Covid-19: FEDPOFFA Holds Online Academic Board Meeting, Profers Solution To Academic Lockdown
In order to fill the academic gap caused by coronavirus lockdown, the management of The Federal Polytechnic Offa led by Dr. Lateef Olatunji held a virtual Academic Board meeting via Zoom platform. The attendance of the online meeting was overwhelming with eighty six (86) members connecting from different locations including members that were on PhD program outside the country.
The agenda of the meeting among many others was to deliberate the commencement of online lectures for students as well as submission of first semester examination result.
The Rector, Dr. Lateef Olatunji who presided over the meeting, commended members of the Board for huge turnout. He reiterated that Covid-19 is real and enjoined members to continue to adhere strictly to all precautionary measures as advised by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and World Health Organization ( WHO).
While commending members’ endurance at this critical time, the Rector briefed the Board members on measures and contributions of management through palliative distribution to the Polytechnic casual staff and donation of preventive materials to host communities.
The Rector therefore charged academic staff to make the most of the lockdown period to work on students' results for prompt collation.
In his words, "the Principal Officers of the Polytechnic has deemed it fit to give palliative of one hundred bags of rice to casual workers of the institution. The Polytechnic also donated antiseptic disinfectants, liquid soaps, hand sanitizers and face masks to our host communities as contribution to curtail the further spread of covid-19." He added that the management will endeavour to also reach out to all categories of both teaching and non teaching staff before resumption.
Responding to the Rector's remark, HOD Civil Engineering department who doubles as Branch Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP), Engr. Dr. Waheed Bologun commended the management for making frantic effort to make the online interaction possible for the Academic Board members despite the lockdown. He also acknowledged the Entrepreneurship Development Centre (EDC) under the headship of Dr. Kenneth Unuafe for producing the donated items. Dr. Balogun further assures the management of industrial harmony and also expedition of marking and recording of students' results.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of e-Learning Program Committee, Dr. Jimoh Rafiu Ango enunciates more on the process and template to be adopted. He said the Management constituted the Committee on 6th April, 2020 following the directive from the Honourable Minister of Education that all tertiary institution should commence e-learning program in order to fill the vacuum created by coronavirus lockdown. Dr. Ango further explains that the online lectures and assignments for students will commence soon as the interim report has been presented to Management. According to him, The platform was grouped into two: the lecturers' forum and students' forum; he said the two sides template will be well packaged and delivered to the Heads of Departments and lecturers as guide on how to start the online lecture.
Speaking on resumption, the Rector said there is no date yet until the Federal Government and National Board for Technical Education give further directive on resumption.
Other issues discussed at the meeting include IPPIS: Its irregularities and steps taken by Management to ensure corrections; staff welfare, among many others.
Source: DIPR&P, The Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State.
0 Comments