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 greateradministrative and academic interventions. Although much work on student support by researchers and practitionershas been published, few scholars have recently begun to explore, through qualitative research, the challenges ofmanaging regional centres alone. This paper contributes to the endeavour by first identifying the challenges of a casefor 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 viatelephones supported by written documents. Main themes from the challenges include poor communication andisolation from the main campus, inconveniences caused to the RASSOs and loneliness. The conclusion of the studyfocuses on implications for student support services.