Academic Development and Resource Centre

The mission of the Academic Development and Resource Centre (ADRC) is to serve as a cross-faculty unit which contributes to the continual improvement in the quality of education.
Academic excellence will be promoted through advisory services to University Managementy and Faculties on quality care issues and by upgrading the competencies of staff to ensure the provision of key skills, attitudes and abilities to address cross-cutting issues.

Objectives

Specifically, the ADRC will have the following objectives:
  • To provide expert support in the design, implementation and evaluation of educational programmes,
  • To offer basic and advanced trainings in course design, instruction, and assessment of learning,
  • To develop quality assurance instruments and guidelines for the evaluation of individual courses and programmes,
  • To undertake researches and provide to advise departments, faculties and vice-presidents on quality issues related to higher education,
  • To provide consultancy services to the wider community in the area of education,
  • To provide training for staff to address cross-cutting issues such as gender and HIV/AIDS,
  • To coordinate the inputs from various donors on staff development.

Opportunities

  • Determination of the Government to improve the quality of education,
  • Availability of motivated and committed young staff who see the need for change,
  • The expansion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the university,
  • Readiness of international organisations like NUFFIC, World Bank, the TDP project and others to support the Centre,
  • The existence of relevant Masters studies in both Ethiopian and overseas universities for ADRC staff training.

Organizational Location of the ADRC

The ADRC reports directly to the Academic and Research Vice President. This position best supports the effective functioning of the Centre for the following reasons:
  • It keeps the Centre at equal distance from all faculties in a strategic position that enables it to link with all faculties,
  • It simplifies the budget allocation to the Centre, and ensures the institutionalization and sustainability of the Centre in the long term,
  • It gives opportunity to influence decisions and policies related to academic quality and relevance in the university.

MAJOR UNITS OF THE ADRC

1. Quality Care and Research Unit

This unit is responsible for assessing quality and relevance of education in the University, and to provide advisory service to the university management on matters related to quality and relevance of education in the university. The Unit also undertakes and/or coordinates research activities related to quality and relevance.
Quality care
  • Conducting baseline surveys on the quality and relevance of the programmes, courses, resources and instruction,
  • Setting procedures and criteria for assessing the quality of programmes, courses, resources and instruction
  • Developing and revising instruments for the assessment of quality and relevance
  • Collecting, analyzing and interpreting data on assessment of quality and relevance of education
  • Suggesting interventions based on the analysis of quality assessment
  • Providing feedback to the faculties based on the assessment results
  • Monitoring quality improvement activities exercised by the faculties
  • Developing manuals that serve as guidelines for assuring quality and relevance in the university

2. Academic Development Unit

The staff development unit is mainly responsible for organizing training and providing advisory services to teaching staff and management. The specific tasks of the unit are the following:
  • Offering and/or organizing basic and advanced trainings to teaching staff, department heads and deans on the basis of needs assessment. The trainings may include:
    • instructional skills
    • the use of technology in education (ICT, AV)
    • student assessment and evaluation
    • curriculum and course development and review
    • quality and relevance assessment and improvement at programme and course level
    • incorporating cross-cutting issues (Gender, HIV/AIDS, environment, etc) in the curriculum and courses
  • Provide advisory services to the teaching staff of the university
  • Providing special support to female instructors
  • Developing training materials
  • Following up the impact of the trainings conducted by the unit

3. Professional Resource and Service Unit

ADRC acts as a professional resource and service centre for supporting the improvement of educational quality and relevance. The services include:
  • Library equipped with hard and soft copies of pertinent materials
  • Providing ICT and Audiovisual resources and/or services
  • Training materials production (editorial and production services)
  • Other services (photocopying, printing, Internet, etc)
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