Newly-appointed principal sets out plan for UG’s advancement

Newly-appointed University of Guyana (UG) Vice Chancellor Dr Jacob Opadeyi has revealed several plans aimed at revolutionising the present system and improving the quality of services to students at the university.
Dr Opadeyi, a Nigerian national, who has aroused public ire for his announced tuition increase proposal, said the administration is in the process of rebranding the university to international standards.

The vice chancellor stated that the upgrade would be based on the transformational process of three pillars – to improve the offerings, relations with the community and build strong partnerships with the private sector.
According to him, a curriculum review will be undertaken every five years, regardless of the performance of a programme in order to take into consideration the latest trends of society.
Dr Opadeyi disclosed that the revised curriculum must then be approved and supported by an external university. All examinations will be externally reviewed to determine whether the questions are appropriate, adequate and relevant to the degree programme and in keeping with approved syllabuses.
The requisite feedback will be forwarded to the Office of the Vice Chancellor as well as the examiner for the appropriate responses. Marked papers will also be assessed for fairness and generosity in awarding points.
Quarterly failure report
He pointed out that each faculty will provide a quarterly failure rate and any lecturer within excess of 25 per cent will write a report on the reasons, so that appropriate measures can be put in place to improve the pass rate, Dr. Opadeyi noted, saying, “We are not going to have a failure rate like that and just continue life as it is. We have to dissect it.”
He divulged that by year-end, a quality assessment unit will be established to provide internal critique of the various faculties as an extension to the VC’s office. All professional programmes will be subject to accreditation and a National Accreditation Body will be re-established (based on governmental approval) with a view to administering non-professional courses.
Dr Opadeyi related that the challenge is that accreditation is used to improve work, and as a benchmark in terms of offerings. He stressed that no programme will be offered at the university without the requisite accreditation, which will serve as a stamp of approval.
According to Dr Opadeyi, he is not satisfied with the present student-lecturer evaluation and will put measures in place to enhance it, and ensure a 360 degree evaluation system.
“Students must be able to mark us too; to say if we are punctual in class, if we teach what is expected of us… We want that kind of feedback,” the VC stated.
Each department must have its own academic staff-student liaison committee, which will meet thrice per week with a 2/3 composition ratio, in favour of students. The vice chancellor was adamant that staff must listen to students to find out what they are going through, and all matters issuing out of such meetings must be addressed by heads of department, or further up the administration system.
Every faculty will also have a functioning faculty advisory board with stakeholders from industry, civil society and university representatives, who “will be responsible for finding out if the courses are relevant to the world of work… Employers must be able to have a say as to if UG graduates have been useful to them in industry and what we can improve on.”
The various faculties will also sport a health and safety committee that will serve to examine the campus for infrastructural deficits, particularly the university’s library.
The vice chancellor is also promising online delivery of exam results in a prompt and efficient manner, as he noted that “If we can give deadlines to the students and they reach those deadlines, then we must also deliver on our promises and provide the results to them on the day we say we would do it.”