Vice Chancellor Professor Abu Kasim Adamu, of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU), called upon university examiners and examination officers to uphold fairness and equality when assessing students’ performance.
Addressing the audience at a One-Day workshop organized by the Department of Biology on staff capacity building, Professor Adamu emphasized the importance of granting all students equal treatment during examinations, regardless of their gender or ethnic background. The Vice Chancellor, represented by Professor Abubakar D. Sheik, the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, stressed that as the university experiences rapid growth, it must maintain high standards by not tolerating any form of examination malpractice or misconduct, in order to achieve its vision and mission.
During the event, Professor Abubakar D. Sheik expressed his appreciation to the Biology Department for initiating the capacity-building workshop, which aimed to enhance the skills and competence of the staff. He urged other departments to follow suit and organize similar workshops for their own staff members, emphasizing the importance of continuous professional development.
Several speakers, including the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, Professor Mohammed Aliyu Paiko, the Director of Academic Planning, Associate Professor Bello Muhammad, the Director of Quality Assurance, Professor Ebenezer O. Ogungbe, the Director of Servicom, Professor Musa Amanabo, and the Head of Biology Department, Associate Professor Kabir M. Adamu, presented their views on the nature and significance of examinations.
They collectively defined examinations as assessments designed to gauge a candidate’s knowledge and abilities, as well as to assess how well students have absorbed the information imparted to them. They emphasized that examinations serve as feedback mechanisms to determine if teaching and learning align with the standards set by the National Universities Commission (NUC). Moreover, examinations foster healthy competition, motivate students, reward high achievers, encourage learning, and provide certification.
The speakers also stressed the importance of maintaining examination standards to ensure quality education. They emphasized the need for timely preparation and submission of examination questions to examination officers, rather than waiting until the last minute to create them.
Furthermore, the responsibilities of an Examination Officer were discussed, including proper registration of students, organizing exam timetables, allocating examination venues, and assigning invigilators. The officers were also reminded to post the timetable on notice boards or relevant platforms without revealing the invigilators’ names.
In his closing remarks, Professor I. B Usman expressed gratitude to the university management and the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences for their support in organizing the workshop. He commended the Local Organizing Committee and the Head of the Biology Department for investing in staff capacity building and for inviting esteemed scholars to share their expertise with the department’s staff.
The workshop included informative presentations, followed by engaging question and answer sessions, which enriched the overall learning experience for the participants.