This fiscal year, with ETB 1.4 Billion in its kitty, Arba Minch University is determined to lead in research and community service to establish a life-changing environment for its community. It further aims to build the tradition to search avenues benefiting society at large thus fostering a culture in which innovation plays a pivotal role.
Linked to Five-Year Strategic Plan - 2015-19, this year (2016-17), has already started with potential focus on its main drivers of progress - teaching-learning, research and community service. Hereafter, research will invariably be multi-disciplinary and problem-solving in nature, community services will vigorously focus on consultancy and trainings.
Strategic Planning and Evaluation Directorate Director, Mr Gezmu Kelbo Kayka, unraveling the specifics of annual budget, said that last year’s budget was ETB 1.2 Billion, which this time is increased to ETB 1.4 Billion and the planning is based on cascaded strategic plan started from mid-2015, to be continued till 2019, is in its second phase.
Overall budget for 2017 is ETB 1,494,006,500 of which recurrent allocation is ETB 664.68 Million and Capital (infrastructure/expat staff salary) pegged at ETB 813 Million. Of this, teaching-learning gets 66.8%, research 1.99% and Community Service bags 2.7%, that add up to total allocation of 71.37% (ETB 475 Million), and 28.63% money is reserved for administrative expenses, Mr Gezmu stated.
Of last year (2016), total budget of ETB 1.24 Billion, recurrent and capital budgets were ETB 513.74 and 710.80 Million wherein teaching-learning had 70.91%, research 1.97%, community service 1.97% and 25.15% budget was meant for administrative issues.
On last year’s performance, Mr Gezmu stated that in teaching-learning it was 97.88%, research had 87.99%, community service 94.08% and on administrative front it was 98.22%, which adds up to 97.71% and remaining only 2.29% gap was noticed.
Citing marginal gap of 2.29% in last year’s budget, he said, it was due to inordinate delay in establishment of community radio station at Chamo Campus, which this year will be put in place by Research and Community Service Vice President Office at the cost of ETB 5 Million; untimely monetary allocation to researchers was also another hitch.
He further adds this year, AMU will minimize drop-out rate and complying with Ministry of Education’s guideline, previous graduates progress will be monitored through tracer studies which is the part of planned activities; quality of education, service delivery and output are other components to be cared for.
This year plan makes it mandatory for every department to facilitate tutorials for female, disabled and students hailing from developing regions i.e. Gambella, Somalia, South Omo, Afar, etc. so that they will be able to compete with those have access to all recourses.
On staff career development, he said, administrative staff is given quota to enhance their skills as many of them are pursuing Masters and some are admitted for first degrees.
(Corporate Communication Directorate)