Founding a Catholic university in Tanzania: Lessons from Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (1995--2002)

Higher education in Africa is at a critical juncture. A dramatic rise in secondary school enrollment has resulted in an explosion in enrollment at colleges and universities making higher education the fastest growing level of education in Africa in the past 20 years. The boom in higher education poses major challenges. Outmoded curricula, limited resources, inadequate technologies, poor governance, and pressure to address national and international requirements and affiliations are some of the African universities' challenges, which may be associated with their formation. While creating new institutions of higher learning is a sign of progress and a major accomplishment for a country, creating them well is much more important. This historical study details the founding of the first Catholic university in Tanzania, Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT). SAUT, which was founded in 1998, is the second privately accredited university in the country. This study explored the development of SAUT in order to determine if it is consistent with the major principles of organizational development theory in general and with the Burke-Litwin model in particular. In addition, this researcher was interested in finding out whether the differences between traditional organizational development and that of SAUT may be attributed to the assimilation of the Catholic mission during SAUT's foundation. Understanding these differences may illuminate not only the continued development of SAUT but perhaps also pave the way for similar institutions in the future. Using a case study method and a phenomenological approach, this researcher interviewed people who had a firsthand experience in the process of creating SAUT. Historical documents, artifacts, and past records were analyzed in order to gather a detailed description of events that took place in founding SAUT. The Burke-Litwin organizational model guided interviews, organization, and data analysis. The process of creating SAUT has resulted in a template that similar institutions may find useful in the future.