Hi and welcome to the office of the Dean of Students and Students’ Welfare. Our main concern is to safeguard students’ welfare from day one at the Murang’a University of Technology to the day they complete their studies and graduate. Welfare is about contentment/satisfaction, happiness, health, and prosperity. All these components have a bearing on minimising students’ unrests, enhancing and sustaining excellence in academic and co-curricular activities.
In a nutshell, the Dean of Students office (DoS) is concerned with students’ life outside the lecture hall. The DoS responds to students concerns, plans and executes programs for campus life including sports and games; clubs and societies; entertainment; community work/outreach, students’ financial aid, and many off-campus issues. Apart from supervising the Guidance & Counselling and Games & Sports departments, the DoS’ office handles the following directly: Students governance or the Murang’a University Students’ Organization (MUTSO); Clubs and societies; the Work-study and financial aid programmes.
When new students enroll at our university, it is important that they participate fully in the orientation program which is coordinated by the Registrar-ASA’s office.
During orientation, students are expected to familiarise themselves with the students’ code of conduct and the Examinations rules and regulations to sensitise them of their legal obligations while studying at the MUT. Through orientation students get to understand: Map of the university and its neighbourhoods; On and off-campus housing; Sports and social facilities available; making friends with new and continuing students; Academic departments and their physical locations; University administrative structure: Timely adjustment to transition from controlled high school lifestyle to independent campus life, financial management and relationships etc.
Since human nature highlights complaints but blurs compliments, the DoS’ office has ensured that all students’ complaints are addressed immediately they are reported and records of the same kept for follow-up and referencing. Students have access to several communication channels including direct calls to the DoS, emails, consultation with MUTSO, unlimited accesses to the DoS office & Campus security office. The MUTSO also receives students’ complaints and opinions and presents them directly to the DoS and where appropriate communicates the same to top university administrators including the Vice Chancellor. To ensure smooth operation of students’ governance, the DoS and MUTSO have streamlined the MUTSO constitution to be in line with the University Amendment Act (2016).
On issues of financial aid, the DoS provides advice and recommendations to all students when applying for funding from HELB, Counties, Constituencies and other funding agencies. Indeed such recommendations increase the chances of our students’ getting loans, scholarships, and bursaries. Murang’a University of Technology has a Work-study program that recruits needy students to work in various departments in the University, and the accruing pay is used to clear pending fee balances. Also, the work-study gives students an invaluable work experience which enhances their employability. After benchmarking with Deans from other universities, we can proudly confirm that our work-study pay is among the highest nationally. MUTSO also awards needy students bursaries on a semester basis.
To foster democratic values and leadership skills and effective student governance, the DoS office ensures fair and transparent MUTSO elections every academic year. Furthermore, the MUT administration has included the MUTSO chair and secretary-general in major decision making organs of the university, i.e. the University Senate and the disciplinary committees to ensure student representation, transparency, and accountability.
Our clubs and societies have remained active both on and off-campus providing opportunities for talent growth, recreation, entertainment, nurturing of team-work and leadership. Notable is the University drama club which is a force to reckon within the Mt Kenya region and nationally. Other active clubs include Christian Union, Catholic Action, Muslim Association, SDA, Drama, Rotary, Procurement Association, Red Cross, Scouts, and University Choir among others.
Apart from research and teaching, community outreach is the other core mandate of any university. To achieve these MUT students have participated in several of these activities including a Health awareness walk organized by the GVS Bliss Clinic, tree planting events, and the Murang’a Clean-up day organized by the MUT management, MUT Interlinkages Directorate, and the Amica SACCO, Murang’a.
