EDUCATION MINISTER CONTENT WITH UB COVID-19 HEALTH PROTOCOLS

The Minister of Tertiary Education, Research Science and Technology, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe, visited the University of Botswana on June 8, 2020 to assess and appreciate its readiness and compliance with COVID-19 health protocols.

The minister was pleasantly delighted that as the country’s premier institution of higher learning, the University of Botswana’s compliance with COVID-19 health protocols was top notch. He was later taken around campus to assess and appreciate measures put in place against COVID-19.

Dr Letsholathebe said the University of Botswana had demonstrated leadership and intellectual capacity to move Botswana forward. He said he was proud that since the advent of COVID-19 the University of Botswana embarked on a number of initiatives that underpinned Botswana’s ability to manage the pandemic.

Dr Letsholathebe assured the management that he would do all he could to make sure that the University of Botswana played bigger role in the development of the country through constant engagement with government.

He urged UB academics to come up with position papers on issues that could help guide the national development agenda. He further encouraged the academics to take advantage of new technologies and intensify online teaching.

Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs, Professor Happy Siphambe, briefed the minister on measures put in place to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 especially on teaching and learning.

Professor Siphambe said online teaching was being accelerated and students were being provided with internet data loaded simcards to access online services even outside campus.

He added that some spaces such as the campus indoor sports centre had been configured as learning spaces in addition to the Botswana Public Service College offering a hall for teaching and learning. Regarding the teaching staff, he said they had been offered soft loans to purchase laptops for remote teaching.

Professor Siphambe noted that the plan was to have the teaching calendar finish in July ahead of the new academic year that was expected to start mid August. Chairperson of the UB COVID-19 Response Team, Dr Chilindi Maloiso, briefed the minister on processes they had embarked on to manage or combat the spread of COVID-19 on campus.

The measures include body temperature checks, registering and sanitizing everyone entering campus. Furthermore, people were required to wear masks in public spaces, observe social distancing at all times. Precautionary notices have been placed around campus especially in high-risk areas such as the student centre, library, student hostels as well as the cafeteria.

Dr Maloiso said there was also constant monitoring and surveillance besides 24hr emergency telephone line in the event there was a suspected case of COVID-19.

In addition, Dr Maloiso revealed that some rooms had been reserved at the student hostels in case there was need for quarantine while the clinic was also available for isolation.

Dr Maloiso explained that international travel for staff was still suspended while areas such as the sports field and gymnasium remained closed.

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UB ADOPTS BLENDED TEACHING AND LEARNING TO MITIGATE IMPACT OF COVID-19

VC Prof Norris

The University of Botswana will spend P7.8 million to provide students with free simcards as part of measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning.

Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor Student Affairs, Mrs Motsei Rapelana, revealed this during a COVID-19 health protocols orientation for students at UB this week. The university is preparing to resume academic activities next week following suspension of classes in April.

A number of measures have been put in place to prevent and manage the spread of COVID-19 on campus. These include social distancing and avoiding crowding in lecture rooms and other learning spaces.

As such, Mrs Rapelana said the university has signed a P7.8 million Memorandum of Understanding with Botswana Telecommunications Corporation to supply each student with a simcard. The simcard will be loaded with internet data for students to download learning material.

Mrs Rapelana, therefore, encouraged students to always check emails, social media platforms as well as the UB website for updates as new developments emerge now and then.

Similarly, Vice Chancellor, Professor David Norris, echoed Mrs Rapelana’s sentiments about the "new normal" of doing business for the university. Professor Norris explained that blended teaching and learning would now become the "new normal" to ensure safety and compliance with COVID-19 health protocols on campus.

That means blending conventional teaching with remote teaching is the "new normal", he added. He further emphasized that the university would do everything possible to make sure that teaching and learning was “as effective as if there was no corona virus”. While conceding that these were trying times, he nonetheless appealed to everyone to try as much as possible not to compromise the situation on campus.

“These are trying times indeed but please let us try as much as we can to adhere to simple regulations on campus. It is for your own good and for the health of everyone,” said Professor Norris. The Vice Chancellor acknowledged that there would be often inconveniences but such was the new normal that everyone must get used to.

Chairman of the UB COVID-19 Response Team, Dr Chilindi Maloiso, added that reality demanded adoption of safe living together lest we all perish. Consequently, he highlighted some of the measures put in place to prevent or slow down the spread of the corona virus on campus.

Dr Maloiso said movement in and around campus would be highly monitored as part of disease surveillance measures. He also urged the UB community to report any suspicious activity that might militate against prevention of the spread of COVID-19. Dr Maloiso cautioned people against self-diagnosis but to do self-screening and immediately contact the UB clinic or any health facilities should they suspect COVID-19 symptoms.