1. Governance. The governance of the school is in the process of clarification. At present RIET has no legal identity and is covered by that of the Alliance. The intention, however, is that it should have its own distinct legal identity which would nevertheless recognise continuing ultimate ownership of the Alliance’s member churches. The by-laws (Règlement d’Ordre Intérieur) are almost complete and there are draft statutes, which will need to comply with relevant Rwandan government legislation. One major issue being addressed at present is that of clarifying the composition of the governing body both in order to define the longer term relationship with the churches of the AER and to ensure that the areas of expertise – including financial, legal and educational – necessary to the running of the school are sufficiently represented on the governing body, while also ensuring the preservation of its evangelical character.
The present administrative council of RIET is working with the principal with the aim of completing the documents by the end of 2009, at which point RIET will be able to seek its own legal identity from the state.
2. Programme. A major priority is to ensure that the programme of studies, while thoroughly biblical in its basis, effectively prepares students to respond to the particular needs of the Rwandan churches, and to communicate the gospel appropriately in a Rwandan context. The programme has been revised over the past few months to ensure that it adequately reflects Rwandan realities, and in August 2007 the administrative council endorsed the revision which came into force in the 2008 academic year. Areas that still need to be addressed more effectively are those of mentoring and the general spiritual development of the students, as well as the practical dimension. These in turn depend on our having an adequate body of full-time teaching staff. The issues have already been raised and with the growth in the number of full-time staff a process of discussion leading to revision will take place.
One major inadequacy of the programme that has been addressed is the heavy dependence on part-time teachers providing concentrated courses of a week or two. This need has been meet with the addition of two full-time staff members in 2008. Additionally, the focus on evening classes for people with occupations during the day has meant an inadequate emphasis on personal study and reading. We are addressing that, first, through the development of the library (see below) and, second, through extending the length of each of the three terms so that there will be more time inbuilt for reading and the preparation of student work. The extension in the duration of each term and the introduction of specified library research time took effect in January 2008.
3. Library. The development of the library is essential to the quality of the school. At present there are about 5,000 volumes in the library, about a third of them in English. This is double the number from last year. We have received quite a number of significant gifts to help improve the library, including £15,000 sterling from a donor in the UK and €8,000 from Germany. We plan to work in large measure with the Langham Partnership for the ordering and purchase of books. At the same time we propose to continue to expand the holding in English.
We appointed a part-time librarian at the beginning of July 2007. He has an undergraduate qualification in theology and several years experience working in the library of the Institut Supérieur Théologique de Bunia in DR Congo, as well as some library experience in Kigali. We have also improved the library furniture with new tables and chairs for study, and more shelf space during the last academic year.
When we have adequate accommodation, which means our own buildings, we would anticipate the introduction of computing facilities with internet access. Realistically this will probably only begin to be realised in the course of 2009. At that point we would aim to have a ratio of one computer for every four students. Given present student numbers this would mean 15 computers. The cost of hardware would be in the region of $15,000, and internet access through Rwandatel would add an initial $1500 and an annual running cost of approximately $2000 at present rates.
4. Buildings. RIET currently has approximately 60 students enrolled. Our present rented accommodation is inadequate for holding classes and makes it difficult to envisage any significant increase in that number. Because of the desperate need for our own premises, just over 5 acres of land has been purchased in the Gasabo District of Kigali and a master plan and designs have been produced that will allow for an expansion of the student body to 180. The size of the building project is daunting and will be constructed in 4 phases including: 12 classrooms, a library, computer lab, 12-plus offices, a 300 seat auditorium, a woman’s section, 38 houses and apartments of varying sizes, 2 dormitories (with dining facilities) for students and faculty, and a guest house. There are enough funds to start construction, but not enough for completion.
5. Staff. We recognise the vital, indeed primary, importance of the quality of teaching staff for the achievement of the school’s objectives. RIET has depended heavily on part-time teachers – both from overseas and suitably qualified local people – offering concentrated courses of one to two weeks in length. From an educational perspective this is not an ideal approach, and for language teaching (Greek, Hebrew and English) it is disastrous. The solution is to engage full-time teachers of the necessary spiritual and academic calibre, who will not only teach but also be able to play a part in the practical and spiritual mentoring of students.
We are happy to announce that during the last academic year we appointed two full-time members of staff – Phanuel Munezero, who has just finished a Masters at NEGST, and Bruce Rossington, an AIM missionary also with a Masters in theology – which brought a huge improvement to the implementation of the programme. We will also be using two part-time but committed teachers, both of whom have Masters degrees from NEGST as well as having studied elsewhere, and who are willing to teach on a weekly basis instead of through concentrated courses.
We are also moving ahead with staff development. The academic secretary, David Kyembwa Bulambo has just been accepted for a distance learning doctorate programme at South Africa Theological Seminary.
We would plan for Phanuel and Bruce to undertake similar studies once they have settled into the teaching role, probably beginning in early 2009 for Phanuel and late 2009 or early 2010 for Bruce. The distance learning programme of the South Africa Theological Seminary would be a possibility for both as well, especially now that its proposed doctoral programme has received approval from the South African government.
6. Finance
The financing of the school has been a problem over the years. It has survived mainly from student fees, with some income from the subletting of part of the premises that we rent which offsets some of our own rental cost, and a very small income from gifts.
Student fees are pitched slightly above what our students can afford (about $350 per annum). We are trying to raise scholarship support in order to reduce actual fees while increasing income at the same time. We estimate that, on the basis of annual student numbers of about 60 the real cost of the training we offer once we have employed two additional members of staff, will be in the region of $500 per annum. We would like scholarship support to bring the sum they actually pay down closer to $225 per annum. We are having a degree of success in this but are looking for more support, and the stabilisation of what we receive.
7. Publicity. The school has been weak in this area, but improveing. This web site (www.riet-kigali.com) has just been set up but we still need assistance with the production of brochures and other publicity material, and with relations with the media here in Rwanda.
If we could find the right person the cost of salary would be in the order of $6000 per year, not counting the actual publicity budget.
8. Accreditation. In the short-term we are in communication with the Faculté de Théologie Evangélique de Bangui with a view to their validation of our programme. A recent visit from the principal of Bangui was very positive and we are anticipating that they will give us validation.
Longer term we will be looking for accreditation from the government of Rwanda and from ACTEA. We have a long way to go in both areas – especially in terms of full-time qualified staff, infrastructure, and library facilities – but are making progress and are in contact with both, including a recent (August 2007) meeting with the newly appointed Executive Director of the new Council for Higher Education in Rwanda.
9. Growth. We have had approximately 60 students enrolled over the past two or three years. Our present accommodation makes it difficult to envisage any significant increase in that number. However, in the planning of our own facilities on the new site we will be planning for increased classes of up to 40 students, with the possibility of expansion to a student body of 180.
One recent development is the opening of an English language program that began in the 2009 academic year.
10. Transport. In view of the proposed location of our own buildings which will be some distance from the centre of Kigali, the provision of transport, probably in the form of an 18-seater bus, would be very helpful. The cost is difficult to determine: perhaps an initial outlay of $40,000 followed by annual running/devaluation costs of $6,000, a good deal of the latter offset by fares paid by the student users.
