Management of university curriculum in a rapidly changing environment: challenges and prospects.

Abstract

Political and socio-economic changes sweeping across societies together with globalization, scientific and technological processes are creating an increasingly competitive environment for universities in Africa. Therefore, the centralized system of curriculum development and management adopted by most universities in which university committees and senate have to approve curricula does not allow universities to adapt fast enough or even be the focal point of curriculum reforms. The rapidly changing environmental milieu of today and tomorrow necessitates that universities develop a mechanism and capacity for curriculum change at institutional level that will enable them to sustain their relevance and continue playing unique roles. This is a challenge that requires a system of leadership and governance that is sensitive to societal expectations and elastic to such changes so as to generate a sustainable mechanism of curriculum design and development that is equally responsive and relevant to the expectations of the individual, the society and the labour market.