Attah Aloysius
The 2019/2020 matriculation ceremony for fresh undergraduates of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka held recently in an unusual style.
Before now, the entire university community with family and friends of the new students usually converged at the convocation arena facing the university library for the ceremony amidst fanfare.
But this year’s ceremony took a different shape as the matriculation took place across various faculties in the university instead of a single venue. The development stirred several discussions among the people with some hailing the move while others said they preferred the old order.
But in a chat with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Charles Esimone, said holding the matriculation ceremony across different faculties is not only the best but the pattern that best establishes the essence of university relations exemplified in the town and gown relationship.
“The essence of taking the matriculation ceremonies to the faculties is to ensure that students and their parents from the beginning are made to have an impression of where they are studying and where their wards are groomed too. From the word go, they are made to interface with their lecturers. The parents will know the lecturers and the Head of Departments (HODs) from the beginning and this helps to foster an excellent academic relationship.
“Secondly, we have decided to give faculties some degree of independence so they can raise ideas and projects they may want to embark on. Decentralising the matriculation ceremony has given the faculties the opportunity to deepen the town and gown relationship. Parents can now have direct phone contacts of the lecturers teaching their children and also have link with the deans of faculties and the HOD’s which all, in turn, brings positive outcomes as they can now follow the progression of their wards without hassles or suffering from undue bottlenecks and lack of communication channels” he explained.
Earlier, in an address during the matriculation, the VC reminded the students that the vision and mission of his administration to catapult UNIZIK to rank among the top 200 universities in the world before the end of his tenure.
The VC said this is achievable through a deft combination and execution of the core function of a university through teaching, research and community service.
Prof Esimone told the new students that UNIZIK has 14 faculties and 103 academic programmes all of which are accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other relevant professional bodies.
“We also have linkages with many worlds –renowned universities spread across the United States of America, China, Europe, and Africa. This is in addition to linkages with local institutions. The essence of these linkages is to facilitate academic programmes development, teaching/research, public service, and staff/student exchange.
He said the essence of availing the students’ various information was to give them a faint idea of efforts that have been put in place to provide them with the most congenial environment for their development in character and learning.
Reeling out the obligation expected from the students, the VC told the fresh students that for their stay in the university to successfully end with the acquisition of a degree, the student must pay school fees as and when due to enable the university to maintain existing facilities and provide new ones.
The VC warned the student that they must attend at least 75 percent of all lectures and practicals to qualify entrance into the examination hall. He advised them to steer clear of examination misconduct as such could fetch an offender up to three years suspension or outright expulsion just like certificate forgery which attracts the same punishment of expulsion.
He described cultism as an anathema to the university system and warned the students to avoid such and any related activity to avoid being shown the exit door of the university unceremoniously.