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NAMIBIB A UNIVEERSITY
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
21 April 2020
Dear NUST Staff and Students
13 Jaackcsoknson KauKjeauuajeua S Street
Private Bag 13388
Windhoek
NAMIBIA
TI :+#264 61207 2000
E: vc@nust.na
RE: NUST MIGRATION TO ONLINE TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
In response to the complications presented by the novel coronavirus on educational activities, the
Honourable Minister of Higher Education, Training and Innovation (MHETI), Dr Itah Kandjii-Murangi,
advised us to move our teaching and learning online, ina letter dated 15 April 2020. As such, this note
serves to announce that NUST is adopting a remote approach to teaching, learning and assessment,
and all face-to-face classes are cancelled until further notice. The eLearning roll-out will commence
on Tuesday 5 May 2020, and online teaching will commence on Monday 11 May 2020.
During the week of 5 - 10 May 2020, students will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with
material on the University Learning Management System and to ensure that they are enrolled for all
their courses on Moodle, in preparation for remote classes set to resume on the 11" of May.
As we all appreciate the challenges with online education in our context, it is important for us to work
with realistic expectations and do our best to support students affected by COVID-19 measures. The
University Management is aware that some academics and students may lack the necessary training
and skills needed for quality learning online, but we recognise the support that the Teaching and
Learning Unit (TLU) has made available in this regard. The unit has developed and uploaded a series
of training videos for both staff and students and will also provide more specialised training during
the week of 5 May.
Before commencing their remote learning, students will be assisted through an “Orientation of Online
Learning Course” to improve their competence in using the Moodle platform, MyNUST. However, we
remain cognizant of the challenges our students face in terms of access to high-speed internet, basic
requisite technologies and the skills to use our online platform but we continue to explore various
options to work through these challenges. For instance, the Institution will make study materials
available through other media such as study packs that will be distributed with the assistance of the
NUST regional centres under the supervision of COLL. We are also aware that each student has
unique challenges regarding their living, learning and health conditions during this crisis, hence our
call for realistic expectations.
In addition, a group of staff members has been constituted to identify short, medium and longer-term
solutions and the way forward regarding online learning through the Office of the Deputy Vice-
Chancellor: Academic (DVCA), along with staff from the academic community, including key internal
Centres and Units. We will also continue to work with the MHETI and other stakeholders to identify
solutions.
Our responses are consistent with similar decisions made by several of our peer institutions in Namibia
and further afield. The campus will remain closed until further notice and limited operations will
continue with appropriate measures to protect the health of our students and staff. The University is
also working closely with external stakeholders to resolve access issues that students and staff may
have in accessing online material.
The office of the DVCA will send you updates via the official NUST communication platforms regularly.
You will also continue to receive COLL or Unit-specific information from the relevant Departments. If
