NOUN graduates to join NYSC, Law School programme soon – Director

Graduates of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) would soon be allowed to participate in the National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC) and the Nigerian Law School Programme.

The Director, Ilorin Study Centre of NOUN, Mr Michael Abikoye, made this known on Thursday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

Abikoye, who was NOUN first Acting Registrar, attributed the exclusion of NOUN graduates from the scheme and law school to public misunderstanding of the difference between Open and Distance Learning (ODL) and part time studies.

He expressed optimism that with the ongoing talk between the management of the Open University and the relevant stakeholders, NOUN students would be absorbed into the scheme.

“The denial of our graduates in participating in the NYSC scheme is based essentially on the general misunderstanding of difference in concept between open and distance learning system, which Nigerians have equated with part time studies.

“But open and distance learning is not exactly the same thing as part time study.

“Open and Distance Learning is a standard form of education and it is the vogue in many advanced countries today.

“Incidentally, most of NOUN programmes are accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC) that accredits programmes of conventional Nigerian Universities.

“Our course materials are prepared by seasoned academics in the conventional university system and they go through rigorous and thorough process of editing and printing before they are released to the students.

“It may not surprise you to know that even in the conventional universities; our course materials are being used by some lecturers to produce their own handouts for students.

“That shows you the quality of our materials and by extension, the quality of our products,” Abikoye added.

Abikoye said that NOUN has standard and functioning laboratory at its headquarters and in some selected study centres across the country.

He said what NOUN has done in some centres where it has no laboratory of its own was to go into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the neighbouring conventional universities.

“At the Ilorin Study Centre here for instance, we have gone into collaboration with the University of Ilorin, so that NOUN students can avail themselves with laboratory facilities there.

“This was particularly meant for the students of our School of Health Science and ICT,” he said.

Abikoye disclosed that NOUN has set up two skills acquisition vocational centres at graduate, post graduate diploma and certificate levels to fill the gap left behind by conventional universities. (NAN)

