Aksum University

College of Business and Economics

Strategic Plan for the Head Department of

Cooperative Studies

BY: Kalayou Berhanu (MA)

Aksum, Tigray, Ethiopia

July, 2023
 1. Introduction

I am highly interested to work as initiator and Head of Cooperative Studies Department. It is

known that teaching and learning is one of the top responsibilities of higher education

institutions at department level.

This strategic plan is developed to have clear picture about head department of Cooperative

Studies and to clearly state the major activities that will carried out. Besides to this, the strategic

plan will clearly indicate the main things that will be performed by the department and their

contribution to achievements of the department. Of course, this strategic plan will two year

duration. Introduction, proposed activities, SWOT analysis monitoring and evaluation and

personal qualities are the main components of the strategic plan.

For the last fifteen years, Aksum University has been growing as a significant educational and

economic force in the region and the nation. Excellence in teaching- learning, research and

community service cultural activities has been punctuated by periods of growth in enrollment

and infrastructure. Multidisciplinary research, community service, teaching and learning of a

high standard generate new knowledge and know-how for the benefit of humankind.

Despite the university’s achievements, it is facing a challenge to enhance educational quality,

like other higher institutions in the country, to improve workable research and to provide

qualitative community service to the society.

However, these activities are solved started from the department level of the university towards

enhancing the quality of training students gain during their stay in campus and conducting

research and improving community service by the organization of a department office and other

associated interventions can be a part.

Therefore, there is a need to develop strategic plan in order to address the challenges facing and

how it is going to be lead. This strategic plan will provide a clear picture of the department and it

can help to the department where it is going.

2. Proposed Activities
As department head, i propose the following activities to conducive the teaching and learning

and other activities of the department: I propose to:

 Manage the teaching learning, research and community services undertaking under in

my department

 Periodic staff evaluation report and progress for each staff members.

 Recruit and administer the academic and support staff under my department

 Ensure the effective and efficient utilization of resources in our department;

 Administer the physical resources and materials in the department

 Maintain full portfolio of staff and students in our department

 Provide academic advising to students by assigning academic advisors to our staff

 Handle and give decisions on all academic related student cases like student

admission, transfer, scholarship, readmission, withdrawal, re-exam, grade complaint,

cheating cases during exams, course/module delivery and assessment, course/module

exemption, credit transfer, and communicate the decisions to the Office of the

University Registrar and other relevant and concerned bodies.

 Process economics department student records and determine academic standing

(status), and cross-check students’ status against the status put by the Office of the

University Registrar and work to solve any differences;

  Collaboration with my colleagues and other concerned bodies introduce new

mechanisms to improve the teaching learning, research and community services

undertaking.

 Promoting and improving students-teacher relationship through free and democratic

discussion about teaching and learning processes.

 Follow up proper utilization of resources in each activity in order to achieve the

university’s goal.

 Enhancing coordinated assistance for female students and students with special needs

until they complete their education at department;

Having the above point as stepping base, my basic and prime tools that I will be using if I got the

chance of leading the department for the next two years are Planning, regular meeting, sharing

responsibility, participatory approach in the affairs of the department, prioritizing issues,

democratic management and creating open, clear working environment and identifying the

overall performance of the department and taking corrective action.

And based on the nature of department I will try to introduce new activities like:

 Providing training for cooperative societies on auditing, management and member

participation in decision making.

 Working and create linkage with cooperative societies to enhance the practical

knowledge of the students by preparing practical field for students.

 Encouraging and creating awareness the university staffs on cooperative societies to be

a member of any cooperatives to solve their common problem.

 Creating continuous discussion and with management of cooperative societies.

 3. SWOT Analysis
These SWOT analysis sections contain the analysis of Cooperative Department. In order to

ensure and improve the activities of the Department, I have tried to incorporate SWOT of our

Department, college and University in the implementation strategies of my proposal.

Strength

 Having enough number of master holder instructors in department

 Young and energetic academic staff: This entails a big potential to enhance the

Department as young people are flexible and receptive to new changes.

 Sufficient teaching materials: this includes books, and other reference materials

 Convenient working environment

 Sufficient physical environment

 Support by the university management

 Participatory planning process

 Allowing instructors to pursue their master and PhD at any time

Weakness

 Unavailability of office infrastructure / computer, printer, paper/

 Damaged and Unsecured office / broken door ,chairs ,windows

 Lower follow up and supervision

 Less organized tasks

 Limited initiation in attracting external fund

 Inadequate financial resource

 Lack of PhD holder instructors in the department

 Opportunity

 Availability of experienced academic staffs

 An established Good well by the external community

 The Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) places sufficient emphasis on education

 Stiff competition in the external environment to get employed after graduation: If

students know that the competition is too stiff then they start to work hard to score

better grade.

 Broad based economic growth which implies a huge potential for absorbing the
produced man power
Threats

 Shortage of experienced academic staff

 High level of academic turnover due to war

 Allocation of few number of students due to the current situation /limited student

diversity

 Low morale of students due the past phenomenon

 Poor and insufficient educational infrastructure

 An extremely digital world which draws attention of students away from their study

and influence them even for cheating- technology.

 4. Monitoring and Evaluation

The following lists are ways of monitoring and evaluation methods used:

1. Organizing and reporting about the department periodically to the concerned body.

2. Ensuring monitoring and evaluation system of the teaching-learning process in

collaboration with the college’s quality assurance office;

3. Conducting periodic meetings with the staff to identify and manage problems in the

teaching and learning environment.

4. Evaluation report to of the staff to the concerned body or to the college.

5. Personal Qualities:

To realize the proposed activities, I will use my skills and experience accumulated from our

university and various governmental offices. Besides, I have the following personal qualities:

Able to solve problems under challenging circumstances,

Excellent team working capabilities

Give priority to urgent and most important issues,

Believe in team work where necessary and able to work independently to achieve

challenging goals via self-directed work.

Able to influence decisions based on rational reasoning,

Have excellent interpersonal skill and thus work with others effectively

Possess honesty and integrity

Leadership skill

Statistical Skills such as SPSS and STATA

To make the plan effective or bring to the ground budget has its paramount role. By taking this in

to consideration the college should supportive in allocating budget and capacity building

programs for the department.

Therefore, based on my academic background, qualification experience and personal qualities; I

believe that I do match with the vacant position. If I am given the opportunity; I strongly believe

that I can make a difference in teaching and learning, research and community services

undertaking under in the department.