Challenges One Staff Member Management Faces in Managing a Regional Centre in ODL: A Case for Centre for External Studies, University of Namibia

Abstract

Managing distance education regional centres as one staff member in Namibia is a challenge that calls for greater administrative and academic interventions. Although much work on student support by researchers and practitioners has been published, few scholars have recently begun to explore, through qualitative research, the challenges of managing regional centres alone. This paper contributes to the endeavour by first identifying the challenges of a case for the three regional administrative and student support officers (RASSOs) of the Centre for External Studies, University of Namibia. It then narrates and interprets the challenges collected through in-depth interviews via telephones supported by written documents. Main themes from the challenges include poor communication and isolation from the main campus, inconveniences caused to the RASSOs and loneliness. The conclusion of the study focuses on implications for student support services.