The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi has constructed and equipped new lecture halls as part of strategies adopted to enhance the overall academic performance of students.
Professor Obi disclosed this at a town hall to mark her second year in office as the first female and eleventh Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, in Cross River State, southern Nigeria.
Obi, who noted that despite the setback experienced during the peak of the COVID-19 and ENDSAR protest, the management of the institution decided to embark on an aggressive reconstruction of damaged buildings including completion of several abandoned projects to serve the students’ need for a conducive learning environment.
According to her, “on the social and academic issues, we give students the attention they deserve, for without them, we would not be here as lecturers. Most of the policies of management are meant to foster students’ welfare.”
Amnesty and Mop-Up examination
The Vice Chancellor further disclosed at the town hall that the management also approved a policy to give people unaware of the studentship status and trapped in the system between 2014 and 2018 concessionary or mop-up examination.
She explained, “it is exactly the situation in which people are unaware of their studentship that warranted the approval of concessionary or mop-up examination for those from 2014 to 2018, who proceeded with studies to higher levels unaware that they should have been on probation or withdrawal.
“This examination was well-received by both staff and students, as it demonstrates the human face with which that policy of administration is implemented. The idea is that as we move forward, there is need to pause and carry along those unfairly left behind,” she stressed.
She further disclosed that the institution had introduced online course registration and quick processing of results as well as proactively sanitized the bursary department for better operation.
Obi posited that the “sustained sensitization of students on course registration online was yielding fruits with the prompt processing of results. As results are uploaded at the end of every semester or session, students know automatically their studentship status, thus avoiding the situation in which students continue their studies oblivious of their studentship status.”
Compulsory textbook sales
On compulsory sales of textbooks to students, the Vice Chancellor said that the university would, henceforth, clamp down on any lecturer, who forces students to purchase textbooks by inserting assignments within the pages.
“I am not saying that lecturers should not tell their students to buy books, but do not force them to buy your book because of assignment. How can a lecturer tell a student that he has inserted an assignment inside a book? That is unacceptable,” she said.
She continued: “You cannot write a book meant for international readers and still insert your assignment for students forcing them to buy your book and failing them when they do not. I insist that you should rather convince them to understand how useful your book will be for them and allow them to decide.”
She promised that the management would continue to initiate programmes and projects beneficial to staff and students as well as the host community.
The town hall featured panel discussions, which x-rayed the achievements of Professor Florence Obi as well as appraised the road map for the future development of the University of Calabar.
