Effectiveness of the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) in disseminating information to higher education institutions’ aspirants

Dissemination of information on Higher Education Institutions to higher education candidates is one of the key activities of the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU). This study examined the effectiveness of the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) in disseminating information on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to Aspirants in Tanzania. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study which involved a total of 64 respondents. The unit of analysis was the TCU and its staff, admissions’ officers of the selected higher education institutions as well as students aspiring to join Higher Education Institutions in Tanzania. Data was collected mainly through interviews and supplemented by observation and content analysis. Data was analysed by using content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings of the study revealed an information gap between the information needed by the higher education spirants and information disseminated by TCU mainly as a result of the ineffective methods the TCU uses to disseminate information. It was also revealed that higher education aspirants mainly relied on their friends, their teachers and the regional libraries as chief source of information related to HEIs. It was further revealed in this study that, a formal information dissemination policy does not exist at the TCU thus information related to HEIs is disseminated in an ad hoc manner. The study therefore recommends that the TCU develops an information dissemination policy to guide information dissemination activities. It should also use Rural Community Radios and Zonal centres in the regions to assist in the dissemination of information to the rural community.