Students’ participation in university governance and organizational effectiveness in Ekiti and Ondo states, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated students' participation in university governance and the organizational effectiveness in Ekiti and Ondo State of Nigeria. The variables concerned were, level of students' participation in university governance, level of organizational effectiveness and the relationship between students' participation in university governance and organizational effectiveness. A descriptive research of survey design was adopted for the study. The population for the study consisted of the staff and students of the University of Ado-Ekiti and Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko. Five hundred (500) students and two hundred (200) members of staff were selected through stratified and simple random techniques. Data were collected with an instrument titled "Questionnaire on Students' Participation in University Governance and Organizational Effectiveness (SPUGOE). The instrument was validated with a reliability coefficient of 0.93 and subsequently administered on the subjects. Simple percentage was employed to analyse the data and answer the research questions while the hypothesis raised was tested using Pearson product moment correlation technique. The result was held significant at 0.05 level. The findings of the study revealed a moderate level of students' participation in university governance and a moderate level of organizational effectiveness. A significant relationship between students' participation in university governance and organizational effectiveness in the university system was established. Therefore students' participation in university governance is an important factor in organizational effectiveness in the university system. Based on the findings of this study, conclusions were drawn. It was recommended that students should be well represented on all university statutory committees including senate and council committees to enhance level of organisational effectiveness in the system. It was also recommended that the number of students representatives on all statutory committees be increased.

Influence of Student Leaders Participation in Management on Institutional Governance in Public Universities, Kenya

“…This further establishes the significant relationship between students' participation in management and university management effectiveness. The significant relationship between student's participation in management and institutional governance in the public universities in Kenya established in this study agrees with Akomolafe and Ibijola (2012), who submitted that there exist a significant relationship between students' participation in university governance and organizational effectiveness. This therefore, implies that the higher the extent of students' participation in university management is, the higher the degree of shared governance will be.…”

Student governments in Chinese higher education: reflection on college students’ and student cadres’ political trust

“…Although it takes different forms across countries and regions (Akomolafe & Ibijola, 2011;Kuruuzum et al, 2005), student involvement appears to exert a significant influence on HE governance. Students' involvement in curricula design and teacher evaluation can yield significant improvements in HE quality (McFarland & Starmanns, 2009;Obondo, 2000).…”

Universities’ Leadership Compliance with the National Universities Commission’s Benchmark on Minimum Academic Standard and Its Impact on Quality of Nigerian University Education

“…This view was supported by Imrie cited in Ibijola [6], who asserted that the idea of leadership in the university system can be reduced to the Principal Officers of the university administration. On the contrary, Akomolafe and Ibijola [7] posited that, university governance is a team work and that issue of leadership should be seen beyond the level of Vice-Chancellor or the Principal Officers in the university system. Supporting this view, Imrie, cited in Ibijola [6] submitted that, within a university system, members of staff are by virtue of employment, involved in the regulation of the activities of their institutions.…”

“…The Nigerian university system was perceived as replete with examples of institutions which have, through poor governance, failed to achieve reasonable growth, adequate development and acceptable quality [8]. Akomolafe and Ibijola [7] while citing Akindutire opined that, the quality of leadership in a tertiary institution, its mission and vision, effectiveness and efficiency, inevitably influences the standard of productivity by Staff, and the achievement of students. On this premise, university leadership may be used to describe all the members of staff who occupy positions of responsibility in the university system.…”