By Banji Ayoola
Students of the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, OASUSTECH, have been directed to resume for academic activities in continuation of the 2019/2020 academic session on Monday January 18, 2021.
This was contained in the revised 2019/2020 Academic Calendar, which was signed by the institution’s Registrar, Mr G.O. Saliu, circulated appropriately and pasted on all the institution’s notice boards.
The resumption decision was ratified by the institution’s Senate at its emergency meeting on Thursday, which had received and considered the proposed revised 2019/2020 Academic Calendar.
According to the Revised Academic Calendar, the institution would reopen on January 11 in preparation to receive the students; while “Students resume for Re-commencement of Lectures” on Monday January 18, 2021.
The First Semester would end on Friday, March 5.
The Second Semester, which would begin on Monday, March 8, would end with the Academic Session on Friday, June 4, 2021.
In another circular to all the institution’s students, signed also by the Registrar, the institution stressed that:
- “First Semester Lectures will recommence immediately on the 18th of January, 2021;
- “All NCDC prescribed COVID-19 prevention protocols would be enforced on all our campuses and students are to cooperate with the university authorities in that regard. Students are therefore expected to come with their face masks and alcohol-based sanitizers for personal use and keep to all COVID-19 rules with a view to guiding against the spread of the Virus in our University;
- “Students who are yet to pay the prescribed school fees are hereby enjoined to do so without further delay as that would be a prerequisite for assessing lectures and other facilities on campus; and
- “All newly matriculated students for the 2019/2020 Academic Session, should visit the University website at their various locations, before resumption, to check their matriculation numbers, after payment of prescribed fees. They are to submit their files to the Academic Affairs Division of the Registry within two weeks of resumption.”
It added: “Please, note that any student who fails to comply with the aforementioned directives will not be allowed into the University.”
OASUSTECH’s directives on the planned resumption are in line with those of the National Universities Commission, NUC, which had asked universities nationwide to commence academic activities from January 18, 2021 in strict compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
The Radiance had earlier today January 8 in a story titled “NUC Directs Universities To Resume Jan 18”, reported that the Commission had directed universities to commence academic activities from January 18, 2021 in strict compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols.
The commission’s Deputy Executive Secretary (Administration), Chris Maiyak, said in a statement on Friday, January 8 that administrators must safeguard lives of staff and students by putting necessary safety measures in place.
The NUC also stressed that universities must ensure compliance with the full cycle of the semester system, consistent with the approved Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS), and other quality assurance standards and guidelines.
Students of public universities will be returning to classrooms for the first time in 10 months following a strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The union’s strike started in March 2020 right before Nigeria went into lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The March strike was hinged on the failure to implement previous agreements between the union and the government in 2009, 2013, 2017, and 2019.
The union called off the strike in December after reaching an agreement with the government on major issues including revitalisation of public universities, salary shortfall, neglect and poor funding of state universities, absence of visitation panels, and withheld salaries and non-remittance of dues.
An implementation monitoring committee will work diligently to ensure government action, and status of implementation will be reviewed in February.
