The Department Policy,Planning,Scholarship&Fund Management is led by a Director who reports to the Executive Director. The Directorate is responsible for advising the Executive Director on policy and strategy for the sector as a whole and for carrying out the necessary research and information gathering to inform policy making decision on higher education sector. The directorate is also responsible to keep the Council abreast of developments worldwide with respect to Policy,Planning,Scholarship&Fund Management and matters relating to quality and standards.
The Department is also responsible for overseeing the procedures whereby all higher education institutions submit strategic and operational plans to the Council for approval.
The Department responsible for:
1.Work as a liaison with HLI and stake holder through effective Communication
- Considerable contact with clients by letter, telephone, email and in person to offer information, advice and guidance on higher education and progression routes into higher education;
- Provide an advisory service to all potential students requesting guidance;
- Support colleagues in other departments and units by disseminating information to help them develop an understanding of Government and institutional policies;
- Writes and disseminates community involvement reports as and when required;
- Delivers presentations and talks on University and higher education to a range of audiences.
2.Collaborate with Higher Learning Institution to widen participation of institutions in communities.
- Work closely with HLI’s management to Widen Participation on the institution’s community outreach activities.
- Work with Marketing and Recruitment colleagues in HLI to support the effective development of HLI marketing and communications operations in support of community development and student recruitment objectives.
- Liaise with the Schools and Colleges Liaison team to ensure that all school;
- Work closely with HLI to develop institution’s community outreach strategic approach.
- Co-ordinate and supervise all work participated in by institutions/student ambassadors at on-campus events and activities;
3.Liaison and Networking
- Develop and manage working relationships with key contacts in local schools, colleges, community groups and adult education providers; identifying progression routes from these providers to the higher education level;
- Maintain links with higher learning institutions in order to fulfill wider participation strategy for community outreach programs;
- Attend workshops and conferences relating to guidance and developments in higher education, and keeps the council up to date with changes in the curriculum as they impact upon the wider participation of the mission (s) of the institutions;
- Liaise with external contacts such as members of the public, school and college tutors and advisers, careers officers, as well as continuously forming new links and memberships with local strategy groups within the confines of widening participation of higher education with local communities.
4.Deliver a High Quality Standard of community outreach Service
- Provide a comprehensive advisory service for potential applicants to all programmes of study offered in higher learning institution in Rwanda with particular emphasis on skills gaps;
- -Monitor on and off campus based events and activities for students to increase opportunities to higher education;
- Organizes and promote specific community outreach events and activities for young people on and around the HLI campuses, liaising as appropriate with particular institutions;
- Manage schools, colleges, and community liaison activities relating to progression in learning and raising aspirations, including on and off campus events, seminars and workshops.
- Advises partner institutions and individuals about new bursary and scholarship schemes
- Responsible for maintaining and developing links with schools, colleges and other education providers in order to fulfill the community outreach participation strategy Care;
-5.Teaching and Learning Support and Pastoral and Welfare
- Deliver talks to groups of students on issues related to higher education (e.g. admissions, student finance, student life etc). -* Advises internal colleagues, including academic, administrative staff and students on changes in higher education laws, orders and policies.
- Deliver talks to academic staff on issues related to higher education (e.g. widening participation, student finance etc)
- Assist in inducting new members of the Outreach team within HLI and departmental teams in higher learning institution and provide support services available; giving supportive advice and guidance to staff/students where appropriate;
6.Analysis and Research on community outreach activities in HLIs
- Research and target specific schools and colleges with a strong community outreach program;
- Monitor the range of subject department engagement in community outreach activities;
- -Monitor the numbers of students engaging in community outreach activities and events;
- Monitor and analyses questionnaires and statistics to underscore and implement future participation strategies.