Prof. Charles Ogbulogo

THE IDEA OF A UNIVERSITY
Prof. Charles Ogbulogo
Dean, College of Human Development

Setting the Records Straight
The idea of a University has always been credited to Europe and to the medieval age. This perception may have been informed by the focus on the parameters of certification and structure. Without being embroiled in that controversy, we shall just note that:

• The University of Bihar – India, which offered both academic and postgraduate degrees was founded in the 5th BC

• The University of AI Karaouine in Fez, Morocco, Africa was recorded by the Guiness Book of Records as the oldest University-founded in 859AD.

• There was also the University of Magnaura in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople – Turkey) in the 9th AD

• The Al-Azhar University in Cairo Egypt 10th AD which offered courses in postgraduate studies was considered the first full fledged University in the world.

• The University of Bologna in Italy was established in 1088 AD

• The Universities of Paris (France) and Oxford (England), were both established in the 11th century AD

• In the United States of America, there is usually this distinction between the College and the University. The College refers to all institutions for undergraduate study, while the University in addition to undergraduate programmes offers opportunities for postgraduate studies. It is the research base that makes the difference.

The controversy over the chronology of world universities may have derived from the origin of the word – Universtas –first used in the time of renewed interest in classical Greek and Roman tradition, and relying essentially on the model of the Academy of Plato. The African intellectual should no longer bother about who opened the door to university education. We should rather challenge the world to watch out what we should do with that opportunity. This I believe is the essence of this series. We shall evaluate the product of the university through a project implementation programme.

Though Emphasis should always be on the product, the students, circumstances in Nigerian Universities tend to send the wrong signals.  We are all aware of the woes of the University experience in Nigeria.

The perception of Universities in Nigeria is without regard to their lofty visions as exposed in their mottos. We shall be guided by just a few:

• To restore the dignity of man – The University of Nigeria, Nsukka UNN

• Indeed and in truth – University of Lagos

• For learning and culture – O. A. U. University Ile-Ife

• Knowledge and Service – University of Calabar

• Run with the Vision – Redeemers’ University

• Raising a New Generation of Leaders – Covenant University

There is something in common between the mottos of the UNN and CU. They are both aimed at human reconstruction/engineering. This charge has very great implications for programming. Let us also compare with the visions of some world class Universities.

• Invent the future – Virginia Tech University

• In the Nation’s Service and in the service of all nations - Princeton University

• Veritas – (i.e. the truth) – Harvard University

• First class reputation – Leeds University

• The wind of freedom blows - Stanford University

In each case, the historical context determined the espoused vision. This vision is pursued by the operators. Success depends on how well the last man along the chain of management understands the vision. This also trickles down to the ethos which the students carry. Our colleagues who paid a courtesy visit to our sister University - Oral Roberts University returned with reports of the near automatic replication of response by faculty, staff and students to almost every university issue. One can assume that the envisioned future is already being realized. We can achieve that here by appreciating the nature of the University personality.

A Project Implementation Approach to the University
My position has been greatly enhanced by Prof. Tim Mosaku’s Enterprise Model of the University (2007)

• A project consists of a series of activities (investments) aimed at solving particular problems within a specific time frame and in a particular location. In our case, the aim is to produce a new generation of leaders. In this connection, education is perceived to be a product. Following an earlier idea canvassed by the American philosopher of education – William Kilpatrick, to be educated is to have a change of behaviour in the desired direction.

• Education is therefore the greatest force left in the world today to steer man away from the numerous sources of destruction. It is this brand of reconstructive education that I understand Covenant University has promised to provide. That explains our departure philosophy and our rescue mandate.

It is also in realization of this very powerful force of qualitative education that the Report of the National Curriculum Conference held in Lagos in 1969 and which would form the basis of the Second National Development Plan 1970-1974 identified the following eight cardinal principles of

Education for Nigeria:
1.Education for self-realization;
2.Education for human relationships;
3.Education for self and national economic efficiency;
4.Education for effective citizenship and civic responsibility;
5.Education for national consciousness;
6.Education for national unity;
7.Education for social and political progress, and
8.Education for scientific and technological awareness.

How many of these differ significantly from our core values?
If the ideals of education listed above had been pursued, Nigeria would have long joined the league of developed societies. What appears to
have been the issue is implementation!

A typical project implementation process pathway
The flowchart for project implementation along Informatics processes will feature the following:

A. Project planning Phase

• Objectives

• Implementation approach

• Time line

• Risk analysis

• Impacts

B. Project Design Phase

• Details – specifications

• Systems design

• Communication

c. Test Phase

• System Review

• Project plan, review and modification

• Training Phase

D. Training Phase

• Creative training plan

• System maintenance plan

• Project Evaluation

E. Project Evaluation

• Evaluating project objectives

• Harnessing lessons learned

• Reviewing project

• Celebration and recognition

By way of stepping down this “abstract” model the following critical factors must be borne in mind.

• Where are we now?

• Where do we need to get to?

• How do we get there?

• What happens when we get there?

• What time frames do we have in mind?

It is a common feature of many Nigerian projects to run into a hitch mid-way. Between 1979 and 1983, many specialized federal and state universities sprang up in Nigeria just at the instance of political fiat. There was also political consideration in establishing private universities about 1981 – 1983 without regard to NUC regulations in such critical areas as location, infrastructure, accommodation, funding and staffing. The fate of many of these earlier private universities has long been determined.

