The new Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Charles Okechukwu Esimone has said that his administration will leverage on the commendable achievements of his predecessor to as launch-pad to further advance the University.
Esimone who made this known in his address at the handover/installation ceremony at the University yesterday said that he was coming to the job with a vision primed on promoting the highest standards of academic excellence, productive community service; administrative reforms; discipline and advances in a matrix of human capacity building, infrastructural development, Staff/Students’ welfare and internally generated revenue.
He stated that his administration would create non-discriminatory, non-selective and meritorious research conducive environment, where every researcher was enabled to excel in research, supported with grants and given every assistance required to attract external grants promising that TETFund IBR would be repositioned to be used by staff who were passionate about research.
He noted that the main focus of the administration would be on research translation and commercialization which he said would have symbiotic association with the University’s basic research outputs even as he assured that his administration would enthrone merit which according to him would reflect in the promotion assessment criteria as they seek to encourage publication in top and impact factored journals in every discipline.
In his words,” We will introduce postdoctoral fellowships and attract foreign postdoctoral fellows to work with principal investigators in our university. We will pursue complimentary collaborations with foreign Universities to enable our researchers carry out procedures where we lack capacity. We will require all departments to source and maintain collaborations with local and international Universities to enhance research”.
The new UNIZIK helmsman added that the Quality Assurance Unit would be strengthened to monitor the quality of what the students were taught and the attitude of lecturers toward the students saying that students would be required to give feedbacks on every lecturer at the end of every semester.
“The outcome of this feedback survey will count towards promotion assessment. The main purpose, however, is to discover teachers who may need further training to be able to teach using the new pedagogy of learning that stresses on inclusive and flipped learning where the lecturer is no longer the centre and the emperor of the classroom. Resources will be provided so that lectures are delivered using digital resources in line with transformative higher education pedagogy which positively inculcates transferable skills required in industries to our students. We will reposition the library with an e-library solution that will interface with the physical library which will enable both staff and students access the library at any time and from anywhere in the world”, he said.
He disclosed that his administration would introduce digital attendance register which would require biometric fingerprints for clocking in and out of work for staff and clock into the lecture halls by students noting that productivity would be required of every staff as non-performing staff would be declared redundant and could be shown the way out if they do not turn a new leaf.
“Productivity bonus will not be mandatory for every staff. It will have to be earned. All Administrative Departments including the Registry and Bursary will be computerized in line with international best practices to enable real time tracing of documents and on-the-spot assessment of our financial status which will be made transparent. There will be zero tolerance to plagiarism, sexual harassment and inducement. A mechanism will be put in place to identify culprits and punish them accordingly.
“In an atmosphere of discipline, there is progress. There will be proper orientation of both teaching and non-teaching staff on the rights of students who are human beings that should be treated with respect because they are our clients, the major reason we are here. The customer is king”, Esimone added.
While assuring that the infrastructure deficit in the University would be tackled, he pointed out that his administration would strive to complete on-going projects, make provision for a new Auditorium, a Senate Building, an ICT Centre and complete our stadium complex as well as build new classrooms, laboratories and offices.
On welfare, he said,” Staff and Students’ welfare is very important to me. I will ensure that our Staff receive all their entitlements and on time too. We will put mechanisms in place to avoid paying arrears after promotion. In other words, assessments will be announced timely where possible.
“We will build staff quarters using Public-Private-Partnership (PPP). The first beneficiaries will be our junior staff. More students’ hostels, especially postgraduate hostel, will be constructed to the extent that we can accommodate at least 70% of our postgraduate students and at least 50% of undergraduates on campus. Recreational amenities will be put in place to make living inside the school very attractive”.
He however promised to present in the next gathering the work plan of the University where the blueprint of his administration would be clearly detailed so that they know where they fit in as an individual and can as well hold him accountable.
“I hereby, in the name of God urge all hands to be on deck to enable us catapult this University from 4,047 position to the top 200 Universities in the world in the next 5 years. With your support and by God’s grace we shall get there”, he solicited.
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