Kenyan Universities Lacks Enough Professors.

Kenyan Universities Lacks Enough Professors.Title: Challenges and Solutions in Addressing the Shortage of Professors in Kenyan Universities.

        Introduction:

Kenya’s academic landscape faces a critical shortage of professors, with less than 1,000 catering to 562,925 students. This is  across 68 universities, resulting in an alarming average of 563 students per professor. This issue is exacerbated by a stark contrast with South Africa. In South Africa, approximately 4,034 professors attend to 1,112,439 students, averaging 275 students per professor.

Current Professorial Landscape:

The highest teaching rank in universities, occupied by professors demands excellence in teaching, research,and scholarshipservice. However, Kenya’s recent expansion of its university system,  contrasts sharply with a stagnant or declining number of professors. In 2010, Kenya had 32 universities with 177,175 students, featuring 238 professors with an average of 774 students per professor.

Enrolment Surge vs. Professor Ratio:

Despite a 31% surge in university enrolment, the average number of students per professor has decreased by 27%. This highlights a consistent pattern of a low professor-to-student ratio. Government data for public universities reveals a 70% surge in student population against a mere 11% growth in the number of professors over the last decade.

Implications and Scholarly Perspective:

This scarcity of professors holds implications for academic leadership, knowledge generation, mentorship, and university reputation in the global academic arena. From a scholarly standpoint, the main reasons for the shortage include low PhD graduation rates, rapid university expansion, heavy workload, the absence of a supportive academic culture, and the departure of key academics.

Recommendations for Remedying the Situation:

To address this issue, universities could implement three immediate actions: fast-tracking PhD graduations for academic staff on development programs, reducing part-time academic staff in private universities, and establishing a government-supported national research program to encourage rigorous scholarship.

Causes of Professor Shortage:

The rapid expansion of the university system contributes significantly to the shortage, resulting in large class sizes that demand more teaching time, leaving less time for research. The heavy workload, especially in public universities, has gender dimensions, impacting the career progression of female academics.

    Institutional Challenges:

Universities lack a culture that nurtures and rewards rigorous research, leading to unclear research goals, criteria for evaluation, student involvement strategies, budget guidelines, and incentives. The departure of prominent professors is also driven by factors such as poor pay, working conditions, and the suppression of academic freedom.

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Impact on Academic Output and Reputation:

As the professor class dwindles, Kenya’s ability to produce PhD graduates diminishes, falling significantly below the required annual output of 2,400. This scarcity translates into lower institutional reputation, reflected in global rankings, hindering the attraction of research grants, international partnerships, and faculty.

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   The Way Forward:

To increase professor numbers, universities should expedite PhD candidate graduation, allowing time for research and thesis writing. Private universities should limit part-time lecturers, as they often lack the capacity for doctoral supervision and scholarly engagement. Universities, supported by the government, should foster an environment promoting rigorous research through policies on sabbatical leave, incentives for securing research grants, and clear criteria for professorship promotion.

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 Comparative Approach:

Kenya could draw inspiration from South Africa’s top universities, which, with government support, developed precise models for research, publications, rewards, and promotion. This transformation aimed to address past inequities and has allowed these institutions to maintain their international standings.

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     Conclusion:

Addressing the shortage of professors in Kenyan universities requires a multi-faceted approach, from accelerating PhD graduations to creating an environment that fosters rigorous research. By implementing these measures, Kenya can elevate its academic reputation and better compete on the global stage.

Ishmael Munene is Professor of Research, Foundations and Higher Education at Northern Arizona University.

Kenyan Universities Lacks Enough Professors.