In all ramifications, the establishment of Covenant University has followed all processes associated with project implementation. The many instances of visitations, collaborations and affiliations are quality control measures.

The high quality feedback mechanism from places of industrial experience and National Youth Service postings are also validation indicators of our processes. Many people who had the privilege will recall that the consortium that studied the establishment of Covenant University comprised the academic brief, masterplan, financial plan, committees for project as well as those for legal and students’
recruitment issues.

There was also the Advisory Council drawn from a wide range of universities. Each committee was headed by a seasoned professional.

The extreme care that went into the project and the testimonies that validate our processes so far may just reflect the skills and spirituality of our students. For them to be rounded leaders, we need to check out the appropriateness of their communication. Reference is often fondly made to the ebullience of the American University graduate in the power of oration. The classical Roman gentleman was exposed to courses in logic, geometry and rhetorics. All these, which were appropriated from the Greek (which is the dominant European) culture are still available in European universities. I have often heard our Chancellor decry the hollow in the speech of African leaders because of the absence of reference.

A Window into Language Protocols at Covenant University
I have had to encourage one of my 400Level students of English and Literary Studies to investigate the language preferences of students of private Christian universities in Nigeria. One of her major findings was that our students use more slang expressions and Pidgin English than students of Babcock University.

From my observations from students’ complaints and request letters, I have observed that many of them are not conscious of the pragmatics of modality – i.e. the use of can, could, may, might, etc.

Typical request forms are presented below:
1. I want you to review my GST scores.
2. Please, sir, give me another make-up.
3. Sir, I want to see you.
4. Let me borrow your book
5. I will pass my assignment tomorrow etc.
The spoken form does not differ significantly. I have also studied the pattern of communication at the horizontal level of administration and the
trend does not differ in any significant way. Presented below are samples:
6. I am to inform you that………
7. Be informed that………
8. This is to inform you………
9. I request that………
10. I want to……….
There is a very military aura about such messages.

• This is the age of strategic communication, the aim of which is to hit the audience with the right message in such a way as to elicit the desired result. Success depends on a credible appreciation of the audience and some sensitivity to the context.

• All good leaders must have the skill for communicating with the following issues in mind:

Why                                                                                     Who
-The Motivation                                                                       - The audience
gaps in knowledge                                                                   * intrapersonal
what is to be accomplished                                                       *interpersonal
                                                                                             *a group
                                                                                             * the mass of the society

What                                                                                     How
The message                                                                         - Strategy
appropriate                                                                            *applying wisdom to
communication                                                                         communicate
*the style of delivery                                                                effectively
*the level of familiarity
Expected
There is the need for a viable communication plan !

At the level of curriculum review, I propose that the current programme of Communication in English (GST) be enriched to run through all the levels of study (as is the case with EDS). This call had been alluded to by the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Chief Afe Babalola. He would even want postgraduate students to benefit from this arrangement.

Apart from the rudiments of grammatical etiquettes, basic writing, reading, comprehension and study skills, the present-day graduate will require skills in building rapport, packaging information, refutation and argumentation, persuasion, moving to action and attitude changing, negotiation, assertiveness, handling criticism, as well as public speaking in different contexts.

Apart from the distinction between teaching and research universities, we can also identify innovating, entrepreneurial (for guilds), corporate universities, among others. By our avowed charter on leadership training, Covenant University is definitely a corporate university. Therefore, issues of packaging, including language protocols are crucial. We must seek ways to actualise them.

Issues in Competitive Intelligence
Following Kahaner (1997), Competitive Intelligence is a systematic process of collecting and analysing information about the activities of competitors as well as general trends in any specific area of business with the aim of enhancing goals of an organisation. It is useful in such areas as –

• anticipating marketplace changes;

• predicting actions of competitors;

• discovering new and potential competitors;

• learning from the success and failure of others;

• quality improvement, based on informed decisions;

• acquiring new insights about our organisations;

• obtaining objective criteria for assessing our organisations;

• implementing latest management tools.

The practice of Competitive Intelligence is critical at this stage because of the rapid pace of development in this sector, information overload enhanced access and opportunities, more aggressive competition and rapid changes in technology.

Interestingly, the numerous opportunities offered our students, especially during the TTG class by experts in different professional fields to give them lectures is an aspect of Competitive Intelligence. We leverage diverse skills for excellence. A little more can be done to expose our students to many more opportunities to compare notes and garner trendier details in their fields. They must also be armed with skills to follow up on hints. But, perhaps even more profoundly, the Faculty and Staff should have a program of deliberate study tours to centres of excellence that we would like to associate with.

More efforts could be made to attract interaction opportunities with experts with pre-determined specific objectives.

Concluding Remarks
The opportunity to think through a university is indeed a rare one. When it availed itself to other cultures, volumes of books emerged. There are books on how to reinvent both the European and American universities. It is on this score that I consider the series of presentations that have been made as a catalyst to greater contributions.

I see a future where we shall offer the nation an opportunity for a summit in different aspects of university education. For the immediate future, our discourse could be centered around curriculum review, for instance.

I express great gratitude to the Chancellor, the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and the entire Management for this opportunity. I also thank all of my colleagues for such a great time together.

May God bless you.