CONFLICT RESOLUTION, WOMEN ORGANISATION, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION AND WORKING ON MINDSET
This is the NINTH EDITION of the account of stewardship of Professor Idowu Olayinka who recently completed his five-year term as the 12th Vice Chancellor of the University Nigeria on the 1st of December, 2020. In this volume is documented the achievements of his administration in the areas of CONFLICT RESOLUTION, WOMEN ORGANISATION, EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION, OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION AND WORKING ON MINDSET. Publishing these feats, as said in the previous editions means inviting everyone to not only note the achievements but to also attempt to confirm the veracity of the claims of Idowu Olayinka, learn from his actions and place commendations when impressed (and criticisms when not). We wish you a good time with Olayinka’s exploits below:
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Through regular dialogue, ensuring transparency and an open door policy with students, staff and other stakeholders, we were able to maintain stability in the system.
1. Managing Strikes by Staff Unions
• Persistent demonstrations by the Joint Action Congress at the end of January, February, March and July 2016 on Salary Shortfalls and non-payment of earned allowance nicked named 15/10;
• Strike by all the four staff Unions in March 2017 on salary shortfalls, pension deductions, promotion arrears, etc.;
2. Strike by the Joint Action Council comprising the three Non-Academic Staff Unions (SSANU, NAAT and NASU) National protest on small allocation of Earned (Academic) Allowances which commenced from late November 2017 and lasted till March 2018.
3. Resolution of the ‘Free Mote Campaign’ by students- April 2016
4. Resolution of disagreement between the University of Ibadan Moslem Community and the Chapel of the Resurrection on the Construction of a car park by the Chapel – 2016
5. Resolution of the students crisis on the delay in the production of identity cards (No identity card, no examination)- May 2017
6. The ‘Fee must fall campaign’ by students following increase in the Accommodation Fees in all the 12 Halls of Residence in the University and the introduction of Health Professional Training Fees in the College of Medicine– March/April 2018
7. The hijab controversy at the International School, University of Ibadan (ISI), broke out during the celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the University in November 2018 following the demand by the ISI Moslem Parents’ Forum that female students of the ISI be allowed to wear hijab. The matter was debated dispassionately by the ISI Alumni, the Parents Teachers Association, the Board of Governors, well-meaning members of the UI Community and the Expanded Management of the University. Nonetheless, the aggrieved party took the matter to the High Court of Oyo State ‘for the enforcement of their fundamental rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and freedom from discrimination, right to the dignity of human person and right to education’.
UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN WOMEN’S SOCIETY (UIWS)
Established in 1995, the University of Ibadan Women’s Society (UIWS) is a voluntary organization with the membership comprising all female members of senior staff and wives of male members of senior staff of the University.
8. The AgroImpact Projects Empowerment Initiative (AIPEI) was established by the UIWS, as a Non-Governmental Organisation in 2016 under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor’s wife, Dr Eyiwumi Bolutito Olayinka. A Board of Trustees for the AIPEI was put in place, comprising very senior academics, under the Chairmanship of Professor Janice Olawoye, Quondam Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry.
9. Some of the programmes under AIPEI included organization of training workshops on tomato production and cassava processing, conservation, preservation and value addition; economic tree planting/value addition. Over two hundred and fifty participants from the University of Ibadan and the neighbouring communities have been trained.
10. The UIWS established the Comfortable Career Cloud (CCC), a Mentoring program for both the teaching and non-teaching female members of staff of the University. A maiden Workshop was organized in 2018 with about 120 participants. GET THEME OF CONFERENCE
11. Approval was obtained from the Oyo State Ministry of Education for the Bode Amao Creche and Nursery School to operate a Primary School. The first set of primary school pupils were admitted during the 2018/2019 session.
12. A computer laboratory was established at the Creche with facilities for 20 computer units.
13. A sum of Thirty Million Naira was invested in treasury bills in 2016. As at February 2019, about Eight Million Naira had been derived as dividend and this has been deployed to upgrade physical facilities at the Creche, including fencing of the school.