UNICAL Postgraduate Admission 2015/2016 Announced

Applications are invited from suitably qualified candidates for admission into graduate programmes in the 2015/2016 academic year leading to the award of Postgraduate Diploma, Masters and Doctor of Philosophy Degree of the University of Calabar.
A.GENERAL REGULATIONS
Courses may be offered full-time or part-time. All programmes begin with coursework and end with a project for Graduate Diploma, MBA, MPA and MPAS or thesis for Master's and Ph.D degree.
1.DURATION OF PROGRAMME:For full-time studies the Postgraduate Diploma lasts for two (2) semesters. The Master's degrees last for 3 - 5 semesters; and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) programmes last for 6 - 10 semesters.
For part-time programmes, the Master's degrees last for 4-6 semesters, the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) lasts for 10-14 semesters.
Note that PGD programmes run on full-time basis only.
2.REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION:Candidates are required to have a minimum CGPA of 3.00 on a 5-point scale and 2.75 on a 4-point scale for Master's programmes and 4.00 on a 5-point scale and 3.00 on a 4-point scale for the Ph.D programmes. A CGPA of 1.50 and above is required for PGD programmes.
Candidates with Master's degree from recognized universities may credit the relevant courses towards the Ph.D programme, provided that the quality of the grade is acceptable to the Graduate School
Note:Filling of forms - Surnames first, First name next, Middle name last. There will be no changes made after submission of application forms online. Therefore candidates must think through before submission as any changes will attract a fee. This is to prevent multiple applications. The titles Mr, Miss or Mrs may be used but not Rev(Dr), Chief, etc. Programmes applied for should be Ph.D, M.A, M.Ed, M.Sc, MPH, LLM, PGDE, PGDEE, PGDPA, PGDM, PGD, etc.
3.MODE OF APPLICATION
Interested candidates are to first log on to our website http://www.unicalonline.edu.ng or click here to access the prospectus for the complete description of available courses for 2015/2016 academic session. Thereafter, candidates are required to pay a non-refundable fee of N20,000.00 at any branch of the under-listed banks nationwide. A printout with a unique PIN will be issued at the bank.
Candidates would then enter their unique PIN and their mobile phone numbers on the website to access the form. Follow the steps by providing your data as prompted and ensure that your form is submitted. YOU ARE TO PRINT OUT A COPY OF YOUR FORM AND CONCEPT NOTE, BY CLICKING ON PRINT button after submission. Please bring a copy of the printed form to the venue on the day of the screening.
Process flow of E-Scratch Card for UNICAL Post Graduate Application
1. Walk into any bank across the federation and make payment on E-Transact platform to purchase Graduate School application form for 2015/2016 academic session
2. Walk into any Enterprise Bank across the federation and make payment on Calpay platform to purchase Graduate School application form for 2015/2016 academic session
3. Make a payment of N20,000.00 and obtain the payment slip.
4. Go online to www.unicalpg.org
6. Log on with the generated pin on the payment slip to fill the Post Graduate form
4.CONCEPT NOTE
As part of the application, candidates are expected to submit a CONCEPT NOTE of 3 pages maximum for Ph.D programmes and a-one-and-a-half (1 ½) page maximum for Masters’ programme. The concept note will be typed online in a space provided in the form and printed out for submission to the department. The concept note is a MINI SUMMARY OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL highlighting what candidates intend to research on when admitted. It has to cover the following:
- Statement of the programme
- Relevance of study to self and society
- Aim(s) of the study
- Justification
- Methodology
- Brief theoretical background
Note:Candidates who fail to send their concept notes online along with their application forms will not be allowed to take part in the oral interview
5.TRANSCRIPTS
Candidates are to ensure that their academic transcripts are forwarded by their previous institutions through courier service to the Academic Secretary, Graduate School, University of Calabar, P.M.B. 1115, Calabar, Cross River State, ON OR BEFORE THE DEADLINE INDICATED BELOW.
ALL TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE RECEIVED IN GRADUATE SCHOOL ON OR BEFORE THE SCREENING DAY being NOVEMBER 6, 2015.
Candidates whose transcripts are not received in the Graduate School by November 6, shall NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR ADMISSION.
There will be no room for awaiting results (all applicants whose results have not been approved by the Graduate School Board/University Senate will not be considered for admission).
6.ADMISSION SCREENING EXERCISE
All candidates are also expected to take part in the admission screening exercise which take place on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2015 for MBA, MPAS, and all PGD candidates while SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2015 is for Masters and Ph.D candidates.
The screening test will be a computer based test as follows:
Part A – Written (Use of English Language, Logic, Mathematics, ICT and General Knowledge);
Part B– Oral interview in the respective departments based on subject area/concept note for Ph.D and Master's candidates.
There shall be No oral interview for MBA, MPAS and all PGD programmes.
7.DEADLINE
The website for submission of application will be shut down on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2015.
8.AVAILABLE GRADUATE PROGRAMMES
Programmes leading to the award of Postgraduate Diploma, Master's, and Ph.D degrees are available in the under-listed Departments. For details of each programme and specific requirements, log on to http://www.unicalonline.edu.ng. or click here to access the prospectus for the complete description of available courses for 2015/2016 academic session
1.Faculty of Agriculture
Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension and Rural Sociology, Animal Science; Crop Science; Soil Science; Forestry and Wildlife Resource Management
2.Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences
Public Health; Medical Laboratory Science (Medical Microbiology/ Parasitology Unit, Chemical Pathology Unit and Haematology Unit), Radiography and Radiological Sciences, Nursing Sciences.
3.Faculty of Arts
English and Literary Studies; History and International Studies; Linguistics and Communication Studies; Religious and Cultural Studies; Philosophy; Theatre and Media Studies; Modern Languages and Translation Studies.
4.Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
Anatomy; Biochemistry; Pharmacology; Physiology.
5. Faculty of Education
Arts Education; Business Education; Continuing Education and Development Studies; Curriculum and Teaching; Educational Administration and Planning; Educational Foundations, Guidance and Counselling; Environmental Education; Human Kinetics and Health Education; Library and Information Science; Science Education; Social Science Education; Special Education.
6.Faculty of Law
Law
7. Faculty of Management Sciences
Accounting, Banking and Finance; Business Management; Marketing.
8. Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
Medicine and Dentistry; Community Medicine.
9. Faculty of Science
Botany; Genetics and Biotechnology; Geology; Mathematics; Statistics; Computer Science; Microbiology; Physics; Pure and Applied Chemistry; Zoology and Environmental Biology.
10. Faculty of Social Sciences
Economics; Geography and Environmental Science; Political Science; Sociology; Public Administration.
11. Institute of Education
PGD Education, PGD Environmental Education
12. Institute of Oceanography
Fisheries and Aquaculture; Physical Oceanography; Biological Oceanography
13.Institute of Public Policy and Administration
PGD Public Administration; Policy and Administrative Studies

