Opinion / Columnist
CCOSA a dying Institution
14 Jan 2016 at 14:21hrs | Views
The Christian College of Southern Africa (CCOSA) is now a dying institution that is facing possible collapse soon due to a perpetual leadership crisis which is gnawing its pre-existing glory.
In the recent years CCOSA has been riding on its previous fame as the best institution that offers training to the best journalists in the country. Meanwhile, most newsrooms and public relations personnel in various organisations in Zimbabwe are enjoying the services of its products.
But alas, the current leadership running the institution has eroded and killed all this goodwill which has been enjoyed by the institution in the past few years. The leadership directing operations at the college is doing anything possible to strip and tear apart the public integrity of the institution. The morale at CCOSA is at its all times low. Students, staffers and the part-time lecturers are frustrated badly by the leadership style which is de-appetizing their zeal to work.
As students, we are always given a raw deal as the college rips us of our cash in exchange for giving us too little. For instance, in December 2015, the college unilaterally shut-down the college on December 14, 2015, yet we had paid our monthly fees for December in full. Upon opening of college on the 4th of January 2016, all of us were barred from attending lectures based on the fact that we had not paid January fees in time. This is real day-light robbery. Every one of us expected that we would be required to pay half the monthly prescription because we only utilized half of it in a fortnight of lectures in December.
Even timetables for lectures are jumbled and are liable to unilateral changes with no due caution to students' needs. It's really pathetic and I wonder where this anarchy is leading us to. Results are no longer processed in time. Otherwise it is due to the fact that tutors on go slow due to lack of adequate motivation, especially considering the fact that they are given pittances which never come in time too.
Our fear at the moment is that all experienced tutors may choose to depart this institution owing to these obtaining poor working conditions. Certainly, that shouldn't be allowed to happen.
In a meet the student meeting held last week, the CCOSA Principal seemed clueless on the best way to deal with issue bedeviling the college. He left the whole student board marveling over his competencies which make him qualify to lead this institution of higher learning. Most of his actions are detrimental to our interests. We need change and restoration of sanity at CCOSA lest we perish.
It is worth noting that CCOSA boasts over the best qualified tutors that are dedicated to duty, despite the fact that they are part-timers; they are ready to deliver to their best to the best of our satisfaction as trainee journalists. As students we are quite proud of them owing to their sterling performance.
Disappointedly, these tutors are at present receiving neglect from the college administration that is reluctant to pay them modest salaries which are commensurate with their contribution to the job they are doing. More often than not their salaries are never paid in time. I am reliably informed that they have to beg with the college administration for them to get paid, which is normally done beyond a thirty day monthly cycle. But I never cease to wonder why lecturers are never paid in time when the college does not permit any student to attend even one lecture when you are not paid up for that particular month. The money will be there obviously.
We beg the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to intervene at CCOSA and rescue the college before further damage is done to our studies. The leadership seems to be driven by thoughtless profusion of arrogance which is depriving the college of rational business decision which keeps the institute on track. The owners of CCOSA are warned to against possible calamity that is impending at this institution. They should action now before further damage is incurred.
It is also sad to hear that part of our fees was looted by a former secretary at the college while things are going down due to lack of funding. The college needs to put in place air tight systems, especially considering the fact that it is a commercial college poised to make a profit. It is sad to note that if the same leadership remains intact, no such dream will be realized.
One wonders if ever the college leadership consults other critical stakeholders before they make and pass decisions which affect the whole system.
In the recent years CCOSA has been riding on its previous fame as the best institution that offers training to the best journalists in the country. Meanwhile, most newsrooms and public relations personnel in various organisations in Zimbabwe are enjoying the services of its products.
But alas, the current leadership running the institution has eroded and killed all this goodwill which has been enjoyed by the institution in the past few years. The leadership directing operations at the college is doing anything possible to strip and tear apart the public integrity of the institution. The morale at CCOSA is at its all times low. Students, staffers and the part-time lecturers are frustrated badly by the leadership style which is de-appetizing their zeal to work.
As students, we are always given a raw deal as the college rips us of our cash in exchange for giving us too little. For instance, in December 2015, the college unilaterally shut-down the college on December 14, 2015, yet we had paid our monthly fees for December in full. Upon opening of college on the 4th of January 2016, all of us were barred from attending lectures based on the fact that we had not paid January fees in time. This is real day-light robbery. Every one of us expected that we would be required to pay half the monthly prescription because we only utilized half of it in a fortnight of lectures in December.
Even timetables for lectures are jumbled and are liable to unilateral changes with no due caution to students' needs. It's really pathetic and I wonder where this anarchy is leading us to. Results are no longer processed in time. Otherwise it is due to the fact that tutors on go slow due to lack of adequate motivation, especially considering the fact that they are given pittances which never come in time too.
Our fear at the moment is that all experienced tutors may choose to depart this institution owing to these obtaining poor working conditions. Certainly, that shouldn't be allowed to happen.
In a meet the student meeting held last week, the CCOSA Principal seemed clueless on the best way to deal with issue bedeviling the college. He left the whole student board marveling over his competencies which make him qualify to lead this institution of higher learning. Most of his actions are detrimental to our interests. We need change and restoration of sanity at CCOSA lest we perish.
It is worth noting that CCOSA boasts over the best qualified tutors that are dedicated to duty, despite the fact that they are part-timers; they are ready to deliver to their best to the best of our satisfaction as trainee journalists. As students we are quite proud of them owing to their sterling performance.
Disappointedly, these tutors are at present receiving neglect from the college administration that is reluctant to pay them modest salaries which are commensurate with their contribution to the job they are doing. More often than not their salaries are never paid in time. I am reliably informed that they have to beg with the college administration for them to get paid, which is normally done beyond a thirty day monthly cycle. But I never cease to wonder why lecturers are never paid in time when the college does not permit any student to attend even one lecture when you are not paid up for that particular month. The money will be there obviously.
We beg the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to intervene at CCOSA and rescue the college before further damage is done to our studies. The leadership seems to be driven by thoughtless profusion of arrogance which is depriving the college of rational business decision which keeps the institute on track. The owners of CCOSA are warned to against possible calamity that is impending at this institution. They should action now before further damage is incurred.
It is also sad to hear that part of our fees was looted by a former secretary at the college while things are going down due to lack of funding. The college needs to put in place air tight systems, especially considering the fact that it is a commercial college poised to make a profit. It is sad to note that if the same leadership remains intact, no such dream will be realized.
One wonders if ever the college leadership consults other critical stakeholders before they make and pass decisions which affect the whole system.
Source - Option Gavakawa
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