Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya

Paul A. Odundo; Japheth Origa; Isaiah Nyandega; Boniface Ngaruiya

doi:doi:10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11

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Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya

Paul A. Odundo, Japheth Origa, Isaiah Nyandega, Boniface Ngaruiya

Published in Education Journal (Volume 4, Issue 2)

Received: 27 January 2015 Accepted: 10 February 2015 Published: 16 February 2015

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Abstract

Public universities in Kenya have recorded high enrolment rates in the past two decades due to pressure from the expanded primary and secondary education and increased demand for university education among the working population. At the University of Nairobi, the rapid growth of student population has resulted in a number of challenges, including inadequacy of physical, human and financial resources. Recognizing the critical contribution of non-academic activities such as administrative procedures, financial governance and student quality of life, to academic performance and research achievements in any university, this study investigated the impact of high student enrolments (referred to in this paper as massification) on non-academic activities at the University of Nairobi. The study used both primary and secondary data; primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with university staff, whereas secondary data were obtained from departmental records and key policy documents. The study found that massification had resulted in numerous administrative challenges, financial and governance challenges, and affected the quality of on-campus life for students due to overstretched accommodation, health, catering and games facilities. To address the challenges, the university implemented a number of initiatives including, devolution of funds to cost centres, double-decking and universal computerization to increase efficiency. The study recommends the need for more responsive administrative structures.

Published in	Education Journal (Volume 4, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11
Page(s)	51-59
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Mass University Enrolment, Non Accademic Activities, Massification of University Education, Institutional Managament, Student Quality of Life, Financing

References

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[3]	Digolo, O. (1993). Problems of Rapid Expansion at the University Level, in Status of Teachers in Kenya: National case Study of the Government of Kenya, UNESCO and ILO. Nairobi, pp 116-123.
[4]	Kenya, Republic of, (1998). Master Plan for Education and Training, 1997-2010. Nairobi: Government of Kenya.
[5]	Kenya, Republic of, (2003a). The Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation 2003-2007. Nairobi: Government of Kenya.
[6]	Kenya, Republic of, (2003b). Millennium Development Goals: Progress Report for Kenya. Nairobi: Government of Kenya.
[7]	Kenya, Republic of, (2005a). Sessional Paper no. 1 of 2005: Policy Framework for Education, Training and Research. Nairobi: MoES&T.
[8]	Kenya, Republic of, (2005b). Kenya Education Sector Support Programme (KESSP). Nairobi: MoES&T.
[9]	Kenya, Republic of. (2002). National Development Plan 2002-2008. Nairobi: Government Printer.
[10]	Mugenda, O.M. and Mugenda, A.G. 1999. Research Methods: Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches. Nairobi: Act Press.
[11]	Mwiria, K., Ng’ethe, N., Ngome, C., Ouma-Odero, D., Wawire, V., and Wesonga, D. (2007). Public and Private Universities in Kenya. Nairobi: East African Publishers.
[12]	Ngome, C. (2003). African Higher Education: An International Reference Handbook in Teferra, D. and Philip. G. Altbach, eds., Indiana: Indiana University Press.
[13]	Njeru, E.H.N. and Orodho, J.A (035/2003). Education Financing in Kenya: Secondary School Bursary Scheme Implementation and Challenges. Nairobi: IPAR.
[14]	Psacharopoulos, G. (1985). Returns to Education: A Further International Update and Implications. Washington DC: World Bank.
[15]	Republic of (1988) Sessional Paper No. 6: Education and Manpower Training for the Next Decade and Beyond. Nairobi: Government Printer.
[16]	UNES (2005). Corporate Strategic Plan, 2005-2010. Nairobi: Nairobi: University of Nairobi Press.
[17]	United Nations (2000). The Millennium Development Goals. New York. United Nations
[18]	University of Nairobi (1995). Proceedings of Management Seminar for University of Nairobi Administrators. Nairobi: University of Nairobi Press.
[19]	University of Nairobi (2005). Strategic Plan, 2005-2010: Towards World Class Excellence. Nairobi: University of Nairobi Press.

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APA Style

Paul A. Odundo, Japheth Origa, Isaiah Nyandega, Boniface Ngaruiya. (2015). Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Education Journal, 4(2), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11

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ACS Style

Paul A. Odundo; Japheth Origa; Isaiah Nyandega; Boniface Ngaruiya. Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Educ. J. 2015, 4(2), 51-59. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11

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AMA Style

Paul A. Odundo, Japheth Origa, Isaiah Nyandega, Boniface Ngaruiya. Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Educ J. 2015;4(2):51-59. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11

