Senate of the University of Port Harcourt has approved a proposal for the establishment of a Legal Education programme for the emergent Faculty of Law. The decision was taken at the 395th Meeting of Senate held at the Senate Chambers, University Park, last Wednesday. With the approval, the long-anticipated Faculty will take-off with the Departments of Public and Private Law. Admission of students shall be through the University Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry. 

 

 

Making a presentation on the floor of Senate, Dean of the Faculty, Professor Kaniye Ebeku, said that the proposed programme has passed through the stipulated processes by the Council of Legal Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC), including endorsement by divers stakeholders.

Senate also approved the establishment of new programmes in the University. They are the Bachelor's degree  programme in Nuclear Engineering to be domiciled in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Library Science in the Faculty of Education, as well as renaming the Department of Theatre Arts to Department of Theatre Arts and Film Studies, as presented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic),  Professor Igho Joe, who is also  Chairman  of the Senate Committee on Academic Policies and Programmes (SCAPP).

 

Senate also approved the establishment of a Centre for Information and Telecommunication Engineering in the College of Engineering. Presenting the proposal, Dean of the Graduate School of Engineering, Professor Adewale Dosunmu, said that the proposed Centre would have support from telecommunication giant, ALCARTEL.

Addressing members at the meeting, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Joseph Ajienka, informed them that all newly-recruited lecturers will be made to undergo mandatory professional training in the Faculty of Education to prepare them for greater productivity. He said that the training would be run in modules until they acquire the requisite teaching skills before they are confirmed as bona fide teaching staff of the University. 

 

The Vice-Chancellor also directed that henceforth all results will be uploaded on the University website and will no longer emanate from the various Departments. According to him, Departments would send the results to the Academic Office which would in turn forward same to the Information Communication Technology Centre (ICTC). The ICTC will, thereafter, sort out those who have paid their non-statutory charges and publish them, while withholding the result of students that default in payment of charges.

Professor Ajienka also announced that the University was selected as a World Bank Centre of Excellence in Oilfield Research, pointing out that it was a big boost to the Institution. He also announced that the Founder's Day Lecture would be delivered by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Sovereign Wealth Fund, Mr Uche Orji, on “The Role of Sovereign Wealth Fund as a Tool for National Development.”

 

The Vice-Chancellor also congratulated NUC Distinguished Scholar, Professor Chidi Ibe, on his election as a Fellow of the Nigeria Academy of Science (FNAS). He also announced the recognition of Emeritus Professor Otonti Nduka as a Distinguished Professor by the National Universities Commission as part of its 50 plus One honours roll-call. 

He announced the retirement of former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Joseph Okoh, from the University. He described Professor Okoh as a dedicated member of staff, who served the University diligently and selflessly to the end of his glittering career, urging younger academics to emulate the exemplary conduct of Professor Okoh. 

 

Senate also received a presentation of the Report of the Ad-hoc Committee on Guidelines for Inaugural and Valedictory Lectures, presented by its Chairman, Professor Mike Oti. Other presentations made on the floor of Senate were: Service Compact Charter (SERVICOM) by the Director of Quality Assurance and Quality Control Unit, Professor Anthony Arinze. 

Senate also approved the request for the approval of non-NUC Certificate and Diploma programmes in the Institute for Arts and Culture, as well as the ratification of the proposed Student Union Constitution. It also approved summary of the 9th Certificate Verification Report conducted in April/May 2013 presented by Committee Chairman, Professor Mike Monanu. 

 

Senate ratified the decision of Management on a request for exemption from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) for some students seeking admission into the University's Post-Higher National Diploma programme.

Requests for External Examiners were approved for the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Agriculture. Senate ratified executively approved results and also approved recommended results from the Faculties and Colleges. They are: Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Social Sciences, College of Natural and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Education, College of Engineering, Faculty of Management Sciences, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, as well as College of Graduate Studies.