14. The UIWS was involved with heath awareness campaign including breast cancer, pap smear, health walk and financial support to indigent students through the University Health Service.
15. Award of the Professor Chinedum Peace Babalola/UIWS Prize to two best female graduating students of the University of Ibadan. This is funded from the accrued interests from an initial endowment of One Million Naira (N1,000,000.00).
16. The staff strength of the School was increased from 50 to 79 over the past five years.
17. The salary of all staff of the School was increased by 40% in 2016.
18. A Capacity Development programme for all staff of the Creche was carried out. This incorporated training in computer skills and curriculum development.
19. A Contributory Pension Scheme was established in 2017 for all members of staff.
20. The Board of the Creche was strengthened with the creation of additional positions of Auditor and Financial Secretary, with both positions filled with qualified professionals.
21. An audit of the financial management of the Creche was carried out.
22. Construction has reached an advance stage on a female hostel, with generous financial support from Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
23. In addition to the regular official channels of communication, we deployed the social media as a cost-effective and efficient means of reaching our various publics in real time. In particular, I have maintained an active Facebook page which I deploy to reach students, staff, alumni/alumnae, friends of the University and the general public. Different social media platforms are deployed to publicise and celeberate major appointments and notable achievements by our staff, students and alumni/alumnae.
24. In January 2016, we established the UI Social Media Use Team (UISMUT) with Professor Ayobami Ojebode, Head, Department of Communication and Language Arts as the pioneer Coordinator. The remit of the UISMUT is to monitor the social mention of the University of Ibadan on social media especially on Twitter, Facebook and in social blogs and online newspapers on weekly and monthly basis.
25. The UISMUT is able to identify the Top Issues, Events/Announcements, Enquiries, Facilities, and Sentiments in terms of percentage Positive posts, Negative posts; and Neutral posts.
OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION
26. There is a Distance Learning Centre (DLC), which commenced operations in 1988 as Centre for External Studies, to complement the conventional mode of learning.
27. It is gratifying to note that a Quality Assurance Visit to the UI Distance Learning Centre from 30th June to 8th July 2019 by the National Universities Commission (NUC) considered our DLC to be VERY VIABLE with an overall score of 93%.
28. Successful Revalidation and Validation of Nine Programmes at the Distance Learning Centre: The Distance Learning Centre played host to a 20-member National Universities Commission’s (NUC) accreditation team between May 1 and 3, 2018 on a twofold mission: (i) Revalidation of six old programmes including Adult Education, Educational Management, Guidance and Counselling, Library, Archival and Information Studies, Communication and Language Arts, and Statistics; and (ii) Validation of three new programmes namely Computer Science, Sociology and History and Diplomatic Studies. All the nine programmes were given full accreditation by the NUC.
29. Open Educational Resources: The Centre has developed and uploaded 202 course materials on Open Educational Resources across different programmes, including French for Beginners. This is in line with the National Universities Commission’s policy on open educational resources.
30. Stakeholders’ International Conference: The Centre organized a three-day International Stakeholders Conference from 28-30 October, 2018. Professor Ashar Kanwa, President of Commonwealth of Learning conducted two training sessions on ODL for stakeholders in UI and other universities in January, 2017.
31. UIDLC Thirtieth Anniversary: UIDLC commemorated the Centre’s Thirtieth Anniversary with an anniversary lecture delivered by Emeritus Professor Michael Omolewa on Thursday, 1 November, 2018.
32. NUC/University of London’s ODL Advocacy: The Centre collaborated with the NUC and University of London in various capacity development trainings and workshops as follows:
a. One-day Symposium on Policy and Practice in Open and Distance Learning (November 7, 2017) at the NUC;
b. University of London/NUC Workshop on Distance Education/RIDE, 2018 Conference on Learning Design: Integrating Learning, Teaching and Support at the University of London, March, 2018;
c. A Three-day Workshop on ODL Capacity at Baze University, Abuja, July 3 – 5, 2018 (Profs. D.E. Okurame, A.O. Fadoju and Dr. S.O. Odedokun attended the workshop);
d. A Two-day Conference on Policy and Practice in Open and Distance Learning (November 28 to 29, 2018) at the NUC.
