ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES VIABILITY,THECHALLENGES IN DPTPAND WAY FORWARD TO PROPEL EKSU TO A WORLD CLASS UNIVERSITY.
INTRODUCTION
Academicprogrammesviability is a process meant to ensure that theUniversity’sinstructional resources are used to meettheEducational Master Plan, the needs of the students and the requirements of both academic and non-academic staff within the UniversitycommunityIt is a known fact that the achievement of any goal is first marred with challenges and difficulties; but once these challenges are overcome, then the realization of the goal.
CHALLENGES
Prolonged Sessions: for the past 4 years, no set has spent less than 7 years instead of the expected/required 4 or 5 yearsas applicable toprogrammes,as a result of incessant strike.Late Submission of Results byLecturers:Consequently, students do not receive prompt and regular feedback on their level of academic performance. This situation may weaken themorale and motivationof students towards learning.Inadequate Lecture Rooms at the DPTP,IfakiCampus:Lecturers have to struggle for space during the lecture periods.
CHALLENGEScontd
Reading culture of students is low:many of these students would come to lecture rooms without writingmaterials, Library facility is not available to them atIfakiTransportationproblems: some students do trek fromIfakitoIworokobefore getting vehicles to Ado Ekiti.Some lecturers will not come for lectures until when examination is approachingMass failure of students:the Directorate has been experiencing mass failure of students, for example, in Business Administration 2008 set, over 400 students were asked to withdraw in a single class of over 2,000 students after spending 7 years on theprogramme.
ACCREDITATION
ThePart-TimeProgrammelost someprogrammesdue to lack of accreditation of these courses by NUC. Suchprogrammesinclude:Environmental ManagementCriminologyIndustrial Psychology Personnel ManagementPublic AdministrationSocial Works
WAY FORWARD!
ADMISSIONS:TheUniversity should encourage intended students to be admitted into the newly approvedprogrammesin theFacultiesof ManagementScienceand The Social Sciences to DPTP. Theseprogrammesare:Management Science Faculty;Co-operative StudiesInsuranceMarketingSocial Sciences Faculty;Tourism and Hospitality ManagementEnvironmental ManagementCriminologyIndustrial Psychology and Personnel Management
Still on admissions, it will be more economically viable for the University, if the professionalprogrammes, which were run initially by the DPTP, now domiciled attheCollege of Post-Graduate Studies be returned to DPTP.Theseprogrammesinclude:Masters in Business Administration (MBA)Masters in Petroleum Economics (MPE)Masters in Recreation and Tourism (MRT)Masters in Environmental Management (MEM)Masters in Public Administration (MPA)Masters in Industrial Psychology and PersonnelManagementTheseprogrammesare no longer attractive to professionals, since their admission requirements and academic activities are now being run like the regular Post-Graduateprogrammesby the college of Post Graduate Studies.
WAYFORWARD!contd
DPTP should be given the autonomy to operate as an entity in the University without being affected bystrike actions.Strict adherence to the academic calendar of the Directorate of part-timeprogrammesby ensuring that the period stipulated for writing of examinations is followed.Improved quality of infrastructure and learning environment:Expansion of the available facilities- most especially the classrooms and Lecture theatres-to cater for the teaching needs of students, provision of tuck-shops, eateries, bookshop, staff common room for lecturers atIfakicampus and toilet facilitiesPromptrelease of results for computation. Students should be allowed to have access to their results regularly.Effectivedeployment of ICT as interactive platforms for teaching andlearning, having efficient ICTcentrefor uploading of results. Hardcopies of the results to be submitted to the Directorate inorder to combat the delay in processing of results which is a major source of discouragement to thestudents
WAY FORWARDcontd
Introductionof MODULES as teaching aids for students. These modules should bepeerreviewed, published by the University Press and sold to studentsthroughthe University Bookshops. The proceeds to be shared among the 3 tiers within the University, that is, University, Faculty/Department andLecturers,alternativelyEncourage Lecturers to write text booksintheir areas of specialization, set up a unit to control the quality of the books produced in order to maintain standard, and also for the books to be sold at a controlled price.Rebranding of the AcademicProgrammes: Allcourses that are not yet accredited should be accredited and brought back to DPTP to enhance the performance and effectivenessofexistingprogrammes.HND conversionprogrammeof 2 years to be allowed with minimum of Lower Credit
WAY FORWARDcontd
ProgrammeInitiation: Other Faculties/Departments which are non-laboratories based that are yet to have their courses at DPTP should be inculcated into the DPTprogrammesLecture/Examination monitoring team should be given more encouragement and logistics supportIncrease the teaching honoraria for lecturers at DPTP to motivate them
SEEK YE FIRST ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE,ALLOTHERBENEFITS WILL FOLLOWThanks for Listening
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