THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

I. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Faculty of Social Sciences is among the pioneer faculties which started in 1975. In its nearly twenty two years life, the faculty had been headed by five substantive Deans. It started with the Departments of Economics, Management Studies, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. By the mid 1980's, the sub-department of accounting was carved out of its parent department of Accounting and Management Sciences. Up to the mid 1980's, the faculty was predominantly staffed by expatriates particularly Asians, from India and Pakistan. Today, the situation has changed due to the success of the university=s manpower training scheme which allowed junior academic staff the opportunity of overseas training, and nearly all the academic staff are Nigerians. At the beginning, compared with other faculties, the faculty did not attract a large student enrolment. Today, there is a shift of interest such that nearly half the applications from new entrants are for the faculty of social sciences. Over the years , the faculty has increased her academic programmes and currently has 12 degree programmes. All the departments have postgraduate programmes up to Ph.D. level in most of their specialist areas.

The Faculty has recorded significant achievements especially in the area of manpower development. Apart from producing young and dynamic social scientists, the faculty has trained high level personnel for the various professions in the public and private sectors of the Nigerian economy. The faculty has also provided needed research information that guides social policies for sustainable national development of the country. Indeed by the Mid 1980's the Faculty had become recognised and ranked very high among the social science faculties in the country for producing high calibre enterprising and dynamic social science scholars. The faculty continued to engage in scholarly activities and academic projects including research and the organisation and hosting of national and international conferences and seminars on critical social, political and economic issues that affect Nigeria=s national development. The period of the 1980's can therefore be regarded as the >golden age= of the faculty in terms of meeting the major aspects of its set objectives and goals.

The faculty has able to senitise Nigerians and the international audience on the issues of the moment which include human rights, peace and ethnic conflicts management and above all, the challenge of democratic governance through its many local and international symposia workshops and seminars.

Like other social science faculties in the country=s universities, the faculty at Jos shares similar roles and functions in the collective endeavour to achieve the goals of university education. Traditionally and in keeping with National Universities Commission (NUC) guidelines, universities are charged with the responsibility of providing qualitative education to the citizenry, particularly to the new generation of society who will eventually take over the leadership of society. In order to address these functions, universities are expected to carry out the duties of teaching and conduct research. Universities are also expected to make their role relevant to the local environment through community service.

Beyond the traditional functions of teaching, research and community service, the mission of the social science faculty within the realm of the general purpose of university education is expected to inculcate in the new generation of social scientists, the values and culture of an imaginative and analytical mind. Exposure to these values of the social sciences is expected to equip the students with the necessary skills and tools to meet the challenges of leadership in society. These challenges arise from the problems of the social, political and economic development of the country.

In the fulfillment of the traditional functions of university education, the faculty does not assume that exposure to the educational programmes merely prepares the student for employment. Within the mission of the social sciences faculty, education is deemed a failure if it is not accompanied by the total liberation of the mind, the development of self and self fulfillment which enable the student to impact on the social environment. In the discharge of the functions of research, the faculty is provided the advantage of differing views, and analytical tools and above all the multi-dimensional theories and models of man, society and social systems.

Community service has been one of the areas of great demand for social sciences input. The faculty has over the years responded to this challenge through its academic programmes especially the Diploma in Social Work and Community Development of Sociology Department, Diploma in Public Administration (DPA) and Advanced Diploma in Public Administration (ADPA) of The Political Science Department, to influence and encourage middle level manpower development in the catchment states. This was the case until the early 1990's when the programmes became neutralised. In the mid 1980's also, the faculty ran a programme; diploma in police management and administration totally financed by the Nigerian Police to bring needed co-operation between the universities and the Nigerian Police. This was another major response to community service and cooperation.

Beyond the traditional functions of teaching, research and community service which every faculty inherits, the faculty of social sciences represents the hope of the academic community providing impetus for social interactions. This the faculty represents by virtue of knowledge and profession of the diverse theories and models of man and the social system itself. Thus, the faculty is interested in what people do, how they do it, what makes them to do what they do and the overall impact of the social system on the individual and group as they engage in force or structured interactions. Every university community needs the faculty of social sciences to know the other side of the story in the community. In the discharge of this extra or arrogated function of the social scientists in the university community, the question within the social science itself is what constitutes the mode of discharge of this function. Others outside the social sciences have also inquired about what constitutes this extra mandate. The answer to the question is that by virtue of its domain of knowledge of society and research, social scientists represent the conscience of the community making responsible inputs as to how the society or the community can function to achieve it=s objectives and at the same time bring about reform. Social scientists become more sensitive to changes in the environment and respond accordingly. Perhaps the sensitivity and responsivity function of the social scientist in the community is the most delicate and difficult to appreciate because of the ways these functions have been discharged by social scientists in their respective communities and environment. Theoretically, the sensitivity and responsivity function is borne out of the reality that societies and communities as human creations, remain imperfect and need constant reform and change to make them dynamic and capable of providing the right impact on the members. The role of the social scientist is to create this awareness. Unfortunately, the discharge of this function by some social scientists is often misdirected and as such misunderstood by organisational leadership. This has often created some crisis between administration and members of the social science faculty. No one denies that the organisational leadership requires the inputs of the social scientists. The issue is how the inputs are made, the posture they take and how the organisational leadership accepts them.

