The proposed Academic Planning and Quality Assurance Directorate establishment is informed by the need to ensure quality teaching and learning in the University through improved academic standards, value for money on investment in higher education and improved service delivery. It is in response to the need to evolve sound professional ethics in the management of the University, which demands that the social characteristics of the beneficiaries should be regularly related to the available resources and the future needs, in order to progressively ensure quality control and delivery. It will be in charge of planning the academic activities and prepare the Academic Calendar for the University in order to ensure the current best practices in teacher education and to address comprehensively, the various factors that may have bearings on quality output from the University. The Directorate will address the input and output in the institution in an objective manner. It will undertake regular self-evaluation of the institution, using essentially the same instruments, criteria and standards that the NUC or any other external assessors would use for accreditation and/or assessment.
The ultimate aim of the Directorate is to establish an integrated planning mechanism for the realization of the goals and objectives of the University as well as instil planning consciousness and ethics that encourage actions to be preceded by carefully laid down plans.
Specifically, it intends to achieve the following objectives:
- Build and maintain a database of all approved academic programmes, for planning and projection purposes.
- Prepare channels for updating of the University academic brief.
- Monitor the performance of all the College programmes to ensure the maintenance of high academic standards and quality control.
- Promote submission of qualitative academic programmes in tune with the approved BMAS to the University Senate for approvals in respect of new programmes and new academic centres.
- Arrange for the accreditation of new programmes and the re-accreditation of existing ones by the National Universities Commission
- Facilitate free-flow of information within the University and among Universities in and outside the country.
- Promote research linkages and technical cooperation between the University and other tertiary institutions/governments and their agencies/International Organizations, Industries/the neighbouring communities-ordinate the production and updating of policy document on course credit system
- Support and promote the attainment of National Universities Commission BMAS.
- Assess and determine the suitability of educational qualification of teaching personnel with respect to Faculties and Departments;
- Act as liaison Centre on quality and standard;
- Ensure that the University conducts regular self-assessment of programmes (Strengths and weakness);
- Ensure quality of internal institutional data through collection, analysis and dissemination for management purposes;
- Review external examiners’ reports and advise on relevant actions;
- Serve as support to the internal quality assurance unit;
- Provide information on institutional statistical data;
- Ensure regular update of institutional self-assessment report;
- Vetting of proposals for new programmes to NUC for approval and accreditation respectively;
- Maintenance of Quality in the services provided to the learners ;
- Identification of the key areas in which the University should maintain quality;
- Dissemination of information on quality assurance;
- Design and apply mechanisms for interaction and obtaining feedback;
- Recommending measures for qualitative improvement;
- Ensuring Implementation of the Directorate’s recommendations through regular monitoring;
- Preparation of programme project report and information regarding any new programmes launched; and
- Collection, collation and dissemination of accurate, complete and reliable statistics about the quality of the programmes run by the University.