Recruitment and selection of Academic Staff and Students’ learning experience in Private Christian universities in developing countries: A case study of Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU).

Abstract

The recruitment and selection of academic staff, who are the most valuable assets of a university, is critical for the standard of education to remain competitive at international levels. The education sector requires academics with relevant qualifications from credible universities, with relevant experience, who are capable of contributing to teaching, research and community service. The study explores recruitment and selection of academic staff and the implications on the learning experience of students in a private Christian university in Zimbabwe. Data collection used self-completed questionnaires and interviews from a sample of 26 academics and non-academics and 70 students. The findings show that recruitment and selection of academic staff is adversely affected by low salaries, fringe benefits and preference for Church-affiliated personnel. The low numbers of academic staff are supplemented by part-time academic staff a situation that negatively affects students’ learning experience due to scheduling of weekend lectures that are often cancelled and run late, poor student support and pastoral care. The study recommendations include the need for addressing the low remuneration issues, employing non-denominational academic staff, implementation of proactive staff development programmes, staff exchange programmes among regional and international private Christian institutions.