CHAPTER SIX
THE PLAN OF THE FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES
1998 to 2003
I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The Faculty started during the 1974/75 session, as The Faculty of Science in the Jos Campus of the University of Ibadan. It moved to its present site at the Bauchi Road Campus during the 1975/76 session. The foundation departments in the Faculty were Botany, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics, Physics and Zoology. In 1975 the University of Jos was established out of the Jos Campus of the University of Ibadan. During the 1976/77 session, the Faculty of Science was renamed The Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the first Dean, Prof. G. K. Berrie was appointed. Over the years, 1976/77 and 1977/78, the foundation departments were consolidated. Experienced staff were recruited while both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes were developed. During these sessions, staff members were recruited for the Department of Geology and Mining, which emerged in the 1979/80 session.
The first Medical students were admitted to pre-medical courses in the faculty in 1975 and proceeded for their 1st Professional Examinations in the Faculty of Medical Sciences in 1976. A department of Preliminary Science Studies was established and attached to the Faculty for supervision during the 1977/78 session and is now renamed the Remedial Studies Department. It was made up of students from the catchment area (Bauchi, Benue and Plateau States) who had insufficient credits to undertake a degree programme. The catchment states have since been redefined and include Bauchi, Benue, Nassarawa, Kogi and Plateau States.
From the inception of the faculty, the various departments grew steadily in quality and quantity until the mid 1980's when decline set in. The student and staff populations increased and thousands of graduates were turned out into different sectors of the Nigerian Economy and the world. In 1990, the National Universities Commission sent teams on the first visit, for the accreditation of undergraduate programmes and only the Zoology Department attained full accreditation status. The other five departments failed to obtain full accreditation due to different combinations of inadequacies with staff, space, equipment and funding.
II. THE FACULTY MISSION STATEMENT
The Faculty of Natural Sciences, through its various departments aims:
* to train high-level academic and professional manpower in the natural sciences.
* to provide practically oriented training so that graduates can apply their knowledge to solve societal problems including those caused by natural hazards.
* to carry out relevant and meaningful research in pure and applied natural sciences.
* to assist the community with professional advice and solution to specific problems.
* to undertake any other activities appropriate for a faculty of natural sciences of the highest standard.
III. THE FACULTY OF NATURAL SCIENCES TODAY
The Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Jos consists of six academic departments, namely Botany, Chemistry, Geology and Mining, Mathematics, Physics and Zoology. These departments award first degrees, higher degrees and diplomas.
Jos and its environs are endowed with rocks and solid minerals and as a result the Geology and Mining Department aspires to be a centre of excellence providing research, training and community services in the fields of geology, mineral exploration, mining, mineral processing, resources conservation, hazard mitigation and environmental protection. The department has been active in pure and applied research activities related to the tin bearing younger Granites of Nigeria which are centered on the Jos Plateau and commercial ventures such as, borehole drilling, dam site investigations and underground water development. The central location of Jos in Nigeria makes access to other key geological environments in the country relatively easy while the climate and scenery of the Jos plateau is an attraction to researchers from all over the world. The National Secretariat of the umbrella professional association, The Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society (NMGS) is located in Jos for these reasons.
Tropical Diseases and Fisheries Sciences are two areas of strength in research of the Department of Zoology which has provided training facilities for the West African Subregion in tropical diseases under the sponsorship of the World Health Organisation (WHO). The department has been identified for strong support to nurture it into a centre of excellence.
The Department of Remedial Studies and the Laboratory Technology Training School (LTTS) run supporting programmes for the faculty while the Equipment Maintenance Centre, based in the faculty, provides services for the whole university.
Due to inadequate funding, laboratories are virtually devoid of chemicals and basic equipment necessary and required by the students to complement their knowledge of the theory they have acquired in the lectures. This unfortunate national situation was recently addressed by the "VISION 2010 Committee" and page 38 of their report reads, "The Nigerian Science, Engineering and Technology environment is characterised by policy and institutional constraints as well as poor infrastructure. These include science laboratories and engineering workshops in our tertiary institutions which are bereft of equipment or are in a dilapidated state or obsolete.
