Using scholarships to boost academic excellence at FUDMA

It was in the bid to halt the decline in the quality of university education that the Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA), Katsina State, one of the nine newly created federal universities in the country, initiated several academic scholarships to enhance performances by encouraging competition among its students.Other measures put in place by the university to […]

It was in the bid to halt the decline in the quality of university education that the Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA), Katsina State, one of the nine newly created federal universities in the country, initiated several academic scholarships to enhance performances by encouraging competition among its students.
Other measures put in place by the university to better the situation include the sanctioning of undisciplined students. To this end, the university’s senate, which is the highest governing body of the institution, adopted some far reaching decisions to ensure that students passing through are thoroughly bred.
Thus, students who attained a cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.50 and above at the end of any particular academic year are crowned University Scholars and benefit from the university’s sponsorships in the subsequent year, in addition to being placed on the Vice-Chancellor’s Honour List of Excellence with all privileges.
Equally, students that attain a CGPA of between 4.00 to 4.49 at the end of any academic year, will have their names appear on the Deans Honours list of academic excellence and shall receive a book allowance, while those that graduate with first class honour at the end of their studies shall be given automatic employment by the university.
However, just as there are rewards for excelling, there are, equally, penalties for those that fail to meet up with the demand of teaching and learning at the university. In fact, any student that obtains a CGPA of above 1.00 but below 1.50 at the end of an academic session is placed on probation for one academic year and withdrawn from the programme if they fail to get CGPA of up to 1.50 at the end of the probation.
Unlike before when students were given a pass degree grade popularly known as ‘let me people go’, the Federal University Dutsinma has abolished the pass degree grade.
This far reaching decisions are making the students’ to pursue their studies with vigour and now, three years into the lifeline of the university, there are close to 211 students on the university’s list of scholars and 75 on the vice-chancellors honours list for the 2014/2015 session.
After all, universities, worldwide, are known to be places where students are groomed on and off the classrooms with several associations, unions, clubs and social society groups. In FUDMA, the authorities have outlined criteria for joining associations, saying that for anyone aspiring to join, he or she must have a minimum CGPA of 3.00.
The Vice-Chancellor Professor James Ayatse during the institution’s matriculation and scholarship ceremony urged new students to work and be awarded or fail and be withdrawn as the university has no place for failures.
According to him, the awards are meant to challenge all diligent students to set their goals right from the beginning of the session and be motivated for excellence in the subsequent academic year.
He said the call for institutionalisation of scholarships and prizes have started yielding result as Dr. Benjamin Dgaba of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, has instituted Benjamin Dagba prize for the best graduating student in Forestry.
Another way the university took to make teaching and learning easier for the youth is the adaptation of Information Communication Technology – ICT driven platform in passing knowledge to the young ones. It is believed that using the internet social tools at the university would make the students want to join the fray.
For FUDMA social reorientation of its students is another keen area that emphasis are laid as cultism, substance abusers, academic and examination misconducts, mutilation and stealing of books, indecent dressing and protection and preservation of facilities are carefully monitored and stringent measures put in place against any student found wanting in such regards.
Last week’s matriculation ceremony was the fourth in the history of the university and 519 students from three faculties were matriculated. The faculties of Arts and Management and Social Sciences had 253 students, while that of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology and Science Education had 54 and 212 students respectively.
By next year, it is expected that the first set of graduating students shall emerge. It is also expected that given the numerous academic scholarships most of the students have passed through, the graduates of the university shall represent the vision of the university to be a top ranking, world class, university that is committed to excellence in research and the producer of leaders with passion for service.