Vice Chancellor Condemns Critics Of Private Universities First Class Graduate

VC condemns critics of private varsities’ First Class graduates

An alumnus of the Caleb University, Imota in Lagos, Seyi Arole, who graduated from the Department of Architecture of the private university, has emerged winner of the award for M.Sc Architecture Class at the University of Calgary, Canada.

According to the university, Arole won the medal for Leadership Service Merit Award with high commendation for rising above all odds to become the best student in his class and engaging faculty in community-oriented research.

“Arole’s academic achievement in faraway Canada is a testimony to the qualitative education obtainable at the Caleb University. He graduated from Caleb University in 2014, where he obtained Second Class Upper Division (B.Sc) in Architecture,” the university said.

Basking in the euphoria of the outstanding performance of the student, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayandiji Aina, who praised Arole for doing Caleb University and Nigeria in particular proud, said the award was a testimony to the quality of tuition offered by the university.

Worried by the level of criticism trailing “mass production” of First Class graduates by private universities in the country, Aina said there should be no noise about this.

The Vice-Chancellor, who argued whether the critics had really checked out if the first class products have the quality, said Caleb University is quality driven in terms of admission and curriculum delivery.
There is no way a student will have 2nd class upper or First class and we regulate him or her down because we want to reduce the size.

Nigerian government is sponsoring 200 First Class graduates across the country yearly for postgraduate programmes, and for the last three editions, First Class graduates from one of our private universities produced 10 per cent of the number.

On the allegation that private universities are lowering standard and in the process to attract patronage, he said: “How could anyone say that. That is too cheap for anyone to say. We are not lowering the standard. Unlike conventional or public university, where students spend few weeks for lectures before examinations, our students have 15 weeks of marathon lectures or classes with assignments and practicals. Another advantage is that in this university, we have the resources and facilities to adequately train our students.

Aina added: “When we produce First Class here, as a private university and he or she go into the Nigerian Law School to made First Class, is that an endorsement of the quality of our products. “We produce Second Class Upper graduate here and he comes out as best student in his postgraduate programme in a Canadian Ivy League university.

One of our former students, Seyi Arole, a graduate of this university with Second Class Upper, two weeks ago, at the University of Calgary, Canada, won an award for excellent performance in Architecture for the Postgraduate Class.

“There is no way a student will score First Class upper and we will regulate him or her down because we want to reduce the size out our first class graduates. This is not done, because the students merited and deserved it,” the Vice-Chancellor insisted.

According to him, in the First Class scholarship scheme for postgraduate programmes being sponsored yearly by the Federal Government for 200 First Class graduates, one of the private universities in the country had for the last three editions produced 10 per cent of the total figure.

“This is an endorsement of the quality of academic and research exploits in our private universities,” Aina added.


Source : newstelegraphonline