This is a true report of the reality on ground in our laboratories across the faculty. A recent tour of the laboratories in the faculty showed that there was no smell of chemicals in or around them as was always the case in the past. Major equipment are either not available, or are broken down or obsolete. With the movement of two faculties from the Bauchi Road to the Naraguta Campus, lecture halls have become more available to the Faculty of Natural Sciences. The faculty has also made all the necessary curriculum changes to reflect the NUC minimum academic standards and additional laboratory equipment have been purchased under the world bank assistance. Despite these strides and drawbacks, bold incentives are needed to recruit and retain top quality academic staff in the faculty as morale is very low. When these issues are addressed and corrected by government, the university and the society, we may hopefully see a true vision for the faculty mission in the 21st century.
IV. THE VISION OF THE FACULTY ON NATURAL SCIENCES
To nurture a faculty of the highest standard so that it is rated as the best in Nigeria and among the three best in West Africa.
V. GOALS AND STRATEGIES:
FS = Faculty Strategy
Goal 1: Comprehensive strength in undergraduate programmes
FS 1.1 Support all departments to gain full accreditation status
FS 1.2 Fully rehabilitate and equip all faculty laboratories in order to train and turn out well qualified and practically oriented science graduates.
FS 1.3 Review from time to time all courses in line with the demands and needs of the society while bearing in mind global standards and break throughs worldwide.
FS 1.4 Strictly base admission of students on the stipulated guidelines of the university making merit the priority consideration.
FS 1.5 Develop and maintain a modern functional botanical garden for students and staff.
FS 1.6 Develop academic activities in the areas of Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Biotechnology, Genetics Engineering, Timber Science and Technology, Forestry, Medical Botany and Pharmacognosy, within the existing structure in the Botany Department.
(A Microbiology degree programme has just commenced within the department of Botany and will be of relevance to the oil industry).
FS 1.7 Establish an Industrial Chemistry laboratory and transform the Applied Chemistry Programme to an Industrial Chemistry Degree Programme.
FS 1.8 Resuscitate the dormant Statistics Degree Programme already approved by the NUC and establish a Computer Science Degree Programme in the Mathematics Department.
FS 1.9 Rehabilitate the recently burnt down Biological Sciences Laboratories to its former standard to keep the recognition of the Zoology Department as one of the best in the country by NUC accreditation of 1991/1992.
FS 1.10 Improve Library facilities and provide transportation facilities to facilitate field work.
Goal 2: First class postgraduate and profesional programmes in a significant number of areas.
FS 2.1 Regularly fund, produce and maintain the faculty journal at international standard.
FS 2.2 Consolidate and improve on the present areas of strength in mathematics, namely complex analysis, abstract algebra and numerical analysis.
FS 2.3 Develop areas of strength in electronics and telecommunications, atmospheric and environmental physics, medical physics, and theoretical physics within the Physics Department.
FS 2.4 Provide extra support for the Departments of Zoology and Geology and Mining in order to nurture them into centres of excellence.
Goal 3: A quality academic and conducive working environment.
FS 3.1 Put in place and run a stable academic calendar without interruption from within or outside the university.
FS 3.2 Base student in-take strictly on the available staff strength, space, equipment and other facilities and fully rehabilitate the Faculty Hall A1, for use by large classes from all departments in the faculty.
FS 3.3 Provide all relevant departments with adequate and continuous supply of chemicals and solvents
FS 3.4 Provide access to G.C. Mass Spectrometer, AAS, IR, HPLC,UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, and Flame Photometer in the department of biochemistry and/or the faculty of pharmaceutical sciences for staff and students of the Chemistry Department
FS 3.5 Reduce the current student intake in the Geology and Mining Department to a more manageable size of fifty full time students , in line with existing facilities.
FS 3.6 Ensure the availability of adequate and continuous supply of electricity to the faculty.
FS 3.7 Request for additional equipment from the University through the annual budget and special grants.
FS 3.8 Provide more recreational facilities for students and staff.
Goal 4: Academic and Administrative Staff of National and International Distinction:
FS 4.1 Recruit top dedicated scientists and get establishment to a minimum of 75% of the full FTE level and 100% in the emerging centres of excellence.
FS 4.2 Establish linkages and very active cooperation with Individuals, Universities and Corporate Bodies.
FS 4.3 Asses strong and weak areas as well as staff in a comprehensive way involving all stake holders through a performance audit
FS 4.4 Provide incentives such as improved facilities, paper publication bonuses, more research grants and funds to attend conferences and workshops.
Goal 5: Effective and efficient utilisation of limited resources.
FS 5.1 Strictly budget for academic positions in the faculty using NUC norms and based on 75% FTE calculations, except for emerging centres of excellence which will attract 100% compliance. Fund the balance of 25% through internally generated revenue.