PTDF Cancels Overseas Scholarship Programmes For Nigerian Graduates And Undergraduates

PTDF Cancels Overseas Scholarship Programmes For Nigerian Graduates And Undergraduates. Latest report reaching us has it that the Petroleum Technology Development Fund has canceled its overseas scholarship programmes for Nigerian graduates and undergraduates.
This was made know to newsmen by the Head, External Relations, Mr. Kalu Otisi
This, it said, was part of its new policy direction, adding that it would fundamentally affect the operation and funding of its overseas scholarship scheme and other training programmes under the fund’s management.
Otisi, on Thursday, said the policy directions “include a partial or outright domestication of the scholarship scheme in Nigeria in line with the Local Content policy of the Nigerian government, and the denomination of the scholarship in hard currency as against the Naira due to the volatility of foreign exchange rates.”
To give effect to these policy shifts, the fund said it had opened up discussions with officials of foreign universities where Nigerian scholars were regularly sent for their Masters and PhD studies under the sponsorship of PTDF.
The discussion, it said, was on the possibility of either setting up branches of the foreign institutions in Nigeria or collaborate with local universities in Nigeria, particularly those whose oil and gas related departments had been fully upgraded by the fund to become centres of excellence in teaching and research.
The Executive Secretary, PTDF, Mr. Femi Ajayi, who held interactive sessions with officials of the Imperial College London and the University College London as well as Nigerian scholars, said such a partnership would henceforth form the basis for the fund’s future relationship and co-operation with universities providing training and research to its scholars abroad.
He reportedly said, “This is because we have institutions in Nigeria which PTDF has over the years been upgrading. So we want a situation where there will be more cooperation between universities out here and our universities back home.
“And we have some faculties that we have developed or upgraded as an agency where some of these short term and long term courses can be run. So we are discussing the various modes of partnership and collaboration towards moving along this line.”
PTDF is a Federal Government agency which has the mandate of enhancing the institutional capacities of universities offering oil and gas related courses.
Ajayi said the fund plans to use the National Institute of Petroleum Policy and Strategy, Kaduna, as the coordinating centre for alternative energy sources and renewable energy resources and called on foreign universities to come on board with the PTDF in realising the target.

AKSU Expels 6 Students Over Theft And Cultism

The following Six (6) Students of the University have been expel from AKWA IBOM STATE UNIVERSITY with their offences attached thus ;
Theft Offences;
» Okokon Eno-obong Nkaimaha – 300 level, Dept of English & Literary studies
»Daniel Mbetobong Sunday – 300 level, Dept of Political Science
Cultism Offences;
»Ernest Michael Ufia – 100 level Electrical Engineering Dept.
»Leonard Christopher Inyang – 200 level Civil Engineering Dept
»Minne Akpe Ndunofit – 300 level Agriculture Engineering Dept.
» Joseph Jackson Nse – 400 level Geo-science
This Notice follows the University’s Senate verdict after series of investigations and evidences presented of the above named students involved. The six students have their photographs pasted in the both campuses for the knowledge of every member of the University community.
Meanwhile, further investigations are still ongoing on other reported non-social activities of some students.

Nysc Senate List verification for batch B Corp members released 24th August 2015 – how to check

On Monday the 24th August 2015, the senate rolled out list of enlisted prospective Corp members. Be well acquinted as registration is allowed if enlisted.

You can now check if you are among the qualified prospective corps members to serve 2015 Batch B in any institution in Nigeria.
First, click NYSC PORTAL to check for your details

Secondly, enter the details below as seen in the image above:

1. Select Institution

2. Enter The Matriculation Number

3. Enter Surname

4. Enter Date of Birth

5. Then click search.

If your name is shortlisted, you can now register and proceed with registration, as you must register to receive your call up number and subsequently your call up letter.

List of theNational Youth Service Corps, NYSC accredited registration centres/cyber cafes nationwide.

The management of theNational Youth Service Corps(NYSC) has accredited some registration centres and cybercafes to handle the registration of prospective corps members online.

List of Authorized NYSC Registration Centres / Cybercafes
Locating the authorized NYSC registration centre(s) closest to you is quite easy. Follow the procedure outlined below to locate one:

Go to NYSC registration centres portal athttp://portal.nysc.org.ng/nysc1/RegistrationCentres.aspx

From the‘State’section, select your state from the dropdown,
In the‘Filter to Area:’enter your area/city,
Finally, click on Search to access the registration centres closer to you.