Ekiti State University - HOW WE ARE REPOSITIONING EKSU INTO A WORLD-CLASS INSTITUTION,EKSU VC

Started by EKSUAdoEkiti, Oct 25, 2013, 07:31 PM

EKSUAdoEkiti

Until now, the story of Ekiti State University (EKSU) is that of an ivory tower without 'excellence' but things are gradually changing with various re-organisation being carried out by the Vice-Chancellor  of the institution, Prof. Patrick Oladipo Aina . The University recently moved from 79th to 19th position in the current (February 2013) webometric ranking of Universities in Nigeria. Prof. Aina spoke to MUYIWA ADEYEMI on his efforts to reposition the 32-year-old institution.

What are the challenges you face in changing EKSU to an institution people can reckon with?

I TOOK up office as the sixth Vice-Chancellor of Ekiti State University on December 2,2011, for a four-year renewable term tenure. As at the time, the university had not effectively risen to the chal¬lenges of a 2lst century world-class university due to myriads of challenges confronting it at the par¬ticular period in its history, having just been seamlessly merged with two other universities. The university found itself contending with a vicious cycle of budgetary bleeding, inadequate and ailing infrastructure, poor research, teaching and learning resources, incessant industrial strikes, flagging discipline, and unrelenting acri¬mony. The university was non-residential to both staff  and students and could sadly not boast of water and public electricity supply.

However, as Herculean and tightening  these appeared, I  had no  lota of doubt in my mind  that they were not insurmountable. It became clear then that our  focus must be on building academic excellence.

How far have you gone in addressing these chal¬lenges?

Ours is a story of optimism and achievement and constant striving  that is unique. Since my resumption in 2011, the university has recorded heart-warning Accomplishments by the grace of God and with the  full support of everyone. Nothing of such could have been achieved with¬out the unique model of governance in Ekiti State that allows administrative autonomy and aca¬demic freedom in the university, the harmonious working relationship among such university organs as the Governing Council and Senate, whose members give corporate and individual support to management. 1 must acknowledge the immense contributions of all stakeholders towards achieving the progress so far made by the university especially, our Proprietor and Visitor Dr. John Kayode Fayemi, the Governor of Ekiti  State.

'We were able to clear all outstanding convocations with organised and classy ceremonies; the last was in 2008. The university administration is committee-driven. As a resilient mode! for gover¬nance in EKSU, this has been continued with sig¬nificantly enhanced capacities.

We have commenced the process of developing, for the first time, Ekiti State University Five-year Strategic Plan that will articulate our aspirations and outline the direction that the  university would take over the next years to  achieve the goal of` becoming a world-class university.

1 am pleased to note that for the first time, all the programmes offered by this university have been accredited.  This is no mean achievement.  For instance,  two undergraduate programmes History and International Studies and Microbiology - that were  denied  accreditation in 2010 were fully accredited by the National Commission  (NUC) in July 2012. During the 2011/2012 calendar year, to the glory of God, all the programmes were accredited and none with failed status, including professional accreditation by ICAN.

With successful resource assessment visit, the NUC has also granted the university permission to run Science Laboratory Technology degree pro¬gramme on full time basis. Ekiti State University is one of the 51 Universities currently recognised by the NUC to run postgraduate programmes in Nigeria.

To enhance EKSU's reputation as a research and research training institution actively con¬tributing to the production, dissemination and application of advanced knowledge, Senate has introduced a research incentive scheme for staff members in an attempt to enhance their outputs. The Centre for Research and Development was re-struc¬tured to effect academic renewal, cutting-edge research and top-quality academic programmes, vis-à-vis emerging and needs driven fields of knowledge that will define EKSU as a leading university.

The overarching goal is to build a vibrant academic culture characterized by world-class academic community. Admission into Part Time Programme was suspended out¬right to allow for restructuring and quality control. Sale of "handouts" to students by lecturers was abolished in the university while academic publishing of books, lec¬ture series, etc, which will be properly peer-reviewed (and price-controlled), is now encouraged. The essence is to quality-con¬trol our academic delivery and improve students' reading culture.

