Late grade submission is a persistent problem for all the public universities in Sierra Leone and generates

significant administrative and psychological workload for Examinations Officers (EOs) and registry staff. This

study investigated (1) the patterns of late grade submission and its impact on the psychological well-being of

examinations staff, and (2) organizational factors and interventions reducing lateness and promoting staff well-

being. The convergent mixed-methods design was applied, where quantitative analysis of retrospective

administrative and survey data was being equated with qualitative results from interviews and focus group

discussions.

The study was conducted in six public universities Njala University, University of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai

2021 years following COVID-19 had disturbed them. Institution-wise, the University of Sierra Leone recorded

the highest average lateness (11.2 days; 67.0% late submissions). Mental health indices were noteworthy poor:

80.7% reported greater than the clinical cut-off for stress, 72.0% for anxiety, 65.3% for depression, and 64.7%

for burnout (Maslach Emotional Exhaustion subscale). Regression analyses showed that with each extra day of

delay, there was a 0.77-point increase in a higher stress score (95% CI: 0.51–1.03, p < 0.001), a 0.58-point rise

in anxiety (95% CI: 0.29–0.87, p < 0.001), and positive rises in depression and burnout scores. Higher staffing

ratios and higher MIS maturity significantly moderated these associations (p < 0.05), cushioning employees from

the psychological consequences of delays.

Qualitative findings reinforced these trends, highlighting system-level issues such as last-minute departmental

submissions, lean administrative staff, weak enforcement of Senate deadlines, and incoherent digital foundation.

Timely submission of course grades is a critical element in the effective administration of higher education

maintained, and institutional accountability is upheld (Kargbo, 2021). Across public universities in Sierra Leone,

examination officers play a central role in consolidating, verifying, and publishing grades within set academic

calendars. However, delays in grade submissions by academic staff have emerged as a persistent challenge,

creating significant administrative pressure on examination officers (Bangura & Conteh, 2019).

Late submissions disrupt the workflow of examination offices, compressing timelines for data verification, error

correction, and reporting (Kamara, 2020). These disruptions often lead to extended working hours, increased

(Johnson, 2020). When grade submissions are delayed, these peak periods intensify, increasing job demands

while administrative resources often remain static or inadequate. In Sierra Leone, this challenge is compounded

by infrastructural limitations, digital system inefficiencies, and weak enforcement of academic deadlines (Sallieu

& Taylor, 2022; UNESCO, 2023).

Globally, the mental health of administrative personnel has become a critical issue within higher education,

especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted academic calendars and exacerbated

systemic delays (WHO, 2022). However, there is a paucity of empirical studies that focus on the mental health

consequences of late grade submissions on examinations officers in Sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly in Sierra

Leone. This dissertation addresses that gap by systematically examining the impact of late grade submissions on

the mental health of examinations officers across public universities in Sierra Leone between 2018 and 2025

immovable Senate and graduation deadlines, responding to escalating student and faculty queries, and

safeguarding the integrity of academic records often within compressed timeframes and with limited staffing or

digital support.

Despite growing international evidence linking administrative overload and deadline compression to

occupational stress and burnout, no empirical study in Sierra Leone has systematically examined the mental

health effects of late grade submissions on examinations staff. As a result, institutional responses have remained

largely reactive, informal, and focused on end-stage crisis management rather than prevention. The absence of

longitudinal and staff-centred evidence has constrained the development of data-driven policies on submission

timelines, staffing norms, digital systems, and workplace mental-health support.

This study addresses this critical gap by quantitatively and qualitatively examining patterns of late grade

governance in Sierra Leone’s public university system.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of late submission of grades on the mental health of

examinations officers in public universities across Sierra Leone. Specifically, it aims to assess the patterns of late

grade submissions and their effects on the mental health of examinations officers, as well as to identify factors

and interventions that can reduce lateness and support staff wellbeing. The study focuses on examinations officers

and allied administrative staff in public universities in Sierra Leone, examining grade submission patterns, mental

health outcomes, and institutional factors between 2018 and 2025. It excludes private universities and clinical

diagnoses of mental disorders, relying instead on validated screening tools.

Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

of course grades.

