Directorate of Academic Affairs

SENATE MATTERS AND ADMISSIONS OFFICE (SMAO)

The Senate Matters and Admissions Office under the Directorate of Academic Affairs of the Registry of the University is responsible for servicing the following Committees and Sub-Committees:

• Committee of Deans

• Business Committee of Senate

• Senate

• Ad-Hoc Committee of Senate

• Undergraduate Admissions

The Senate Matters and Admissions Officer is responsible to the Registrar for the day-to-day administration and coordination of the activities of the Units in the Office.

COMMITTEE OF DEANS

This is a statutory body charged with the following terms of reference:

• To coordinate and advise Senate on Faculty entry requirements, students’ quotas for each school, admission policy and to act on behalf of Schools during vacations on matters relating to admission and re-admission;

• To consider and report to the Vice-Chancellor or Senate as appropriate, the policy issues concerning change of course or school by students

• To consider and make recommendations to Senate on Scholarships, Bursaries and other awards;

• To administer the Learned Conferences Fund;

• To consider and make recommendations to Senate in respect of undergraduate scholarships and awards;

• To consider the determination of conditions and other details of prizes offered to the University;

• To deal with such academic matters referred to it by Senate or the Vice-Chancellor;

• To prepare the time-table of Inaugural Lectures for consideration and approval of Senate.

The Unit performs the following functions in respect of the Committee of Deans:

• Not later than two weeks to the date of the meeting of the Committee of Deans, the Senate Matters and Admissions Officer, on behalf of the Registrar, writes to members of the Committee of Deans requesting for items for inclusion on the agenda;

• All the papers for the meeting are then collated and the files prepared for the meeting. The files are thereafter distributed to members at least three days to the meeting;

• All decisions of Committee of Deans are communicated to the Vice-Chancellor who considers it and directs as appropriate;

• Recommendations from the Committee of Deans and other policy issues are processed through this Committee to Senate.

ACADEMIC MATTERS SUB-COMMITTEE

This is a Sub-Committee of the Committee of Deans charged with the responsibility of considering all new or revised academic programmes from schools. It complements the efforts of the Academic Planning Sub-Committee, where policies and criteria for academic development are formulated.

Being a Sub-Committee of the Committee of Deans, it takes and considers papers on behalf of the Committee of Deans, papers processed to this Sub-Committee are expected to have been considered by Development Committee if there are financial implications and would there from be processed further to Business Committee en route Senate.

The following information is expected to be provided in the recommendation for new programmes:

• Aims and objectives

• Programme offered and duration

• Admission requirements stating subject combinations

• Requirements for the award

• Course outline and course content

BUSINESS COMMITTEE OF SENATE

The Business Committee of Senate is usually described as the clearing house for Senate. All matters processed to Senate must pass through the Committee which would make appropriate recommendations and comments where necessary.

Recommendations are also received directly from Board of the Postgraduate School, Appointments and Promotions Committee, as well as from School Boards (i.e. Boards of Studies Minutes). Minutes of Boards of Studies are approved and reports forwarded to Senate on them. Applications for leave of absence for more than two semesters, reinstatement/withdrawal of studentship, institution of prizes, naming of lecture theatres and endowment of chair are the exclusive prerogatives of Senate and should be extracted from the minutes and processed further through the Committee of Deans to Senate for ratification.

SENATE MATTERS

A. Senate Meetings

Senate is the final approving statutory body on academic matters. It is the terminal point for such matters and any approval made at this point automatically becomes a decision for implementation. Senate also considers other recommendations from the Appointments and Promotions Committee and other matters referred to it by the Vice-Chancellor, the Pro-Chancellor or the Council.

Early in the month, the Unit, on behalf of the Registrar, requests members of Senate to forward to the Senate Matters and Admissions Office, items for inclusion on the agenda for Senate meeting.

The Unit prepares the draft agenda, minutes of the previous meeting and other Senate papers for the meeting of the Business Committee of Senate normally held not later than one week to the statutory meeting of Senate.

After the Business Committee of Senate had considered the draft agenda, minutes of the previous meeting and other papers, the Senate Matters and Admissions Office prepares and distributes the folders for Senate meetings and make other necessary arrangements for the meeting.

All necessary information needed to assist Senate in its deliberations are provided by the Senate Matters and Admissions Officer.

The Senate Matters and Admissions Officer records the minutes of the Senate meeting and communicates all decisions of Senate to affected Schools/Departments/Individuals on behalf of the Registrar.

Revision of Senate decisions periodically through the Publication of Compendium on same, for ease of reference.

B. Senate Ad-Hoc Committees

These are Committees constituted for specific purposes i.e. to address urgent issues and make recommendations to Senate for consideration and approval. They operate by deadlines and are not statutory but terminate with the assignments.

Membership of such Committees could be drawn from Senate while members of staff who are not Senate members may be co-opted.

ADMISSIONS

The Admissions Section of the Unit carries out admission processes and deal primarily with monitoring and coordination of students admissions to degree programmes and transfer from other Universities.

The Unit ensures strict compliance with the various guidelines on admission as laid down by Senate from time to time. It also processes applications for change of course from one School/Department to the other and recommendations for dismissal and withdrawal of students who used cancelled or forged school certificate for admission.

The Senate Matters and Admissions Officer serves as the Secretary to the University Admissions Committee.

The following activities are carried out by the Unit:

• Counselling of students on academic and welfare matters;

• Administration of Inter-University and Inter-Departmental Change of Course Forms;

• Processing of Direct Entry, UTME admission lists of students and liaison with JAMB Office on such list as appropriate;

• Screening of fresh students at the point of registration; and

• Authentication of a scholarship list of students who win such awards.