LASU Academic Anomaly

Recently this post was sent to me by aggrieved graduating students of Lagos State University external campuses. Please read and share your thought on their plight: 

 "Cambridge University professor F.M Cornford said “nothing is ever done until everyone is convinced that it ought to be done and has been convinced for so long that it is now time to do something else”. After all efforts to get justice over the unnecessary delay of graduating students, there is no better time for this column than now.

The advert was alluring; the newspaper announcement was convincing enough for determined, prospective (adult and young) candidates to respond to. With the inclusion of degree and post graduate courses from various departments of Lagos State University, forms were made available for sale. As was publicized, the course duration for degree was 4/5 years while MBA and the likes were about 2 years.

Of course, with the mindset that ignorance is more expensive than education, many candidates bought the forms, registered and followed through with the admission process. The value would be worth the wait, was the motivation. Matured candidates took solace in the hope that their lots would be bettered and academic status enhanced at the completion. There are those who abandoned major projects to give the race all it takes –making the academic pursuit pivotal on their scale of preference. People from various spheres of human endeavor undertook the program for self improvement.

Alongside family responsibilities (for the married), work rigour, most students endured the pain (of lectures, studies and response to various demands of LASU school of part time studies) for the gain. Sincerely the sail was not as easy and smooth as was envisaged – not because the students didn’t braze up for the inevitable challenges of academic exercise but for the care-free attitude and nonchalance to duty of the management. On many occasion, students had to re-write certain papers they had written before, for the unbelievable reason that examination results were missing. Should the students suffer for the lapse of poor data storage system? Probably, your answer is as good as mine.

Unfortunately after all sacrifice, hopes were dashed, expectation shattered and time wasted like precious pieces of diamond thrown in the ocean.  Nobody argues the fact that eventually transcripts, certificates and necessary credentials would be issued –but the timing! The timing is wrong!  Time is life. A waste of time is a waste of life. If not all, most students had their plans mapped out based on the stipulated time duration of the academic exercise.

Max De Pree observed, “We cannot become what we need by remaining what we are”. Delaying the students – especially the graduating students is hope-shattering and heart breaking. Age is already an issue in the labour market, further delay by management is tantamount to aggravation of plight. Having paid through the nose – the school bills, and suffered the occasional impact of the huge mattock of late registration fee slammed on students (as penalty for not paying on time), it’s been 8/9 years of a designated 4/5 years programme – with no certificate nor transcript to show for completion of academic exercise.  

Many letters have been written, complaints had been lodged, yet no positive response so far. The popular alibi is, “senate is yet to sit on the results”. Was the stipulated course duration without the senate’s knowledge or approval? We plead that the appropriate authorities savour this situation and respect the dreams of the concerned. There are testimonies of people who were called up for job interviews; but had no certificate or statement of result as a proof to secure the opportunities - in spite of rigorous years of academic pursuit.

In some establishments, the opportunities for upgrade were opened, but there were no proof to effect the desired change of level. Above all, countless are the lists of those who intend to run postgraduate programmes in furtherance of their studies but appear to have been trapped; because the forms to their universities of interest could not be purchased for lack of transcript.

As regards time, does the university senate discriminate between full-time and part-time students? When would LASU release the right of these graduating students who have waited these 8/9 years for a 4/5 years degree programme? Must one suffer extra  unnecessary years because he/she  is a part-time student? Does the management of  LASU  respect the sacrifice and plight of their students? Is LASU School of part time studies taking advantage of the vulnerable public? Isn’t the deafening of the management’s ear to the incessant call for justice an abuse of power and office? Or, was the idea of SPTS primarily a money-spinning venture for the school and the franchisee, rather than truly contributing to the education sector?

These all are questions begging for answers from the management of LASU, the office of the governor of Lagos State and the general public. This anomaly requires an urgent response."