Late submission of grades is a recurrent administrative challenge in higher education globally. Documented

culture. Faculties with large student populations or complex assessment modalities such as multi-component or

practical exams are more prone to delays. Mansaray et al. (2023) similarly observed that most delays occur in the

final weeks of the semester when faculty juggle grading, teaching, and administrative duties. Technological

challenges, including unreliable internet and inadequate training on student information systems (SIS), further

intensify these patterns in Sierra Leonean public universities (UNESCO, 2023).

Examinations offices must receive, verify, and process grades for timely results publication. Late submissions

compress timelines for data entry, moderation, and compilation, increasing workload during peak periods. Kargbo

where tasks are pushed downstream without resource adjustments, causing multitasking, reduced recovery time,

and greater time pressure all predictors of stress and burnout.

Administrative staff mental health has gained attention, especially post-COVID-19 (WHO, 2022). Examinations

officers face unique stressors tied to assessment cycles, strict deadlines, and frequent high-pressure interactions

with faculty and students (Mansaray et al., 2023). These conditions can lead to stress, anxiety, depression, and

burnout, affecting job satisfaction, performance, and retention (Roberts, 2018; Sesay, 2024).

& Lovibond, 1995; Mansaray et al., 2023).

Delays arise from individual, institutional, and infrastructural factors. Lecturer workload, time management, and

competing responsibilities are major individual factors (Kamara, 2020; Johnson, 2020). Institutionally, unclear

policies, weak enforcement, understaffing, and limited digital infrastructure drive delays (Bangura & Conteh,

2019; Sallieu & Taylor, 2022). Mansaray et al. (2023) found that ambiguous deadlines and absence of penalties

normalise lateness, while infrastructural challenges unreliable internet and inadequate SIS training exacerbate the

problem (UNESCO, 2023). Strong leadership and accountability mechanisms are associated with fewer delays

(Sesay, 2024).

ensure diversity in roles, seniority, and institutional contexts.

correlations.

emergent themes. Inter-coder reliability was assessed (κ ≥ 0.70). Themes were organised into categories related

to lateness patterns, mental health experiences, coping strategies, and institutional interventions. The qualitative

findings were then integrated with quantitative results using joint display matrices during the interpretation phase.

ethics committees of the participating universities. All participants provided written informed consent after

assigning unique identifiers; no personal identifiers were used in reports.

The retrospective design relies on existing administrative data, which may contain gaps or inconsistencies. Self-

Gender

54.7

45.3

Age group (years)

20.0

38.7

26.7

14.7

Role

33.3

36.7

Administrative data revealed substantial delays in grade submissions across all universities during the period.

Table 4.2 summarizes lateness metrics by year.

Table 4.3: Mean Lateness Indicators by Institution (2018–2025)

9.8

9.1

(64.7%) were also widespread. These findings reflect the intense workload and emotional strain associated with

managing late submissions.

Burnout (Emotional Exhaustion)

Peak lateness

0.69

0.37 – 1.01

Staffing ratio and MIS maturity were significant moderators (p < 0.05). Higher staffing ratios and more mature

MIS infrastructure weakened the association between lateness and stress/burnout.

over 60% of courses submitted late annually. This trend peaked in 2021 during the post-COVID academic

backlog, consistent with patterns observed in similar contexts (Kamara, 2020; UNESCO, 2023). The clustering

(Demerouti et al., 2001), which predicts that high job demands without adequate resources result in strain and

burnout. Similar patterns have been reported in administrative staff in other African higher education systems

(Bangura & Conteh, 2019; Mansaray et al., 2023).

Where staff-to-student ratios were favourable and MIS systems were reliable, the impact of lateness on stress

was significantly reduced. This finding supports literature highlighting the role of digital transformation and

staffing adequacy in administrative efficiency (Sallieu & Taylor, 2022; World Bank, 2021).

Leadership support also showed a buffering effect, though not tabulated here, consistent with previous studies

demonstrating the importance of supportive leadership in mitigating occupational stress (Johnson, 2020; Sesay,

This study assessed the impact of late grade submissions on the mental health of examinations officers, assistant

examinations officers, and registry staff across six public universities in Sierra Leone between 2018 and 2025. A

mixed-methods design combined retrospective administrative data and quantitative surveys to (1) examine

lateness patterns and their mental health effects and (2) identify mitigating factors and interventions. Data were

collected from 150 respondents at Njala University, University of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma University

of Science and Technology, Eastern Technical University, Milton Margai Technical University, and Freetown

Polytechnic.