Projecting Enrollments for Effective Academic Staff Planning in Nigerian Universities
By: B. M. Agboola & J. Kola Adeyemi
ABSTRACT: Student enrollment in Nigerian universities has grown tremendously in the past one decade due to the increased demand for university education. The new development could be attributed to the policy of free, universal and compulsory education at the primary to junior secondary, coupled with the high population of Nigeria, with an annual growth rate of 3.2%. This has given rise to the school enrollment in the universities. Nevertheless, there are strong indications that the trend in demand for and supply of university education seems not to match, so also are the resources available in the universities (human, facilities and fund). For this paper, data on the existing student enrollment trend and academic staff on roll were collected through checklist from records of relevant bodies. The data were analyzed through extrapolation equation and staff-student ratio for each discipline. This study examined the pattern of enrollment in the Nigerian universities and made projection for the academic staff and student for the future years.
The results showed that enrollment of 1,417,080 is expected in the universities in 2010, while in the year 2020 the enrollment will be 5,732,878. The corresponding ideal number of academic staff required will be 70,854 and 286,644 for 2010 and 2020 respectively. It was suggested that proactive actions should be taken by the managements and councils of the various universities at meeting the demand-supply staff needs of the university system.
Strategic Blunder? Strategic Planning for Changing Demographics in Higher Education
By: Angelo Letizia
ABSTRACT: A strategic plan is not a simple goal to be reached, rather in many ways it is similar to the brain that guides the collective actions of members of an organization (Bryson, 2004). In the widest sense, a strategic plan can actually manifest a certain vision of reality by structuring the perceptions and actions of those members (Bryson, 2004; Allan, 2007). More importantly, no plan is ever neutral or independent of larger societal influence (Bryson, 2004; Peet, 2009). This point is especially salient in regards to the volatile nature of globalization and neoliberalism, both of which have restructured many organizations’ missions from service to profit accumulation (Giroux, 2011). This paper will examine the Federal Department of Student Financial Aid’s strategic plan and its treatment of nontraditional students in light of globalization and neoliberalism. Nontraditional students in higher education are students that either attends school on a part-time basis or work over 20 hours a week. The reason for examining this population is because the numbers of nontraditional students are drastically increasing (McSwain, 2008). In order to analyze the strategic plan in the context of the wider social environment, this paper operates from a framework rooted in critical theory and postmodernism. The main purpose of the framework is to identify “simulacra.” Simulacra are terms which were assumed by the writers to signify a certain state of affairs, when in actuality, the terms did not represent what the writers assumed they represented. If organizations operate from simulacra, they can unknowingly act in ways counter to their own well-being and contrary to the well-being of the people they serve. The investigation turned up a number of potentially damaging simulacra and attempted to correct them.
A Case for Schoolhouse Aesthetics
By: Charles Kenneth Tanner
ABSTRACT: When new learning environments are built, numerous variables are taken into consideration. For example, school systems consider the instructional needs of the students they serve, enrollment, and whether to replace or remodel an old building. The concept of “going green” encourages school system planners to consider the natural surroundings and built environment that surrounds the school, thereby allowing the school’s architecture to match its surroundings. This notion has sparked an interest in sustainable design, which may best be explained as minimizing the harmful effects of the building on the environment. It further extends to the theory of biophilia or a natural attraction to living systems. Sustainability and the biophilia premise go far beyond just following new codes for construction and materials related to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. They link directly to aesthetics.
Schools in a Crises: Where to Put the Students
By: Glen I. Earthman.
ABSTRACT: Catastrophes can occur at any place and for any reason. Within the past years an extraordinarily high number of catastrophic events have happened to public schools. From a high number of tornados to excessive flooding and unseasonable weather, the country has experienced a considerable number of very difficult environmental disasters that have adversely affected schools. These are never pleasant occurrences and it is the duty of education officials to ameliorate the subsequent devastation. Such was the case in a school system in Virginia where the roof of the gymnasium collapsed during a snowstorm in the middle of the school year. At the beginning of the spring semester, the high school students were without a place to continue their schooling. The planning efforts of the school authorities were strained for several reasons. Questions regarding the continued use of the high school building for the remainder of the year and where to put the student body for the rest of the year if the building was unusable were of utmost concern. The concerns and maneuvering of the various players in this drama are discussed in this article. In spite of the fact that this was a catastrophe to the various groups within and outside the school system, plans were made and executed so that all students were housed for the semester. The planning activities for the following year are set forth as well as the manner in which the school division staff conducted the effort and interacted with the community and governing body. The lessons that can be learned from the planning effort of this school staff are carefully analyzed and discussed.