III. THE FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES TODAY

In its current pursuit of the objectives of teaching, research and community service, the faculty has had to contend with the growing reduction in resources and material allocation . Having to depend solely on its overhead costs coming from the University, great limitations have been placed on her path to meaningful achievement of the above objectives and goals. Coupled with other external environmental factors that impact on the university system in the country, the faculty has suffered the most in terms of brain drain, which leaves it in short supply of senior academic staff. These realities inform the current strategic thinking of the faculty which emphasises the need for internal revenue and resource generation to avoid total dependence of the faculty on University and NUC overheads.

To be a viable centre for excellence in the study and documentation of social issues affecting development as well as to enhance harmony and a cordial relationship among staff of the faculty, between staff and students and between university administration and faculty. As a consequence, to nurture a faculty of the highest standard so that it is rated among the best three faculties of social sciences in Nigeria.

V. GOALS AND STRATEGIES:

FS = Faculty Strategy

FS 1.1 Review the existing programmes and teaching styles in the faculty to make them more student oriented.

FS 1.2 Ensure that every program gets fully accredited by the NUC.

FS 1.3 Enlarge academic programmes in tune with changes in the world and the immediate society, enriching the academic programmes to reflect developments in information and bio-technology, as well as socio-cultural, health-political, economics and industrial organisation demands.

FS 1.4 Encourage co-operation and understanding between students and faculty staff through periodic student-staff forum.

FS 2.1 Respond to the issues and challenges of sustainable development in Nigeria and beyond through research, teaching, policy development and programme intervention, putting resources and expertise together to create an area of excellence in peace research, in collaboration with the Centre for Development Studies, national and international bodies as well as research institutions working on crisis and conflict management.

FS 2.2 Foster improved participation of students in the decision making process at faculty and university levels.

FS 2.3 Isolate and emphasise areas of strengths to nurture them into centres of excellence in teaching, training and development.

FS 2.4 Embark on problem-oriented base-line information gathering in the area of applied psychology, including trends and changes in life styles, values, youth, family, leadership, child rearing, stress and violence as they affect quality of social life in Nigeria.

FS 2.5 Step up publications and dissemination of scientific information based on research findings thereby making the departments academically relevant in the areas of theory, building and social policy development.

FS 2.6 Establish various prizes, awards and certificates to recognise students who excel in academic achievement, discipline and good behaviour.

FS 3.1 Support the promotion of sports and sporting activities (for students and staff) that encourage inter and intra faculty competition.

FS 3.2 Foster the provision of continuous supply of electricity to academic buildings, staff residential areas and hostels.

FS 4.1 Adopt empowerment and capacity building, to create an enabling environment for effective leadership and administration.

FS 4.2 Encourage collaboration and co-operation between and among scholars in the Faculty and other arms of the university in research and information exchange.

FS 4.3 Encourage linkages with overseas institutions and universities for staff exchange programs and short study missions.

FS 5.1 Share a college bus with other faculties in the same college.

FS 5.2 Support efforts to reduce wastage through probations, withdrawals and transfer to other programmes.

Goal 6: Increased provision and use of information technology

FS 6.1 Support the computerisation plans of the university through the establishment of a faculty computer laboratory.

FS 6.2 Foster the provision of full Internet access to staff and students.

Goal 7: Decentralisation and Transparency in Administration

FS 6.2 Foster the installation of the collegiate system.

FS 6.2 Foster the provision of full Internet access to staff and students.

FS 6.3 Encourage co-operation and understanding between students and staff through a joint decision making process.

FS 8.1 Exploit various sources and avenues for local and external revenue generation.

FS 8.2 Empower departments to generate funds through relevant specialised services.

1998 to 2001:

Correct deficiencies in all remaining departments to bring them to full accreditation status.

Foster more participation of students in the decision making process.

Establish a Faculty Computer Laboratory and provide full Internet access..

Provide more recreational facilities for students and staff in collaboration with the private sector.

2001 to 2003:

Promote sporting activities for staff and students.

Foster the provision of computers for all senior lecturers and professors.

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