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@article{10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11,
  author = {Paul A. Odundo and Japheth Origa and Isaiah Nyandega and Boniface Ngaruiya},
  title = {Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya},
  journal = {Education Journal},
  volume = {4},
  number = {2},
  pages = {51-59},
  doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20150402.11},
  abstract = {Public universities in Kenya have recorded high enrolment rates in the past two decades due to pressure from the expanded primary and secondary education and increased demand for university education among the working population. At the University of Nairobi, the rapid growth of student population has resulted in a number of challenges, including inadequacy of physical, human and financial resources. Recognizing the critical contribution of non-academic activities such as administrative procedures, financial governance and student quality of life, to academic performance and research achievements in any university, this study investigated the impact of high student enrolments (referred to in this paper as massification) on non-academic activities at the University of Nairobi. The study used both primary and secondary data; primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with university staff, whereas secondary data were obtained from departmental records and key policy documents. The study found that massification had resulted in numerous administrative challenges, financial and governance challenges, and affected the quality of on-campus life for students due to overstretched accommodation, health, catering and games facilities. To address the challenges, the university implemented a number of initiatives including, devolution of funds to cost centres, double-decking and universal computerization to increase efficiency. The study recommends the need for more responsive administrative structures.},
 year = {2015}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya
AU  - Paul A. Odundo
AU  - Japheth Origa
AU  - Isaiah Nyandega
AU  - Boniface Ngaruiya
Y1  - 2015/02/16
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11
T2  - Education Journal
JF  - Education Journal
JO  - Education Journal
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EP  - 59
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2327-2619
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11
AB  - Public universities in Kenya have recorded high enrolment rates in the past two decades due to pressure from the expanded primary and secondary education and increased demand for university education among the working population. At the University of Nairobi, the rapid growth of student population has resulted in a number of challenges, including inadequacy of physical, human and financial resources. Recognizing the critical contribution of non-academic activities such as administrative procedures, financial governance and student quality of life, to academic performance and research achievements in any university, this study investigated the impact of high student enrolments (referred to in this paper as massification) on non-academic activities at the University of Nairobi. The study used both primary and secondary data; primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with university staff, whereas secondary data were obtained from departmental records and key policy documents. The study found that massification had resulted in numerous administrative challenges, financial and governance challenges, and affected the quality of on-campus life for students due to overstretched accommodation, health, catering and games facilities. To address the challenges, the university implemented a number of initiatives including, devolution of funds to cost centres, double-decking and universal computerization to increase efficiency. The study recommends the need for more responsive administrative structures.
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Paul A. Odundo

College of Education and External Studies, School of Education, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Japheth Origa

College of Education and External Studies, School of Education, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Isaiah Nyandega

College of Education and External Studies, School of Education, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
Boniface Ngaruiya

College of Education and External Studies, School of Education, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

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APA Style

Paul A. Odundo, Japheth Origa, Isaiah Nyandega, Boniface Ngaruiya. (2015). Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Education Journal, 4(2), 51-59. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11

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ACS Style

Paul A. Odundo; Japheth Origa; Isaiah Nyandega; Boniface Ngaruiya. Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Educ. J. 2015, 4(2), 51-59. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11

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AMA Style

Paul A. Odundo, Japheth Origa, Isaiah Nyandega, Boniface Ngaruiya. Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya. Educ J. 2015;4(2):51-59. doi: 10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11

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@article{10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11,
  author = {Paul A. Odundo and Japheth Origa and Isaiah Nyandega and Boniface Ngaruiya},
  title = {Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya},
  journal = {Education Journal},
  volume = {4},
  number = {2},
  pages = {51-59},
  doi = {10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.edu.20150402.11},
  abstract = {Public universities in Kenya have recorded high enrolment rates in the past two decades due to pressure from the expanded primary and secondary education and increased demand for university education among the working population. At the University of Nairobi, the rapid growth of student population has resulted in a number of challenges, including inadequacy of physical, human and financial resources. Recognizing the critical contribution of non-academic activities such as administrative procedures, financial governance and student quality of life, to academic performance and research achievements in any university, this study investigated the impact of high student enrolments (referred to in this paper as massification) on non-academic activities at the University of Nairobi. The study used both primary and secondary data; primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with university staff, whereas secondary data were obtained from departmental records and key policy documents. The study found that massification had resulted in numerous administrative challenges, financial and governance challenges, and affected the quality of on-campus life for students due to overstretched accommodation, health, catering and games facilities. To address the challenges, the university implemented a number of initiatives including, devolution of funds to cost centres, double-decking and universal computerization to increase efficiency. The study recommends the need for more responsive administrative structures.},
 year = {2015}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effects of Mass University Enrolment on Non-Academic Activities: The Case of the University of Nairobi, Kenya
AU  - Paul A. Odundo
AU  - Japheth Origa
AU  - Isaiah Nyandega
AU  - Boniface Ngaruiya
Y1  - 2015/02/16
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11
T2  - Education Journal
JF  - Education Journal
JO  - Education Journal
SP  - 51
EP  - 59
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2327-2619
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.edu.20150402.11
AB  - Public universities in Kenya have recorded high enrolment rates in the past two decades due to pressure from the expanded primary and secondary education and increased demand for university education among the working population. At the University of Nairobi, the rapid growth of student population has resulted in a number of challenges, including inadequacy of physical, human and financial resources. Recognizing the critical contribution of non-academic activities such as administrative procedures, financial governance and student quality of life, to academic performance and research achievements in any university, this study investigated the impact of high student enrolments (referred to in this paper as massification) on non-academic activities at the University of Nairobi. The study used both primary and secondary data; primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with university staff, whereas secondary data were obtained from departmental records and key policy documents. The study found that massification had resulted in numerous administrative challenges, financial and governance challenges, and affected the quality of on-campus life for students due to overstretched accommodation, health, catering and games facilities. To address the challenges, the university implemented a number of initiatives including, devolution of funds to cost centres, double-decking and universal computerization to increase efficiency. The study recommends the need for more responsive administrative structures.
VL  - 4
IS  - 2
ER  -

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