The “Leave a Legacy Programme” of the University of Jos for the 2011/2012 academic session has kicked off with a call on final-year students to imbibe the need to give back to their alma mater.
The programme is a brainchild of the Advancement Office of the university in which soon-to-graduate students are assisted to initiate a project they would leave behind at the completion of their programme in the institution.
Addressing the students at the flag-off of the programme for the current academic session, Executive Director of the Advancement Office, Prof. Victor Dugga described the programme as a means of giving back to the university in form of initiating projects and implementing it based on perceived needs.
Represented by Mrs. Sarah Lwahas, he stressed the need for building, communicating and protecting the ‘brand’ for which the university which is the first to establish such a programme for her students, has become renowned.
Recalling previous projects executed by previous graduating sets, such as whiteboard projects, renovation of lecture room seats, renovation of the common room used by students for reading and the bus park project, he stressed the need for collaborative interactions by representatives of various departments and faculties to be nominated in initiating a sustainable and relevant project to both the students and the university.
He disclosed that a seed amount of a million naira would be taken from funds contributed by their predecessors for the implementation of their own project adding that they could seek additional funds from other sources if this is not enough for their project.
It could either be a partnership with banks or tasking each person on what to pay for the completion of their project.
Every graduating student is expected to pay the sum of 1,500 Naira towards the leave a legacy programme.
Lwahas told Unijos Echo in a chat that every academic department in the university would be represented in the implementation committee by three students who are expected to come up with project ideas.
She explained that the various ideas would be scaled down to five which would be submitted to the vice chancellor who approves the project for the year.
Many of the students at the forum saw it as a good programme and even suggested projects that could be considered for the academic session.
KEHINDE MEFOLERE
