Innovation, Entrepreneurship Must Reflect in What You Teach, Chrisland VC, Prof. Babalola Tasks Academic Staff

Chrisland University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Chinedum Peace Babalola, FAS, has tasked Academic Staff of the Institution on the need for innovation and entrepreneurship to reflect in what they teach students, noting that it will fuel student learning and enrich their academic experience and skills.

She made this admonition on Wednesday, 1st February, 2022 during a meeting held with Academic Staff on implementation of Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), a curriculum designed by National Universities Commission (NUC) to replace BMAS which was Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards.

In her address, she highlighted three methods a teaching staff can adopt to build entrepreneurial and leadership skills in students such as introduction of entrepreneurial contents to each course that is being taught, inclusion of problem-solving and critical thinking questions in examinations, and teaching of research-based questions.

In her word, “Let us use our 30% to teach innovation and entrepreneurship, while 70% would be used to teach coursework. Give students assignments that would make them go into research, and not questions that the answers could be copied and pasted. If I am to teach Physiotherapy, I would encourage my students to do more sports and visit the gym. Criminology and Securities studies students can be taught how to handle security challenges in the country. As academic staff, innovation and entrepreneurship must reflect in what you teach. I will continue to celebrate Microbiology Department. This department is notable for tasking their students with critical thinking and problem-solving questions in examinations.”

For supporting innovative teaching and engaged learning through programs for all Academic Staff of the University, Prof. Babalola revealed that a center (Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning) has recently been commissioned by the University.

According to her, the Center which has the mandate to promote research-based pedagogies that foster student academic engagement, learning and success is headed by Prof. Adekola Babarinde, a Professor who specializes in Philosophy and Sociology of Education with research focus in Pedagogy of Higher Education.

While speaking on the implementation of CCMAS, the Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Shyngle Balogun revealed that the launched CCMAS is just 70% of what each programme in every university should focus on giving a generic outlook, adding that the remaining 30% of the Curriculum for each programme is to be developed by each university showcasing its own uniqueness according to her vision.

In his words, “the advantage is to allow each university to own her programme according to her set goals/ vision/ mission.  It makes the university to be creative to meet societal needs so that University produces graduates that are relevant to the societal needs. In Chrisland University for example, the university according to the Vice-Chancellor wants entrepreneurship capabilities to be visible in every programme apart from the general entrepreneurship course, and also create a niche for Chrisland products by shining forth our unique "personality".”

Prof. Balogun however challenged academic staff members to be more creative to be dynamic in what they teach and how they teach, noting that all hands must be on deck henceforth and market their own programmes for the general benefit of all stakeholders.