The Senate of the University of Ibadan (UI) has advised 408 students at the institution to withdraw over their poor academic performances. It said that the students failed to meet the minimum academic requirements.
The meeting of the Senate recently held also considered and approved the results of graduating and non-graduating students presented before it.
EduCeleb.com reports that most of the affected students were among those whom the Vice Chancellor of UI, Idowu Olayinka expressed worries about when their results were considered after end of the First Semester for the 2016/2017 session. The abysmal low performance was more in science-based disciplines.
Back then, he noted that 510 of the students out of the 2,961 posted a Cumulative Grade Point Average of less than 1.0.
1.0 is the minimum level of performance required for a student to retain studentship.
Unlike before when 40% was the pass mark, it is now 45%. CA now accounts for 40%. Students also need 24 units as against 20 units previously as the minimum number of units that needed to pass at the end of the 100 level.
“For me as a person, it hurts very deeply when any student is advised to withdraw from the university on account of very poor academic performance,” Olayinka had disclosed.
Efforts to stem poor performance
To stem the poor performance from recurring, Olayinka announced the dedication of one week on the university’s calendar to conducting Continuous Assessment tests.
During the Second Semester, Olayinka had said that the Senate approved that at least, two tests or assignments should hold in a semester in a bid to strengthen the UI Continuous Assessment Policy.
The marks allotted to continuous assessment would also be spread to reflect the totality of what students do and could include one or a combination of quizzes, conduct in and out of class, theatre, laboratory, class participation, group work, practical/field work, assignments, class attendance, presentations and tests.
He reported that the Senate directed Heads of Departments to implement the strengthened Continuous Assessment Policy in the University as the Deans of Faculties monitor the level of compliance while the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) coordinate.
Dedication to academic standards
On the recent development, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at the UI, Adeyinka Aderinto said the school would not lower its academic standards despite the financial difficulty it currently faces.
“There are minimum academic requirements a student must meet at the end of the session and those who fall short of that would have to leave the university,” Professor Aderinto said.
He further revealed that the conduct of UI Model of Post-UTME screening has helped to separate men from boys and helped the institution in maintaining its historical standards as a global brand.
“UI has been able to invent its own model of screening applicants and it has shown that those who we screened performed far better than those not subjected to our screening after taking JAMB,” he added.
