Botho College

Botho College Logo

Botho College is Botswana’s largest private tertiary educational provider, founded in 1997. The college offers certificates, diplomas and graduate degrees in accountancy and computer science. It is the first private tertiary institution in the country to be accredited by the Tertiary Education Council (TEC). All of its programs are also accredited by the Botswana Training Authority (BOTA). It has trained more than 16,000 graduates, and enrolls over 4,000 students, supported by 150 academic staff.

Botho's Computing Science programs are partnered with international institutions such as NIIT, Open University and Teesside University.[1]

Campuses

Botho College

Botho University operates three campuses: Gaborone, Francistown, and Maun. Each campus features fully networked classrooms and practice areas. In the classrooms, each seat is computer-enabled. The Gaborone campus opened in January 2007; it is a state-of-the-art facility that spans over 10,000 square meters against the scenic backdrop of the Kgale Hill. It includes a 700 m2 (7,500 sq ft) shaded seating and recreational area with Wi-Fi connectivity.

The institution is one of the highest ranked sporting institutions in the country with facilities for basketball, netball, volleyball, soccer, and chess. Botho is currently BOTESSA and PTIA games champion, and has held a number of other national sports titles. Botho College student Mogakolodi Tsotso Ngele participated in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) soccer tournament, scoring a decisive goal for the national team, "the Zebras".

Academic support

Learners

The Management Information Services Department oversees attendance records, provides academic transcripts and certificates, and is the central repository for student related information.

The Assessments Department is responsible for managing and conducting examinations, and oversees fulfilment of the Academic Honesty Policy.

The Projects Office provides work-study opportunities, applying skills in actual projects while still in school. Under the supervision of experienced staff, student interns in computer science develop applications for use in Botho College administrative offices, as well as for outside institutions. Among computer programs developed by Botho Projects Office student interns are the college's "Student Management" system, the "Leave Management System" and "Issue Tracker"; as well as The Botho College website *Bothouniversity.ac.bw , itself, which is designed and maintained in-house by the Projects Office.

The Student Services Department manages extracurricular activities. Student activity groups include a wide variety of sports clubs such as basketball, volleyball, netball, chess, soccer, and table tennis. Hon-sporting clubs include drama, ballroom dancing, Hip-Hop dance, Christian Movement Society, and the Debating Society. In addition, the Student Services Department is responsible for counseling and handling grievances, and oversees The Student Representative Council (SRC).

The Career Advisory Services office provides free career counseling, help with internship and graduate placement. Workshops with outside experts are held on campus, providing resources on career opportunities. The department maintains relationships with leading employers, as liaison for suitable candidates for internships and long-term employment.

The Botho College Alumni Association was formed to provide former students with an opportunity to remain in contact with their former classmates. All Botho College students are automatically enrolled as members.

Library

Botho College Library

The Botho College Library has a wide range of educational resources for students and teachers. Thousands of books are to be found in spacious reading rooms. Books on accounting, business, computing and education have been acquired to support the major areas of study. All members of Botho College Community are allowed access to library resources and services, assisted by the Internet Public Access Catalog (IPAC). The library subscribes to various databases allowing students access to e-journals, magazines, books, country reports, and other multimedia. The library also supports wireless connectivity to the Internet. The Botho College Library Bulletin is intended to make all Botho college students and staff aware of the developments taking place in the library.[2]

Extra-curricular activities

winners of 2012 Linkz Challenge

In 2009, Botho College launched an ICT-based competition called LINKZ The ICT Challenge, which brings together the best ICT students in the country. It is currently the only competition of its kind. It tests students' knowledge and capability in the field of IT. In 2009, LINKZ brought together more than 300 bright young people from over six major tertiary institutions including University of Botswana, Gaborone Institute of Professional Studies, Ba Isago College, ABM University, and Limkowing University of Creative and Technology.[3]

Setswana Wikipedia Challenge

In October 2011, the college hosted the Setswana Wikipedia Challenge. This was a challenge based on bringing Africa's information online by creating Wikipedia articles in the Setswana language. In Google’s Setswana Wikipedia Challenge contest, entrants were required to submit an original article to Wikipedia or a translation for an existing Wikipedia article into Setswana. This challenge was sponsored by Google in conjunction with Wikimedia Kenya.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Welcome to Botho University". Bothocollege.ac.bw. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  2. ↑ "Botho University Library". Bothouniversity.ac.bw. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  3. ↑ "BOTHO COLLEGE LINKZ 2012, Annual ICT Event". Bothouniversity.ac.bw. Retrieved 2014-07-08.

Gallery