Coordinator of Sawla Campus, Mr Gebremedhin Chameno, has displayed great discernment in utilizing organizing skills to make things worked out in this far-flung location. In his interview, he attributes entire credit to one and all for the great beginning, Sawla Campus, poised to have!
On how he navigated through web of challenges, Gebremedhin Chameno, said, ‘‘We faced tough challenges as there was no infrastructure; but we are grateful to Sawla Town and Demba Gofa Administration offices, Gofa Kale Hiwot Church and Sawla Preparatory School for giving us required spaces for the teaching-learning process and other academic activities.’’
He further said, supply of computers, chairs, text books etc. was nerve-wrecking. But with chairs and other helps from Town and woreda offices, books in the form of soft copies and some physical books books from College of Business and Economics as well as Social Science, we made things work out and everything went very well.’’
On achievements, he said, first we never allowed teaching-learning process to suffer, it was running well, secondly, 13 new buildings were completed and seven new departments have been added to the existing three.
Three new departments, Cooperative Accounting & Auditing, Marketing Management, Business Administration and Information System will be added to previous three, Logistics & Supply Chain Management, Communication & Media Studies and Finance & Development Economics.
And it’s speculated that either School or College of Commerce and Business Administration to be launched soon will run above six disciplines. Similarly, four engineering departments i.e. Civil, Automotive, Electro-Mechanical and Food Technology and Process Engineering will also be attached to School/College of Engineering & Agro-Industrial Technology, he informed.
The available stat indicates with previous 143 and 503 new, the campus has 646 students; 37 local instructors and 10 expatriate staff.
Lobbying for full autonomy for the campus is his utmost priority as he says; it will allow him to have exclusive procurement and purchase committee, students’ facilities and power to recruit teachers to set things right at the right time.
On ongoing constructions, he said, library, cafeteria, some dormitories and classrooms, internal access road and compound fencing is underway that will be completed within a year. Similarly, he will propose to build staff residence and other works in the campus next year, for which budgetary provision will be requested.
On his strength, he said, ‘‘I plan things and get it communicated to my small management team that forthwith will get it translated into action with support from our parent body. Further my brief stint with Gamo Gofa Administration, where I worked under challenging environment has enabled me to handle increasing responsibilities at Sawla; and, I am sure it has great future.’’
(Corporate Communication Directorate)