The National Universities Commission (NUC) has given approval for the establishment of three new faculties and 10 new degree programmes in the University of Jos.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Hayward Mafuyai who disclosed this as a press briefing said the new programmes would take off in the 2014/2014 academic session. The programmes are, Civil Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Criminology and Security Studies, Music, Physical and Health Education, Integrated Science, Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture.
He said the introduction of the new programmes was in line with the dream of the institution’s founding fathers.
“Early in the life of this University, it is my understanding that the pioneer leadership had envisaged an institution that would tap into the natural endowments of their immediate environment by engaging in relevant research activities and dissemination of cutting edge ideas and knowledge that would improve the skill set of practitioners of certain vocations and occupations widely practiced around the Jos Plateau and environs”.
According to Mafuyai, “when I took over as vice-chancellor exactly three years ago this month, it was my resolve and we were in agreement with my other colleagues in management that it was time to go back on track.
“As a university that has for long developed a strong reputation for academic excellence, we felt that some parts of the puzzle were still not in place if we were to remain true to our ideals of uplifting the lives of Nigerians and attaining the status of a globally recognized brand in the business of generating and imparting knowledge and to contributing to the food security and technological development of our country”.
He said although establishing three new faculties was a daunting task, the management set necessary machinery in motion to actualize the dream and was delighted that the effort has paid off.
The vice chancellor thanked the NUC, the resource verification teams, the governing council, management and all those who worked hard for the actualization of the dream pledging commitment to using the new programmes to promote excellence as the institution has always done.
He appealed for assistance from various quarters to lay a solid foundation for the new programmes.
“May I again use this opportunity to call on all our benefactors especially the catchment States Governments to endeavour to build a robust partnership with this University. This is by investing in the development of permanent structures that will house these new faculties and provision of facilities that will ensure their sustenance in order to safeguard the future of the next generation of Nigerians”, he stressed.
The university had within the past one or two years, also secured NUC’s approval to run programmes in Early Childhood Education, Library and Information Science, Archaeology, Fine & Applied Arts, Quantity Surveying and Banking and Finance
