Professor Faraday ORUMWENSE’S CONCERN FOR QUALITY ACADEMICS in UNIBEN

From, Osemwengie Ben ogbemudia Benin

The life and time of Michael Faraday, accomplished scientist and
multiple inventor may have played a deciding role in the naming of the
young F.F. Orumwense. And if names are grains of future desires sown
at child naming ceremonies, which they have often proven to be,
Professor F.F.O. Orumwense, the Vice Chancellor of the University of
Benin has shown associated greateness as the father of
electromagnetism after whom the unit of electrical capacitance, the
farad is named. They both share a tedious tutelage and an avowed
commitment to success through natural convictions and deep belief in
the positive rewards of acute optimism. In the nature of their
character, Orumwense shares the tradition of taciturnity of great
scientific achievers and a committed pursuit of rigorous academics. It
is therefore not surprising that Professor Orumwense’s major concern
is with the academic elevation of the University as Michael Faraday
did with the British Institute of Science. From inception of his
administration, the University has witnessed the implementation of
major academic innovations and policies as well as the retooling and
reorientation of academic personnel for optimal performance. Prof.
Orumwense’s administration is quietly achieving results that speak
loudly in favour of the University of Benin and all stakeholder in the
area of academics, the main reason for its existence. The three areas
of academics which include teaching, research and community
development enjoy the full attention of the Vice Chancellor and his
management team. In this direction, the following actions have been
taken in these different areas.
RESEARCH
Initiatives undergraduate programmes, all undergraduate researches are
now submitted in electronic copies. What this translates to is a
library of research materials available to a global audience for
further research, a facility that will increase webometrics ranking,
the academic visibility of the university and an increase in the
academic grades of the university. The university under Prof.
Orumwense has approved the establishment of paperless senate meetings
and results presentation, to be powered by online applications using
INTRANET connectivity. The university management has also approved the
usage of the software for the conduct of GST, CED as well as all 100
and 200 levels examinations in the university. Under the present
administration, the university has now fully deployed computer based
test (CBT) for the conduct of entrance examination (PUME/PUDE). The
software was indigenously developed and uniben is the first University
to indigenously develop the software and deploy it for the conduct of
examination. The university under Prof. Orumwense recently embarked on
the computerization of the major administrative sectors of the
university including the registry and bursary department for seamless
operations. The computerization of these units will further enhance
the ……
INFRASTRUCTURE, MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPTMENT
One pivotal objective of the strategic plan of this administration is
to pursue massively infrastructural development and/or renovations to
boast learning, academic and working conditions of students and staff.
In the bid to maintain the enviable accreditations status of the
university, Prof. Orumwense has left no stone unturned in ensuring
adequate support in the areas of infrastructure, equipment and
facilities throughout the entire university. The vice chancellor has
provided different categories of laboratory equipment, computers and
other scientific necessities to the various departments and units to
ensure adequate learning as well as compliance with the minimum
requirement by the national universities commission for the
accreditation of courses and prgrammes in Nigerian universities. In
the last accreditation exercise, the university got accreditation for
over ninety percent of all programmes operated by the university. Vice
delivery and growth of the university. In a bid to promote the
activities of the university in the globe and enhance its internally
generated revenue (IGR), the university overhauled and renovated the
distance learning centre. The centre has enjoyed huge support from the
university.
Prof. F.F. Orumwense has always advocated for adequate provision of
facilities, laboratory equipment, tools, amenities and other learning
aids to advance the course of learning in the university. In addition
Prof. Orumwense has ensured that the lofty heights of the most sought
after university is maintained. As a strong believer in academic
excellence, the vice chancellor has doggedly ensured that learning and
research in the university are given their pride of place by the
provision of laboratory equipment, learning facilities, up-to-date
laboratories and the requisite qualified staff to carry out these
activities.
In this spirit, the university of Benin under Prof. Orumwense can
pride its self of array of modern equipment in laboratories and
lecture halls. The deployment of ICT in the university continues to
receive prime attention from the public and stakeholders. The
university of Benin is in the forefront of ICT deployment in the West
African sub region and can easily be attested to by the recurrent
leading position she continues to occupy in the webometrics ranking.
It is, therefore, a thing of joy to see our students excel nationally
and internationally when they go outside for higher studies. The
avalanche of teaching aids in the university which compare very
favourably with other universities in Afric endears the university to
admission seekers, such that our university for years has held the
record of the most-sought after university in Nigeria.
TEACHING AND REORGANISATION
In order to enhance teaching and perfect the observed shotcomings in
lecture delivery, the university recently conducted a series of
lectures for the benefit of lectures in the system. Tagged “workshop
on pedagogue for young/intermediate lecturers in the University of
Benin”. The rich content of the workshop. The university management’s
desire to ensure proper teaching of students was also reiterated with
a memorandum from the office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic),
directing all academic staff to conduct continuous assessment tests in
their various courses. This demonstrates the commitment of the present
administration to academic excellence. Professor Orunmwense’s search
for higher grounds for the academic growth of the university has
witnessed a visit to Lancaster University, UK, a return visit and many
other collaborations aimed at boosting the internationalization policy
of the present administration.
Prof. F.F.O. Orumwense has quietly begun building on a firm foundation
of a robust, trusted and reliable academic culture that will catapult
the university into a …
The mission of the university of Benin is to be a model institution of
higher learning which ranks among the best in the world and is
responsive to the reactive and innovative abilities of the Nigerian
people. In realization of this sacred mandate, this the present
management has embarked on massive provision of world class teaching
equipment. This has ensured that learning of highest quality remains
central in achieving the university’s set mission.