33. British Council sponsored advocacy on Transnational Education Landscape: The Centre was invited to a one-day symposium on Transnational Education Landscape in London on November 09, 2018.
34. Design, Construction and Installation of an All Steel UI DLC 30 Years’ Outdoor Double Face Media Board: This project was also approved and executed in 2018. The construction of an all-steel outdoor double face media board is to showcase the existence of UI-DLC in the last thirty years. The media board would also create awareness and promote the image of the Centre.
35. Computer-Based Testing Centre: The Centre’s Computer-Based (CBT) Testing Centre is the foremost in any Nigerian university with three halls of 500 computer systems capacity each. In the last three years, more than forty thousand candidates wrote one form of test or the other.
The CBT Centre is patronized mainly by the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) which earned the Centre and Recognition as a Centre of Excellence by JAMB. The CBT Centre also enjoys patronage from the Postgraduate College, The International School, University of Ibadan, Dragnet, and Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria. Also, all UIDLC examinations now hold at the CBT Centre
36. Software Development: The Centre’s IT team developed a homegrown CBT software which is being used for examinations.
37. Educational Visits: The Centre has hosted Scheduled Educational Visits from existing and budding Open and Distance Learning Institutions.
38. Staff Capacity Development and Training: The Centre’s staff enjoyed training and conference attendance (locally and internationally).
39. Stakeholders’ Retreat: Three Stakeholders’ Retreat held as follows:
a. Western Sun Hotel, Ede (16 – 17 June, 2017)
b. Princess Court and Resort, Oyo (23 – 24 March, 2018)
c. Aenon Suite, Oshogbo (6 – 8 December, 2018)
40. Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP): The Centre started the Tertiary Institutions Social Health Insurance Programme with constant consultation with the University Health Services.
41. Post Graduate Scholarship: The Centre has commenced a scholarship scheme of 50% Postgraduate Tuition to first class students on the UIDLC platform.
42. First class graduates: UIDLC produced nine first class graduates at the 2017 convocation ceremonies and 34 at the 2018 convocation ceremonies.
43. Publications: The Distance Learning Centre has the following publications:
a. Festschrift Book,
b. International Journal of Open Distance Education (IJODE)
c. Newsmagazine (Unibadan ODL Frontiers)
44. With about 10,000 students rgistered under the Distance Learning Centre, the University of Ibadan is easily recognized as the biggest dual mode university in the country.
CHANGING THE MINDEST OF STAFF AND STUDENTS
A conscious effort was made to change the mindset of members of the University community.
45. As stated by Erinosho (2018), ‘Punctuality is not the soul of business in Nigeria’. I was determined that we had to change this narrative by insisting that punctuality is the sole of business. Starting from the first meeting of Senate that held at 2:00 pm on the day of my inauguration, I set the tone that our meetings must start on time. I showed example by always arriving at venues of meetings at least some five minutes before the advertised commencement of such meetings.
46. Coming from a background of a high rate of cultism in higher institutions of learning in the country since the early 1980s, the University embarked on a vigorous anti-cultism campaign on its campuses. We erected many large billboards on our campuses with bold inscriptions proclaiming ‘SAY NO TO CULTISM’. Happily, on account of the successes recorded by the Anti-Cultism campaign of the Centre for Social Orientation, cases of cultism and other anti-social behaviours have subsided considerably. However, we continue to be on our guards.
As we continue to implore students to say NO TO CULTISM, we need to also tell them what they should say yes to as nature abhors a vacuum. We thought that one of the ways we could inspire our students was to celebrate some of our iconic alumni/alumnae, teachers and administrators. Consequently, we decided to replace all the cultism billboards with those ones that now advise the students on what they should yes to.
