FBMS Benchmark on Centralized Examination Marking

The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS) recently led by Ronald Aliija- Head of Department (HoD), Banking and Finance were delighted and privileged to be hosted by the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (FAES). The purpose of the visit was to benchmark on the best practice of Examination Central Marking because it was noted that they (FAES) had managed the same exercise successfully during the previously concluded examinations of May, 2023.

FBMS was represented by Ronald Aliija (HoD- Banking and Finance), Mr. Juuko G. Ijoga (Senior Academic Registrar), Alex Rubalema (Faculty Unit Head- Program Review and Development) and Provia Tumuramye (Faculty Unit Head- Teaching and Quality Assurance). Comrade Mutebi welcomed the team to FAES and openly shared his experiences on the same activity.

To emphasize, the main objective of the Benchmark was to learn, while paving a way on the minimization of students’ missing results and reduction of the turnaround time of resolving students results related problems while ensuring that students answer booklets are marked with the quality, they deserve at the faculty level. Both challenges and benefits of their experience were discussed and whereas there were challenges, these were overshadowed by the benefits. Moreover, the challenges that were identified had quick solutions.

Comrade Mutebi emphasized the need for other faculties to embrace central marking as it is one of the best ways quality could be achieved at that level of assessing the students. In the long run, the delays in releasing of results by the Senate to students will automatically be sorted and the ultimate would be improved student experience.

Ronald Aliija who in the same capacity represented the Dean of his Faculty mentioned that there are some of the best practices which different Faculties should benchmark from each other within the institution (MMU) other than doing them externally. Internal benchmarking would in one way all the other cut the related costs and yet help the faculties move in the same oriented direction. He went ahead and mentioned that as a Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, they equally have other good practices which other Faculties could benchmark with them mentioning but a few issues related to tracking of examination answer booklets during and after examinations, making of Faculty work plans and Budgets, Staff load allocation and Faculty governance structure.

The Benchmark was concluded with a tour of the Faculty led by the Senior Academic Registrar (Comrade Mutebi) together with other Faculty team.

Written by Derrick Mugume