The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako has disclosed that the University is fully prepared to commence a new academic session, having provided the necessary facilities for virtual teaching and learning, and adhering to all the required Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) protocols to ensure the safety of members of staff and students.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako (Arrowed) addressing a team of journalists during the press conference while other Principal Officers listen.
Speaking with journalists during a press conference, held in the University, the Vice-Chancellor noted that contrary to the rumour that is being peddled, alleging the unpreparedness of FUNAAB for the resumption and its inability to handle virtual teaching and learning, the Vice-Chancellor disclosed that the University is fully set to open for academic activities as approved by the University Senate, adding that it had been working tirelessly to ensure that necessary facilities and equipment, which would enhance quality teaching through online and physical classes, had been put in place. He stated further that necessary measures are already on ground to ensure that students are kept safe and complied with precautionary guidelines.
The Internet-ready smart television set on display for the journalists.
According to him, “There is a news circulating about the unpreparedness of the University for resumption in view of COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to debunk this and make the truth known because it is sad that the information was circulated by some internal members of the University. One of the efforts of the University is to teach online by making sure that lectures are handled in an advanced way. Currently, we have more than N300 million naira worth of equipment, which can only be found in standard universities and it is sad to know that some people will go around saying there are no facilities or equipment”.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako (Right) leading the team on inspection into one of the classrooms.
The Vice-Chancellor said that the University has had various experiences with online teaching, stating that the FUNAAB Staff School recently adopted online classes for the teaching of pupils during the lockdown while the FUNAAB Radio was equally engaged to provide on-air classroom lessons for pupils. In furthering the University’s preparedness for resumption, the Vice-Chancellor noted that FUNAAB would be organising Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) solutions for the training of academic staff to get them acquainted with how to properly handle online classes. He stressed that the University has large lecture halls, where students can be taught virtually and making sure that there is social distance among them while new ones are springing up.
On the safety of students, Prof. Salako added that students had been instructed to ensure that they comply with the University’s non-pharmaceutical instructions such as wearing of face masks, washing of hands and the use of sanitisers, among others, stressing that FUNAAB would ensure that all members of staff and students are kept safe and in addition, various offices and halls on campus had been equipped with buckets, running water, hand washing soap and FUNAAB-made sanitisers. The Vice-Chancellor stated that prior to now, the University Management had severally carried out campus-wide fumigation of staff offices, lecture halls and students’ hostels to ensure that everyone is kept safe. He disclosed that the fumigation of students’ hostels against rats, cockroaches and pests had been carried out and rehabilitation done ahead of resumption.
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