Rationale for restructuring of SUA

• The purpose of the transformation is to enable SUA to develop capacity to respond adequately to the rapid changes or emerging issues taking place in the environment, changes that have a direct impact on its mission and objectives.
• Over the years, SUA has demonstrated significant developments in terms of programmes offered and student growth. Alongside these changes, decisions affecting students and programmes have also proportionately increased in number in such a way that handling of these issues centrally has tended to overstretch and cause congestion in the management system.
• The expansion of the university has presented a range of new opportunities and challenges that occasion the need for reorganization in order to capture emerging opportunities and respond to challenges that come along with the new opportunities.
• Hence, the essence of restructuring is to enable SUA to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness in keeping with its vision and mission, growth of student enrolment, providing high quality educational programmes, and expanding the research and outreach in relevant areas for societal development.
• By focusing on these specific objectives, the University will at the same time strategically position itself towards contributing to the realization of national development objectives as spelt out in the national policies and strategies like the Tanzania Development Vision 2025, the National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, and other strategies.
• Overall, the restructuring exercise aims at promoting aspects of organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Strategy for implementing the restructuring
Council approved a phased approach to the restructuring of SUA, whereby specific units would restructure at different times, over a period of several years. The approach is participatory involving a discussions and agreements among a wide range of stakeholders both within and outside SUA.
It is also supposed to be iterative in that adjustments can be made based on experiences acquired and lessons learned in the implementation, so that at the end of five years the whole process should be completed and formalized.

Based on this approach, the following sequence of restructuring was agreed upon:
Restructuring with immediate effect:

• The Vice Chancellor’s Office
• DVC (Academic) Office

Restructuring in Year 1:

• Faculty of Agriculture
• Development Studies Institute (DSI) and SUA Center for Sustainable Rural Development (SCSRD)
• Computer Center
• DVC (A&F) Office
• Institute of Continuing Education
• SUA Pest Management Center

Restructuring in Year 2:

• DVC(A&F) Office
• Directorate of Research and Postgraduate Studies
• Sokoine National Agricultural Library (SNAL)
• Faculty of Forestry & Nature Conservation
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

Restructuring Year 3:

• Faculty of Science and Directorate of Solomon Mahlangu Campus

Progress on restructuring so far
As a result of the on-going restructuring the following actions have been implemented:
1.The Office of the Vice Chancellor now houses

• Procurement Management Unit
• Publicity and Market Unit
• Legal Unit
• Internal Audit Unit
• Quality Assurance and Promotion Bureau

2.The Office of the DVC (Academic) has created

• Directorate of Undergraduate Studies
• Directorate of Intellectual Property Management and Linkages
• Directorate of Consultancy and Services

3.The Faculty of Agriculture has been split into

• College of Agriculture
• School of Agricultural Economics and Business Studies (SAEBS)

4.Development Studies Institute (DSI), SUA Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SCSRD), and Department of Social Sciences of the Faculty of Science (DSS-FoS) have merged to form

• College of Social Sciences and Humanities

5.The Office of the DVC (A&F) has undergone internal re-organization and has created

• Directorate of Planning and Development

6.Directorate of Research and Postgraduate Studies, Sokoine National Agricultural Library, SUA Pest Management Center, Institute of Continuing Education and Computer Center have undergone internal re-organization

7.Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation has transformed into

• College of Forestry Wildlife and Tourism

8.Faculty of Veterinary Medicine has transformed into

• College of Veterinary and Medical Sciences

Other Considerations
In addition to the re-organization of the various units within the university, other concomitant steps are being taken to achieve the intended objectives of restructuring. Key steps include:

• Reviewing internal policies and procedures to allow for more decentralized decision making and to allow more autonomy to lower levels while relieving the top management of routine decisions that can be taken at lower levels, leaving them with strategic decisions.
• Operationalizing the various income generation policies and proposals including establishing the Income Generation Coordinating Unit, starting the SUA Investment Company Ltd, and supporting income generation activities by various academic units by providing starter capital to feasible ventures.
• Capacity building through a continuous process of training of key staff in leadership and change management skills to enable them to play an active role in the transformation of the university.