About 86 percent of last semester's lectures started in the first week. This was a remarkable improvement, compared to only 60 percent in the September semester, the report from Quality Assurance Committee has revealed.

The same survey also found that 85 percent of students received course outlines within two weeks of the semester opening. The committee's General Secretary, Mr. Doug Fountain, said they hope to do even better this semester.

"It is a good improvement but we should aim higher," he said.

He identified lecturer turn-up as one of the areas the committee is working on to improve academic standards at the university. The other avenues are: library facilities, computer laboratories, and the Curriculum.

To address quality matters, the committee studies key academic concerns and plans what interventions to make.

"We identify quality concerns and act on them," said Fountain. "Recently, we bought 120 new computers, and are planning to buy more for the new lab still under construction."

The new lab will be housed in the new lecture block, just behind Kivengere. He added that new books will be purchased and the library project has already kicked off.

Fountain, however, noted that financial constraints make it difficult to address quality concerns all at once.

"You might not be satisfied with the speed at which things take place…we need to organise money and it takes time," Fountain noted.

The Quality assurance committee is a body set up to assess and improve the academic standards at UCU.

It was formed last year and is headed by the DVC Academics, Rev. Can. Dr. Alex Kagume. Every semester, the committee meets class presidents who report various academic concerns of the students. It mainly covers areas of communication, timetable, books, facilities, lecturer behaviour and the curriculum.