Creation of the University of Buea

In 1992/93 a series of presidential decrees transformed the Higher Education landscape profoundly by dissolving the University of Yaounde and creating six new universities. Decree No. 92/074 of 13 April 1992 transformed the university centres of Buea and Ngaoundere into fully-fledged universities. Another Decree, No. 93/026 of 19 January 1993, created the universities of Yaounde I and II, of Douala and of Dschang. Whilst Decree No. 93/027 of the same date, defined common conditions for operation of the universities of Cameroon, Decree No. 93/034, also of 19 January 1993, organised the University of Buea. The reforms introduced by the above decrees were aimed at improving the performance of higher education. Specifically the reforms were aimed at achieving among others, the following objectives:

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• To increase the participation of different stakeholders in financing higher education institutions;
• To provide universities with more academic and management autonomy;
• To provide all Cameroonians equal opportunity to obtain university education;
• To expand and increase higher education opportunities and make university programmes more professional and more responsive to market forces;
• To make rational and optimal use of existing infrastructure, facilities and services.

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Evolution of the University

Despite the economic crisis facing the country in the early 90s, the University of Buea started off boldly in May 1993 with 768 students enrolled in the Advanced School of Translators and Interpreters (ASTI) and the following three faculties:

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• The Faculty of Arts with degree programmes in English, English and French, and History;
• The Faculty of Science with programmes in Chemistry, Life Sciences, Geology, Physics and Mathematics;
• The Faculty of Social and Management Sciences with programmes in Economics, Law and Geography.

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Academic staff were transferred from the defunct University of Yaounde and the Ministry of Scientific Research to run these programmes. Part-time lecturers from the University of Yaounde I were also used extensively.

Even though the Faculty of Health Sciences existed in 1993, it only admitted its first batch of students in 1997/1998. The Department of Education operated in the Faculty of Arts until the 1998/1999 year when it became an independent Faculty.

Student Enrolment

Student enrolment increased from 768 in 1992/93 to 4,704 in 1999/98. Enrolment was controlled by use of admission quotas for each discipline. Access was therefore very selective and based on objective criteria related to performance at the General Certificate of Education and Baccalaureat examinations. However, because of the growing number of school leavers and a modest increase in the capacity of our lecture halls and laboratories, student enrolment rose steadily to 5,380 in the 1998/99 academic year, 7,283 in 2002/03 and finally to 10,295 in 2006/07. It is noted that, because of limited classroom space, only about two thirds of students who apply for admission are presently admitted. The competition for places is keener in some professional programmes, where as few as 1 out of 10 applicants are admitted.

Funding

Funds to run the University come, for the most part from the State. State subvention has recurrent and investment components. The University generates revenue principally from registration fees. In 2007 such self-generated income accounted for about 35% of the University’s budget whilst expenditure on investment accounted for about 22% of the budget. Academic staff of the University also obtain research grants from foreign partners. For the 2006/07 year such grants which were worth 200,000,000F represent a mere 4% of the University’s budget of 5,151,188,000F for 2007.

Infrastructure

The number of lecture halls of various capacities (50-650) is currently 35. There are also six science teaching laboratories and a central library. These halls are used by the 10,295 students who take a total of about 350 courses each week. Due to the large class sizes which are often split into several groups, the halls and laboratories have become grossly insufficient for all modes of teaching if lectures are not to spill over into the night.

Teaching

The University currently has five Faculties and one School. Each of them has a number of departments which are in charge of one or more academic programmes. At the moment the total number of departments is 25 and that of programmes 32. The problem faced by most departments is that of large enrolment in relation to the small number of lecturers.