The Institute of Public Administration and Management ( IPAM), University of Sierra Leone (USL) has, on the 25th May, 2023 delivered the first full live online lectures using one of the e-Learning Studios, the one stationed at the IPAM Tower Hill Campus, to deliver full lectures to students registered on the TEC approved degree extension programmes in Bo.
Mainstreaming the use of ICT and introducing new courses and expanding the reach of the University to cater for the increasing number of Sierra Leoneans qualifying and desiring higher education has been central to the Vision of the Vice Chancellor & Principal, Professor Foday Sahr.
Based on that vision, the College Administrations invested in setting up state of the art e-Learning studios on their respective main campuses in Freetown. In addition, the University established in 2021 an e-Learning Centre responsible for the coordination of the delivery of exclusive online courses, starting with postgraduate programmes.
IPAM-USL, taking the lead in the University’s extramural drive to taking education at doorsteps, in addition to establishing campuses in eight districts of the country to run diploma programmes, in 2022, under the bold and daring leadership of the former Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. S.E. Nonie, took the bold step to ride on the e-Learning platform and extend the course level for students registered in provincial campuses.
After series of engagements with the country’s Tertiary Education Commission and assessments of the infrastructure by the regulatory body’s experts, approval was given for IPAM to run degree extended programmes in Bo and Makeni, two campuses fully equipped with the requisite technology.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor of IPAM, Prof. Miriam Conteh-Morgan, who was already a central player in the drive, not only embraced the visionary and transformative move.
She ensured that the Project was accomplished with class and in time for students in the provinces who have been yearning for the opportunity to complete the Bachelor degree courses at home!
For now the University e-Learning Center is set to roll out four Masters programmes, three from the Faculty of Communications, Media and Information Studies at FBC and the Master of Business Administration programme at IPAM in the 2023/2024 Academic Year.
