate a lot of your time to the modules at your disposal. It also requires a deep appreciation of your goals in life. Make full use of the libraries that you will find in your region and do not hesitate to make queries to the relevant offices. The Student Support Services department is at your disposal and do not hesitate to engage it for the promotion of your welfare as our students. On this note, I wish you success in your studies.
Future Home for ZOU
God bless you all.
Thank you
Dr P Kurasha
Vice Chancellor