Graduate assistantship programme was re-introduced in the university to increase our doctoral output. Over 25 of our junior academic are presently in topnotch over¬seas universities on various collaborative training programmes leading to PhD. Our entire academic programmes are in the process of review, with possible replace¬ment with new programmes that will enhance the global competitiveness of our products, These new programmes include Distance or Blended Learning, Centre for Gender and Development, Institute of Forensic Science in Collaborate with Gujarat Forensic Sciences University, India, Theatre and Media Arts, Architecture, and Institute of Governance.

All students were re-screened in December 2012 to ensure quality of our studentship.

In the area of infrastructural develop¬ment, apart from the university now being finally connected to the national grid through a dedicated power line from Basin, Ado-Ekiti, to the campus and the establishment of solar power infrastruc¬ture as alternative energy source, we aim to nurture and create a range of renewable energy sources, including wind and con¬structing a small hydroelectric dam on Elemi river.  Water supply in the university is presently provided by newly sunk two industrial and several domestic boreholes. The two industrial boreholes have been connected to the one million litre under¬ground reservoir from where water will soon be reticulated to all the facilities on campus.

We have undertaken an ambitious infra¬ structure development programme to sup¬ port teaching and learning. The new twin 1,500-seater lecture theater, funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and a new modern Medical Library, funded by the state gov¬ernment    and the university, have just been commissioned while    the    Biochemistry and Pharmacology buildings, funded by the state govern¬ment, and med-ical students hostels, funded by the university, are nearing completion. Other buildings under construction include those of the Postgraduate Studies, Entrepreneurship Centre, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Faculty of Education.

Laboratory and workshop equipment for the Faculty of Engineering and Laboratory furniture and fittings for the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences are being supplied under TETFund Normal Project Intervention and BOT Special Intervention Funds. Rehabilitation and re-roofing of ageing buildings have been a continuous process in the University.  Public-Private-Partnership arrangement has been concluded with devel¬opers for the construction of on-campus stu¬dents' hostels.

In the area of Information and Communication Technology, the ICT deploy¬ment in the university has witnessed a sub¬stantial leap in the last one year.

What are the efforts of your administration towards making to attract private companies and individuals to assist the university in pro¬viding infrastructure?

We have been beneficiaries of a number of corporate social responsibility projects. The tarring of the frontage of the universi¬ty's main gate was donated by Hajaig Construction Company in March last year; mod¬ern sports facilities (Lawn Tennis and Basket Ball Courts, Table Tennis) was con¬structed with the donation of N223m by First Bank Pic; University Portal was also recently donated by First Bank Pic; book donations include 45 titles made up of 1,286 copies of medical journals to the College of Medicine by Mrs Funmi Ajala of Ekiti State Governor's Office; U2 titles of medical books, journals and notes of  Prof. Benjamin O Osuntokun and endowment of prize for the best student in the final examinations in the Basic Medical Sciences by Prof. Olabopo Osuntokun, the wife of the late Prof. B. 0. Osuntokun; 100 law books by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NON), Advocate of Law and Human Dignity, founded by US-based Mr. Adebamiji Dada; and Hon. Kingsley Kuku has promised the donation of a Students' Centre.

Do you have partnership with other universi¬ties within or outside Africa?

As part of repositioning the university as a world-class institution and part of the global creative and innovative intellectual networks, we have established and continued to main¬tain global partnerships with universities that represent beacons of good practice interna¬tionally, EKSU is perfecting a mutually-reward¬ing institutional partnership and linkage pro¬grammes with a number of universities includ¬ing: Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas, USA; University of Forte Aires, Alice, South Africa; University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia; University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK; Federal University of Santa Maria, Santa Maria. Brazil; University of KwazuJu Natal. South Africa; and Arizona State University, USA

In the area of funding, would you say you are financially sufficient to carry out your projects?

The state government is not doing badly by not only granting us autonomy but also by increasing our subvention. However, we look forward to get more. The university is looking ahead and exploring new frontiers of increas¬ing Internally Generated Revenue (1GR). This process includes the codifying of the school fees and other sundry charges to bring about transparency and accountability, research grants and commercialisation of research products, establishment of commercial ven¬tures (EKSU Ventures) and enterprises, business portfolios, consultancy unit (EKSU Consult), endowments and bequeaths.

Source: HOW WE ARE REPOSITIONING EKSU INTO A WORLD-CLASS INSTITUTION,EKSU VC