Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
A student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Arinola Olaiya, has emerged as the best graduating student in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences after obtaining 12 distinctions in her courses.
The chairman of Ceremonials Committee of OAU 43rd combined 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 convocation ceremonies, Prof Oluseye Bolaji, disclosed this while addressing newsmen about the forthcoming event.
Bolaji enthused that Olaiya was the first student in 28 years to graduate with such result from the
faculty.
He added that the performance was a remarkable record because she had performed beyond the expected three core courses in which graduands offering the course are expected to record at least three distinctions.
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He said Olaiya would be celebrated with the university’s excellence award during the convocation.
Prof Bolaji disclosed that out of the 13,402 graduating students, 182 bagged First Class, while
2,925 made Second Class Upper Division and 4,146 graduated with Second Class Lower.
Bolaji explained that 326 graduands would be conferred with postgraduate diplomas, 1701 with
professional masters, 1,629 with master on research, 145 with masters of Philosophy, while 410
would be conferred with Doctors of Philosophy degrees.
He said apart from the convocation lectures, an exhibition of research activities carried out in the faculties and units of the university will be unveiled, adding that the ceremony for the award of non-
degree Diplomas will take place in the Department of Local Government Studies at 1pm.
“This year convocation will involve conferment of degrees to graduands of the 2015/2016 and
2016/2017 academic sessions. Thus there will be two sessions per day,” he said.
“On Wednesday, December 12, the conferment of first degrees, postgraduate diplomas and higher
(master’s) degrees in the Faculties of Administration and Arts will take place in Oduduwa Hall Amphitheater.
“On the same day and same venue, graduands of Law, Education and Social Science will be conferred with their degrees at 1:00pm.
“Similarly, graduands in the Faculties of Agriculture, Environmental Design and Management, Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Sciences, Dentistry and Pharmacist would be conferred with their degrees on Thursday, December 13, at 9:00am.
“While those in the Faculties of Science and Technology would receive their degrees at 1:00pm, the venue would be Oduduwa Hall Amphitheater.
“The grand finale comes on Friday, December 14, with the con- ferment of master of Philosophy, Doctors of Philosophy and honorary degrees.
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“The honorary graduand this year is a distinguished Nigerian academic and radical , intellectual activist, Prof Biodun Jeyifo, a Professor Emeritus in the English Department at Cornell University, Ithaca , USA and, currently, a Professor of Comparative Literature/African and American Studies at
Harvard University, Boston, USA. He will receive Degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) Honoris causa for his outstanding intellectual and academic achievements.”
He disclosed that a retired Professor of History, Banji Akintoye, would deliver the convocation lecture on the theme: “University education in Nigeria: Revisiting the Ife dream.”