July 17, 2010
The Nigerian Universities are still attempting to find their full grounds in terms of structural functioning and modernization, a path to growth certainly being taking by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN).
Nigeria is an emerging society with several educational, institutional, financial, and geographical drawbacks as well as infrastructural challenges. These challenges make the need for alternative access and mode to higher education highly welcomed.
NOUN by definition, and like other Distance education institutions across the globe should be about helping with the developmental needs of a surfacing nation like Nigeria.
Certainly, NOUN appears to trying to work towards this mission as an on site, on line and on demand-type educational institution.
With this perception, I look forward to serving as a possible volunteer academic of faculty in the nearest future.
It is this interest that drew me to your recent petition to the Minister of Education, Mrs. Ruqayyatu Rufai which was posted on July 11th, 2010 in an internet Newspaper , the Sahara Reporters: Petition Against The Short listing of Candidates for NOUN VC.
A reading of your complaints regarding the search and selection process as well as your call for possible reopening of the selection process, centered on the following: 1. Age discrimination, 2.Disregard of the Experiential years of ten as a professor, 3. Ignoring the Ministry’s short listing template, 4.Manner of membership representation at the search committee, 5.Playing favoritism, 6. Insubordination towards the Minister of Education.
These are strong complaints, but it would have been more helpful if you had fully listed all the specific steps and guidelines of selection process in the “template”.
Also, of great help would have been the inclusion of the set of standards and procedures of selection, by the Governing Council it relates to the filling of a Vice Chancellor’s (VC) vacancy.
It was not quite clear what concerns you had about one of the short listed candidate you reportedly mentioned as a favorite to the soon-to-go VC.
Apparently, you seem to be suggesting that he does not have post-professor ten years of university experience which is required for the position of a VC. Again the issue was not clear in your complaint.
Assuming one of the shortlisted candidate does not meet a particular requirement does the head of the Governing Council , that is the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman and the entire council have the discretionary power to be selective as long as a potential candidate meets most of the minimum qualifications for the position? This subject was not clear in your complaints.
Does the Council or most of the committee members have the discretion to push for a candidate whose style and type of leadership meets the need of an emerging and non-traditional institution like the NOUN?
Given that some Nigerians are known for been very expressive in their decision making , for example against those who were actually rejected , are you saying that the age factor was made clear to them as one reason for their rejection?, and was this stated in the letter of rejection?, You did not make this clear in your complaint.
The question then is does a representative of the Federal Ministry of Education have the power to stop the entire process, a question that should have been made clear in your letter. Isn’t a representative from the Ministry more of a liaison, and he or she generally lacks voting rights? This is an issue that is worth clarifying.
In general the final report on the final selection is supposed to be presented by the Chair of the select committee, to the Chair of the entire National Council, and in consultation with the Ministry of Education, a formal appointment is subsequently made public by the President of the nation, as NOUN is a federal school.
Written and/or taped records of the entire selection process is usually maintained permanently for public view, and for educational and ethical considerations, making NOUN in its capacity as a public institution, open to public view.
No one would disagree with you the importance of maintaining a progressive search, screening, selection and appointment order.
However, your letter would have been more educating without many of the un-answered and open questions in the letter; as such they require more clarity.
These matters are important for many of us who are still working towards becoming familiar with the entire higher education mode in Nigeria, and also for the supposed one or two student voting members of a Governing Council.
John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D, DABPS, FACFE is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Interim Associate Dean, Behavioral Science, Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida. [email protected]
Nigeria is an emerging society with several educational, institutional, financial, and geographical drawbacks as well as infrastructural challenges. These challenges make the need for alternative access and mode to higher education highly welcomed.
NOUN by definition, and like other Distance education institutions across the globe should be about helping with the developmental needs of a surfacing nation like Nigeria.
Certainly, NOUN appears to trying to work towards this mission as an on site, on line and on demand-type educational institution.
With this perception, I look forward to serving as a possible volunteer academic of faculty in the nearest future.
It is this interest that drew me to your recent petition to the Minister of Education, Mrs. Ruqayyatu Rufai which was posted on July 11th, 2010 in an internet Newspaper , the Sahara Reporters: Petition Against The Short listing of Candidates for NOUN VC.
A reading of your complaints regarding the search and selection process as well as your call for possible reopening of the selection process, centered on the following: 1. Age discrimination, 2.Disregard of the Experiential years of ten as a professor, 3. Ignoring the Ministry’s short listing template, 4.Manner of membership representation at the search committee, 5.Playing favoritism, 6. Insubordination towards the Minister of Education.
These are strong complaints, but it would have been more helpful if you had fully listed all the specific steps and guidelines of selection process in the “template”.
Also, of great help would have been the inclusion of the set of standards and procedures of selection, by the Governing Council it relates to the filling of a Vice Chancellor’s (VC) vacancy.
It was not quite clear what concerns you had about one of the short listed candidate you reportedly mentioned as a favorite to the soon-to-go VC.
Apparently, you seem to be suggesting that he does not have post-professor ten years of university experience which is required for the position of a VC. Again the issue was not clear in your complaint.
Assuming one of the shortlisted candidate does not meet a particular requirement does the head of the Governing Council , that is the Pro-Chancellor/Chairman and the entire council have the discretionary power to be selective as long as a potential candidate meets most of the minimum qualifications for the position? This subject was not clear in your complaints.
Does the Council or most of the committee members have the discretion to push for a candidate whose style and type of leadership meets the need of an emerging and non-traditional institution like the NOUN?
Given that some Nigerians are known for been very expressive in their decision making , for example against those who were actually rejected , are you saying that the age factor was made clear to them as one reason for their rejection?, and was this stated in the letter of rejection?, You did not make this clear in your complaint.
The question then is does a representative of the Federal Ministry of Education have the power to stop the entire process, a question that should have been made clear in your letter. Isn’t a representative from the Ministry more of a liaison, and he or she generally lacks voting rights? This is an issue that is worth clarifying.
In general the final report on the final selection is supposed to be presented by the Chair of the select committee, to the Chair of the entire National Council, and in consultation with the Ministry of Education, a formal appointment is subsequently made public by the President of the nation, as NOUN is a federal school.
Written and/or taped records of the entire selection process is usually maintained permanently for public view, and for educational and ethical considerations, making NOUN in its capacity as a public institution, open to public view.
No one would disagree with you the importance of maintaining a progressive search, screening, selection and appointment order.
However, your letter would have been more educating without many of the un-answered and open questions in the letter; as such they require more clarity.
These matters are important for many of us who are still working towards becoming familiar with the entire higher education mode in Nigeria, and also for the supposed one or two student voting members of a Governing Council.
John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D, DABPS, FACFE is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Interim Associate Dean, Behavioral Science, Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida. [email protected]
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