Management of Academics and Examinations: Challenges Faced by Young Lecturers during Quality Assurance Policy Implementation in Universities

Abstract: With specific a focus on managing academics and examinations, young lecturers often face unique obstacles due to their relative inexperience and the dynamic nature of academic environments. This article explores some key challenges young lecturers face in managing their university responsibilities and evaluates how management affects staff participation. Quality assurance implementation correlates job satisfaction and young lecturers (employees') performance in academics and examination management. The emphasis on quality assurance policy implementation in universities requires participation in instruction, research and community outreach. The existing collected data has been utilized to provide empirical evidence. The article draws some data from the previous “PhD data set” from the approved study of reference UNCST ref SS-4248 where a total of 183 research participants were enrolled for the study. The study employed quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Teaching requires preparations of teaching materials, daily research to update teaching materials, tests and quizzes, preparation of examinations, marking guides, and providing security to the examinations. At times, teaching, research and community outreach have been regarded as a heavy workload. The 40 hours for workload management, balancing teaching, research responsibilities and navigating the examination processes amid challenges of unmet benefits calls for quality assurance directorate intervention (IUCEA, 2010a). While full-time employees take 40 hours per week, several universities do not mutually compensate employees. Reciprocity in several Ugandan universities is lacking hence oscillation between several young universities in the country is associated with low salaries and insufficient incentives. The young lecturers include; early-career academics, newly appointed faculty members, junior faculty members, and postdoctoral researchers.