UNICAL VC Seeks Lecturers-Students Partnership
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Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence B. Obi has called on staff members of the Faculties of Allied and Basic Medical Sciences to exercise patience while Management seek ways to ameliorate some of their more pressing challenges.
Obi made the call during an interactive session with staff of both Faculties, as part of activities of the official working/sensitization tour of different sectors of the institution.
At the event which was held in the conference room of the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, the Vice Chancellor stated that she was particularly delighted to be in their midst adding that, the visit was basically for two reasons to wit; to afford staff who may find it difficult to go to the VCs office the opportunity for interactions and also, because of the students, in-terms of the lecturers relationship with the students.
Emphasizing the main thrust of the sensitization visit, Prof. Obi decried what she termed as the dehumanizing manner lecturers treat their students, even as she strongly admonished a move away from the vices often associated with lecturer-student relationship. “Treat the students with dignity; the way we talk with them…, they are the reason we are here, we have a responsibility to mould them in learning and character,” she said.
She also said she hopes to meet with the students and empower them to ask questions where necessary, as well as, assert their fundamental rights as students.
Responding to some of the challenges raised by both Deans, Prof. Obi said she is aware of about 98% of their concerns because of the work done by the needs assessment and baseline committees which has given Management an insight into the challenges of the various sectors of the University.
While assuring that Management is trying to meet up with the challenges based on available resources, she informed that currently, Administration was working with PHCN to ameliorate the power situation by seeking to provide at least 6-8 hours of public power supply daily, complemented by the stand-by generating plant.
To address the issue of water supply, Prof. Florence Obi said Management was working to maximize the potentials of the Central Water Plant, even as she expressed the hope that most of these challenges will be reduced to a manageable degree soonest.
In earlier remarks, Deans of the Faculties of Allied Medical and Basic Medical Sciences, Professors Idongesit Akpabio and Anozie Igiri respectively welcomed the Vice Chancellor and her entourage highlighting the challenges of the faculties to include: poor state of power supply, poor state of water supply-especially as science based faculties and the issue of accommodation for staff.
