The National University Commission, NUC, has withdrawn accreditation for Law and Dentistry at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, prompting the school to ask prospective students to change their first choices.
In text messages, the school asked admission seekers for the 2018/2019 academic year they will not be given admission into Law, Botany, Dentistry, Fine Arts and Medical Rehabilitation as JAMB had so advised due to accreditation issues.
“Your first choice course did not receive accreditation. Login to your profile and change course/institution,” the text message read.
When contacted, OAU spokesperson, Abiodun Olanrewaju said the institution “will sort it out”.
The spokesperson of JAMB Fabian Benjamin advised “the candidates to go on and change” the courses.
The spokesperson of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in a text message Sunday night told PREMIUM TIMES the programmes had been denied accreditation, but said it did not translate to full suspension.
“In the actual sense, Medical Rehabilitation has full accreditation status,” he said.
Meanwhile, in its reaction, issued a statement on the issue.
The statement reads: “The Management of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is aware of the directive by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) that the 2018/2019 candidates who applied to study Law, Dentistry, Fine and Applied Arts, Botany and Family Nutrition and Consumer Sciences should either change course or university, due to non-accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
“The general accreditation exercise was conducted across all universities in December, 2017 and the non-accreditation of some programmes cut across all universities and is not peculiar to OAU.
“There are 106 programmes in the University of which the five mentioned above have issues with accreditation. Although all these programmes actually had interim status during the last exercise, they were denied accreditation because of the existing NUC regulation which does not allow for back to back interim status.
“The University Management is working assiduously to address the issues raised by the NUC. It therefore has no doubt that the affected programmes will be restored hopefully in the forthcoming accreditation exercise slated for November, 2018. We hereby use this medium to officially appreciate the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) for the prompt release of funds to upgrade the existing structures and facilities in the University.
“We appreciate the concern of all stakeholders, particularly parents/guardians and prospective students on this development and plead for their understanding.
The Management will continue to do all within its power to uphold and build upon the academic excellence for which the University is known.”
