Historical Background of University

 

When the first eager students set foot on the campus in Adama in October 2000, they beheld a very different setting from the spacious and forested compound with one modern building, and a number of blocks that house administrative offices, laboratories, libraries and quite a number of classrooms students see today. Ato Dinku Deyasa, a renowned investor and owner of NAFYAD PLC and Ato Reta Bekele, former President of Adama and Jima High Courts   envisaged the necessity of founding a private higher education institution mainly aimed at curbing the country’s dearth of qualified human resources. Needs analysis was conducted to identify the fields of study most desired by the community in and around Adama and Asella towns. On the basis of the findings, the founders made all the necessary preparations that would enable them to begin academic programs at a diploma level in five fields of study – namely, Accounting, Computer Science, Law, Marketing Management, and Secretarial Science and Office Management.

The Oromia Justice Bureau officially registered RVU as a PLC under Registration No. W/D/0001/93 on August 3, 1993 EC. The Company’s authenticity was  publicized in the Addis Zemen, August 10, 2000 GC issue, by the Oromia Bureau of Trade and Tourism, which issued a Trade License No. 13/W/D/DH/YE/002/93 and a Registration ID No. 13/D/DH/I/093/93 to the organization. The first accreditation by the Ministry of Education in five diploma level programs of study was earned in the year 1993 EC. Currently the Ministry of Education and the Oromyia Regional Government Bureau of Education in collaboration with the Ministry of Health accredit RVU.

Rift Valley University began operations in October 2000 in Adama Town, with a capital of 1,300,000 Eth. Birr, a total number of 154 evening program students, and five part time faculty staff. The Asella branch campus was begun three months later with Accounting, Law and Marketing Management being the fields of study. This new “learning community” was housed in just one rented block that consisted of a single administrative office and a few classrooms; by the end of the year 2000/2001 academic year, total enrolment at the two locations was about 250 students in the five diploma programs of study.

In September 2003 and 2004, Gotera and Batu branch campuses came into being respectively; Bishoftu campus was created two years later followed by two other branch campuses – namely, Dire Dawa and Chiro, which went functional in August/September 2005. Bole and Gulele came into being in October 2005. Harar campus was created in October 2006. 

When the institution was empowered to grant a bachelor’s degree, accounting, business management and law were the first academic programs on offer on the campus in Adama.


Location of RVU Campuses and Year of Establishment

NoCampus NameLocationYear of Establishment
RegionTown
1AdamaOromiaAdama2000
2AsellaOromiaAsella2000
3GoteraFinfineFinfine2003
4BatuOromiaBatu2004
5BishoftuOromiaBishoftu2004
6Dire DawaDire DawaDire Dawa2005
7ChiroOromiaChiro2005
8BoleFinfineFinfine2005
9GulleleFinfineFinfine2005
10HararHarariHarar2006
11NekemteOromiaNekemte2010
12ShashemeneOromiaShashemene2010
13JimmaOromiaJimma2010
14Bahir DarAmharaBahir Dar2014
15MekelleTigrayMekelle2014
16HawassaSNNPHawasssa2014
17Bale RobeOromiaBale Role2014
18AmboOromiaAmbo2014
19LanchaFinfineFinfine2014
20YekaFinfineFinfine2014
21Lebu LaftoFinfineFinfine2014
22Sidist KiloFinfineFinfine2014
23KalitiFinfineFinfine2014
24AbichuFinfineFinfine2014
25Meri GoroFinfineFinfine2014
26WalisoOromiaWaliso2014
27BurayuOromiaBurayu2015
28Dembi DolloOromiaDembi Dollo2015
29JijigaEth/n SomaleJijiga2014
30MojoOromiaMojo2015
31KemisieAmharaKemisie2015
32NegelleOromiaNegelle2016
33GelanOromiaGelan2016
34Lege TafoOromiaLege Tafo2016
35SulultaOromiaSululta2016
36Dire GefersaOromiaDire Gefersa2016
37HossanaSNNPHossana2016
38W/SodoSNNPSodo2016
39MetuOromiaMetu2016
40MetaharaOromiaMetahara2017
41OlanchitOromiaOlanchit2017
42ShambuOromiaShambu2017
43SebetaOromiaSebeta2017
44FinfineFinfineFinfine2017
45GhimbiOromiaGhimbi2018
46DurameSNNPDurame2019
47HoletaOromiaHoleta2018
48Tulu BoloOromiaTulu Bolo2018
49WayuFinfinneFinfinne2018
50Kara AloFinfinneFinfinne2018
51SendafaOromiaSendafa2019