FS 5.2 Foster increased funding from the NUC to the university through the intake of the specified number of science students.
FS 5.3 Foster increased funding from the university to the faculty, through the use of an internal funding model based on NUC norms.
FS 5.4 Participate actively in the Long Vacation Programme to be run by the Centre for Continuing Education in order to exploit the advantages of the course credit unit system.
FS 5.5 Share a college bus (run in a self funding way) for field work by staff and students, with other faculties in the same college.
Goal 6: Increased provision and use of information technology
FS 6.1 Provide free Internet access for all staff and students.
FS 6.2 Establish and maintain a Faculty Computer Laboratory and Departmental Computer Laboratories for the Departments of Mathematics and Physics.
FS 6.3 Provide personal computers for all Senior Lectures and Professors.
Goal 7: Decentralisation and Transparency in Administration
FS 7.1 Foster the installation of a collegiate system.
FS 7.2 Discuss and approve annual budgets at the Faculty and Departmental Boards.
Goal 8: Increased Participation of a diverse range of stakeholders
FS 8.1 Design effective revenue generation activities in all departments, for Individuals and Corporate organisations, through the University Consultancy Services Limited. In particular mount diploma courses in Geology and Mining, Statistics, Botany, LTTS, Chemistry and Physics and establish small scale industries for the production of drugs and medical herbs.
FS 8.2 Encourage Departments to source for financial and material support through International Linkages and exchange programmes with Overseas Universities.
FS 8.3 Support the development of the Equipment Maintenance Centre into a revenue generating unit of the university.
FS 8.4 Support calls to Industries, Parents, Students and Alumni to make donations of cash or relevant equipment to the University. (As a recent example, the Natural Science Students Association ( NASSA)donated a modern Audio - equipment for use in Hall A1).
VI. ACTION PLAN
1998 to 1999:
Correct all deficiencies in the Physics and Geology and Mining Departments to bring the former at least, to interim accreditation status and the latter to full accreditation status.
Improve the Central Library facilities and set up Departmental Libraries..
Rehabilitate the recently burnt down Biological Sciences Laboratories and the Faculty Hall A1.
Resuscitate the dormant Statistics Degree Programme in the Mathematics Department.
Make full Internet services available and ensure adequate and continuous supply of electricity through cooperation with the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA)
Establish a Faculty Computer Laboratory and Departmental Computer Laboratory for the Department of Mathematics.
Commence the installation of the Collegiate System.
Foster increased funding from the university to the faculty, through the use of an internal funding model based on NUC norms.
1999 to 2000:
Correct deficiencies in all remaining departments to bring them to full accreditation status.
Establish a Computer Science Degree Programme in the Mathematics Department.
Establish a Departmental Computer Laboratory for the Department of Physics.
Introduce outreach science programmes for Secondary Schools in the catchment area through the department of remedial studies.
Introduce approval of annual budgets at the Faculty and Departmental Boards.
2000 to 2001:
Develop a modern functional botanical garden and academic activities in new areas within the existing structure in the Botany Department.
Establish an Industrial Chemistry laboratory and transform the Applied Chemistry Programme to an Industrial Chemistry Degree Programme.
Commence implementation of the College bus system to facilitate effective field work
2001 to 2002:
Provide personal computers for all Senior Lectures and Professors.
Make use of G.C. Mass Spectrometer, AAS, IR, HPLC,UV-VIS Spectrophotometer, and Flame Photometer in the faculties of medical and pharmaceutical sciences.
2002 to 2003:
Transform the Equipment Maintenance Centre into a revenue generating unit of the university.
Provide more recreational facilities for students and staff in collaboration with the private sector.
VII. COST IMPLICATIONS AND FUNDING ALTERNATIVES
Because of poor funding to the faculty, the neglect of staff welfare and lack of incentives, the mission of the faculty to produce highly qualified and functional science graduates and generate quality and relevant research output has not been achieved to the level desired. The Natural Sciences are basic to any meaningful technological break-through in any country. The government and the Nigerian Society should begin to understand and take heed so that we shall be competing with the rest of the world in the 21st century.
On our part, the faculty has the calibre of staff and the robustness to train applied scientists who will combine a thorough understanding of the fundamentals with proven expertise in applications. The graduate so equipped will then be ready to innovate, adapt and create appropriate technology that would put our raw materials and energy resources (like solar energy) into maximum use.