Core Norms and Value
All important decisions affecting the OUT community will be maintained and shared with stakeholders. This will be achieved by disseminating relevant information to staff, students and other relevant stakeholders through meetings and other means of communication.
It is essential to ensure that the University’s confidential documents and information are kept strictly confidential and are not used abusively. Confidentiality shall be guaranteed by creating a management structure that will ensure the safety of all records including those of staff, students and other stakeholders is in line with the National Security Act of 1970.
This entail ensuring that staff and students adhere to professional codes of conduct at all times as dictated by their respective professions. This shall be achieved by ensuring that instruments are in place, including recruitment procedures that enable the OUT to screen applicants for academic, administrative and technical posts. Only staff with good track record of professional conduct shall be recruited. In-house seminars on professionalism and ethics shall be regularly conducted to serving and new staff.
Integrity is realised by making sure that academic outputs are produced in line with prescribed national and international standards of ethics and honesty. All forms of malpractice, corruption, favouritism and injustice have no place in the operations of the OUT.
This implies ensuring that academic programmes on offer meet international standards and enable graduates to compete effectively in the labour market, nationally, regionally and internationally.
This will be achieved by keeping the spirit of free and critical thought and enquiry, through the tolerance of a diversity of beliefs and understanding, as well as fostering open exchange of ideas and knowledge among staff and students.
This entail ensuring that both basic and applied researches address relevant problems with an immediate or long-term impact. Efforts shall be made by the OUT to provide adequate funds for research and facilitate publication of research findings.
This implies managing resources smartly; focusing on activities that create value and deliver quality outputs. In addition, there will be efficient provision of support services to ensure quality outputs at all times by putting in place management systems to facilitate timely delivery of high-quality services.
In order to enhance credibility, it is essential that the OUT staff and students observe high standards of professionalism. This will be achieved by treating every individual with kindness, dignity and care; consider the thoughts and ideas of others inside and outside the OUT with a strong commitment to institutional accountability, integrity and honour.
This implies ensuring that transparent decision-making and open review as well as the full participation of stakeholders in the development of the Institution.
This entail ensuring that all staff and students are aware of and sensitive to gender issues by establishing and supporting the gender programme with focus on its mainstreaming at all levels of the OUT operations.
This entail ensuring that staff and students of the OUT are instilled with the spirit of information sharing and enhancing efforts to promote the culture of mutual respect and cooperation among various entities of the University.
This entails Institutional self-sufficiency in meeting its financial obligations and maintain stability in its operations. The OUT has to identify other sources of funding other than government subventions, in order to sustain the OUT operations at affordable cost, by attracting income from other funding sources including income generation activities.