Institutional strategy for advancement to excellence
Although I have been driven by a passion for excellence all my life, in both my academic and social lives, the quest has taken on a whole new meaning and epistemic challenge since I assumed office as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria in May 2009. With each passing day, I have become even […]
Although I have been driven by a passion for excellence all my life, in both my academic and social lives, the quest has taken on a whole new meaning and epistemic challenge since I assumed office as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria in May 2009. With each passing day, I have become even more passionate about excellence, I have become even more challenged to propagate the vision of the founding fathers of the University and to see the University excel and reach higher heights. My personal mission is to see to it that the human capital of the institution is properly harnessed in such a way that both the academic and non-academic staff members of the school become apostles and agents of excellence and reflect same in all their daily schedules, activities and dealings.
The case for excellence can hardly be overstated in the 21st Century. The forces of globalization that have been unleashed on our world are the very same forces pushing the frontiers of excellence beyond limits in education, healthcare, science and technology, business, sports etc. The rationale for excellence in one’s chosen field of endeavour is underlined by the following passage from the United States’ civil rights leader, Late Rev. Martin Luther King Jnr: “If a man is called to be a streetsweeper; he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say; here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well”.
The ancient Greek Philosopher, Aristotle, similarly reasoned that “we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”. I can hardly agree more that the quality of a person’s life is measurable in direct proportion to his or her commitment to excellence regardless of the individuals chosen field of endeavour. The reality of human existence lends credence to the fact that, if in our daily lives, we refuse to accept anything other than the best, we would, surely, often get it. While desire is the key to motivation, it is undoubtedly the amount of determination and unrelenting commitment that we, as individuals, groups, communities and institutions, bring to bear on the pursuit of life’s goals and objectives that would enable us attain the success that we all crave.
As managers, policy makers and leaders of the university, part of our responsibilities and perhaps the primary responsibility of all, is to ensure the continued growth and advancement of the institution. This applies to virtually every aspect of its mandate as an educational institution, including teaching, research and development, and community service. We also have a duty to be ambassadors and image makers, who should promote, propagate and defend her reputation, values, and present the best picture possible about our university. Thus, in addition to pursuing our individual career objectives, we are duty bound to work relentlessly towards not just the survival, but also the sustenance, growth and development of our university. In other words, the institutional advancement of the University of Nigeria is our collective responsibility. It is, if you ask me, the most important of all our responsibilities towards the university.
In recognition of the need for concerted efforts to achieve institutional advancement, virtually every university in the western world currently has a coordinating office for institutional advancement. The major responsibility of such offices is to articulate, facilitate and encourage all forms of support that will enhance the capacity of the university to fulfill its mandate of teaching, research and community service. Our university needs to do things differently than we have been used to hitherto. To that end, the managers and officers of the University of Nigeria are challenged to rise up to our responsibilities to this legacy institution which has been entrusted into our care to nurture, grow and advance. As if we did not know, we have already lost a lot of the glory that made us stand tall and tower above the rest, and we are currently competing with over a hundred other universities in the country and hundreds of thousands others all over the world. It behoves us therefore to once more raise the bar of excellence, which is the bedrock on which the institution was founded.
As the Vice-Chancellor, it is my primary duty to provide the enabling leadership capable of fostering a conducive climate under which the university can excel once again. Unfortunately, this is not enough. Many a manager or officer does not lose sleep over the sustenance or advancement of the University of Nigeria. They see it rather as the remit of the Vice-Chancellor alone. Many more in fact, are inclined to rejoice at any negative news about the university, given that it gives extra headache to the Vice-Chancellor, whose face or name they may not like. In truth, if the University of Nigeria becomes a competitive global brand, the ideal university we all yearn for, the Vice-Chancellor under whose tenure it happens may yet get some credit and nothing more. The bulk of the credit and pride will be shared by everyone else associated with the institution, notably staff, students, alumni and friends, not forgetting the host community.
Our university boasts one of the highest concentrations of thorough-bred academics and intellectuals in Southern Nigeria. Why are we not able to employ this intellectual capital that has earned us numerous degrees, promotions and accolades to turn our university around? It is easy to blame the federal government, the Vice-Chancellor or the state of infrastructure in the country, but let us pause for a moment and do some soul searching: Are we doing all we can do to bring about the institutional advancement of the University of Nigeria?; do we demonstrate sufficient commitment in the execution of our duties?; is excellence our watchword when it comes to service delivery?; would all our official actions be adjudged to be above board if subjected to scrutiny?; do our actions or inactions sometimes militate against the advancement of the University of Nigeria as an institution?; how often do we allow personal interests override our judgment on issues concerning the University of Nigeria? The essence of the foregoing posers is not to judge or condemn any one, instead they are particularly intended to, individually and collectively, draw home the need for a change of attitude.
Without gainsaying, the conditions under which we live and work in Nigeria are far from ideal. This notwithstanding, I am convinced that we have what it takes to transform our university into one of the very best. Our major limitation lies in our attitude to work and our relationship with the university. We are too pre-occupied with the pursuit of personal gains, and our university is suffering as a result. Every now and again, the lid is blown off one scandal or the other, ranging from poor moral conduct to sheer theft and abuse of office. The perennial cases of staff failing to do their jobs, subjecting students to various forms of exploitation, production and mandatory sale of sub-standard textbooks to students are still very much with us. Some of us may indeed not be involved in these shameful conducts, but as Heads of Department, Directors and Deans of Faculties, we are under a duty to deal with these acts of misconduct or bring them to the attention of the university administration. Covering up for the culprits is the worst disservice we can do to the university and posterity.
I am not under any illusion that the positive change I seek will come like a thunderbolt or without effort. I am hoping instead that a number of individuals would volunteer to constitute themselves into a critical mass that will spread and propagate the change and reforms across our campuses. The stark reality is if we continue with business-as-usual, the University of Nigeria will be ruined under our watch.
Professor Okolo, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, delivered this address in Asaba, Delta State at the retreat held by the University for heads of various departments of the institution.