TCU bans 19 varsities from taking ‘freshers’ into 2017/18 courses

The Tanzania Commission for Universities has banned 19 colleges and universities from admitting students to any degree courses during the 2017/18 academic year after reports uncovered some shortcomings on their part.

The TCU has also stopped the admission of students to 75 Bachelors degree programmes in 2017/18 from 22 varsities and colleges, including the Universities of Dar es Salaam and Dodoma.

Two Kenyan and Ugandan varsities whose campuses are located in Arusha and Dar es Salaam are among the 19 institutions that have been banned from admitting first year students to any degree programme due to these irregularities.

The announcement posted on the TCU website and signed by the Commission’s Acting Executive Secretary, Prof. Eleuther Mwageni states that the decision follows recent report findings.

“The report shows that there were several shortcomings in some of the varsities that prompted the Commission’s ban … on admissions of the first year students for the academic year 2017/18…,” reads the public notice, in part.

However, the Commission has assured continuing students of the banned 75 courses would not be affected by the decision. In a telephone interview with the ‘Daily News’ the TCU Senior Public Relations Officer, Mr Edward Mkaku, confirmed that the advert was genuine.

“It’s not breaking news to the affected universities because TCU had already informed them before posting the information on the website,” he said. The 19 institutions that will not be allowed to admit students to any degree programmes 2017/18 are: Eckenforde Tanga University, Jomo Kenyatta University (Arusha) and Kenyatta University (also in Arusha); United African University of Tanzania; International Medical and Technological University (IMTU) and University of Bagamoyo.

Others are St. Francis University College of Health and Allied Sciences; Archbishop James University College, Archbishop Mihayo University College, Cardinal Rugambwa Memorial University College, Kampala; International University Dar es Salaam College and Marian University College.

The 75 courses that have been banned to various colleges and varsities vary from first degree to PhD programmes, the announcement shows. However, Mr Mkaku says the Commission had not closed the colleges as reports suggest in various social media websites; instead, only some of the programmes and admission to some courses were affected.

He asked students who intend to join various courses during the 2017/18 academic year to attend the 12th Exhibitions on Higher Education, Science and Technology which is expected to be officiated today by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa at Mnazi Mmoja Grounds in Dar es Salaam.

Mr Mkaku also says there will be on-the-pot registration during the exhibitions and advised potential students to choose courses of their interest with utmost care. Contacted for comments, the University of Dar es Salaam’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rwekaza Mukandara, said UDSM is a public institution hence it adheres to instructions of TCU, the government’s organ responsible for the quality of education.

He said TCU had already approved more than 100 programmes at UDSM and when the commission doubted over its two courses; Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization and Doctor of Medicine, his institution didn’t put them on its website for admission purposes.

“We have seen the announcement and we are waiting for TCU letter and other instructions so that we can decide what we can do,” the don added. ‘Daily News’ tried to contact varsities banned from admitting students in 2017/8 but their respective spokespersons were mum on the matter.