Preamble
The postgraduate programmes originated after the setting up of a Postgraduate Committee of the University in 1992. The Committee was under the Chairmanship of the then Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor G. M. Babatunde, parts of the duties of the Committee are preparation of guidelines and modalities for the establishment as well as the operation of the Postgraduate school. The Committee’s report and recommendations were approved by the University with the establishment of the Postgraduate School on 16th December, 1992. The first two sets of postgraduate students were admitted in the 1992/93 and 1993/94 academic sessions with Professor B. K. Ogunmodede as the pioneer Dean of the Postgraduate School from 1993 to 1995.
The Postgraduate Regulations were reviewed under the Deanship period of Prof. O. A. Osinowo, with Senate approval in the 1998/1999 Academic Session. The reviewed regulations put into consideration, the introduction of new Academic Programmes from Departments. The Postgraduate Prospectus was revised a second time in 2009 under the leadership of Prof. S. O. Afolami, while in the 2013/2014 Academic Session, another review of the Postgraduate Regulations was carried out under the leadership of Prof. O. A. Enikuomehin and was approved at the 204th Statutory meeting of the University Senate in February, 2015. In 2020, under the Deanship of Prof. W. O. Alegbeleye, a committee Chaired by Prof. I. C. Eromosele was tasked with the review of the Postgraduate Regulations. The Report of the committee has been presented to the Postgraduate School Board.
The Postgraduate School has had six Deans since inception as follows:
- Prof. B. K. Ogunmodede (1993-1995);
- Prof. O. A. Osinowo (1995-2001);
- Prof. O. J. Ariyo (2001-2007);
- Prof. S. O. Afolami (2007-2012);
- Prof. O. A. Enikuomehin (2012-2017);
- Prof. W. O. Alegbeleye (2017-2022)
Aims and Objectives
Postgraduate education aims at imparting specialized knowledge and skills leading to the attainment by the student of a high level of expertise in a specific field of agriculture, environmental sciences, engineering or the basic sciences.
The Regulations establishing the Postgraduate School of FUNAAB assigned it the responsibility to “coordinate and ensure quality control of postgraduate studies at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)”. Under the regulations, “Postgraduate Studies shall include all academic and professional programmes which require student achievement beyond the undergraduate level in any field, generally leading to the award of a Postgraduate Diploma, Master or Doctorate Degree”.
Organisation and Administration
Activities at the Postgraduate School are guided by regulations approved by Senate and supervised the Postgraduate School Board, subject to policy directives of the University’s Governing Council. The Dean of Postgraduate School is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Postgraduate School on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, and is the ex-officio chair of the Postgraduate School Board. He is assisted in this duty by two Deputy Deans and the Secretary to the Postgraduate School as well as by the Postgraduate Business Committee on matters referred to it by the Postgraduate Board.
At the College level, the College Postgraduate Committee, with the Dean of the College as the ex-officio Chair, is entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating all postgraduate programmes in the College. It also considers and makes appropriate recommendations on all matters to be brought for consideration of the Postgraduate School Board from the College. At the departmental level, however, the Departmental Postgraduate Committee is responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of postgraduate programmes in the department, under the leadership of the Head of Department, assisted by the Departmental Postgraduate Coordinator.
Officers and Responsibilities
According to the postgraduate school regulations, the officers of the Postgraduate School include the Dean, Deputy Dean(s) and Secretary. The following are provisions of the Postgraduate School Regulations on the responsibilities, tenure and other related provisions in respect of the Officers of the Postgraduate School.
The Dean
The Dean shall be the academic and administrative head of the Postgraduate School. S/he shall be responsible to the Vice-Chancellor in the day-to-day running of the Postgraduate School. The Office of the Dean shall be an elective one, open to all Professors on tenure appointment in the University except those on visiting status.
The Deputy Dean(s)
The Deputy Dean(s) shall assist the Dean in the day to day running of the Postgraduate School. One of the Deputy Deans shall preside at the meetings of the Postgraduate School Board in the absence of the Dean. Deputy Dean(s) shall also undertake any other duties assigned by the Dean for the smooth functioning of the Postgraduate School.
The Secretary
The Secretary shall hold at least the rank of Principal Assistant Registrar. S/he shall work under the directive of the Dean.
The Postgraduate School Board
The Postgraduate School regulations provide in respect of the Postgraduate School Board are as follows:
The Postgraduate School Board hereinafter referred to as PG Board shall be the governing body of the Postgraduate School.
Membership
The Postgraduate School regulations provide that the Postgraduate School Board shall consist of the following members:
- Dean, Postgraduate School (Chairman)
- Deputy Dean(s), Postgraduate School
- University Librarian
- Deans of Colleges
- Deputy Deans of Colleges
- Heads of Departments
- Directors of Academic Institutes & Centres
- Secretary, Postgraduate School (Secretary)
Functions of Postgraduate School Board
The Postgraduate School regulations provide that the functions of the PG Board shall be the following:
- To coordinate and harmonize all postgraduate courses, programmes and regulations in all the Colleges and Academic Institutes/Centres/Units of the University.
- To monitor the conduct of postgraduate programmes in the Colleges for the purpose of Quality Control.
- To process recommendations from the Colleges concerning admission and registration of students into the various programmes and to approve their fields of study as well as the Supervisors that have been assigned to them.
- To receive and process all papers/documents for conducting higher degree examinations and prepare reports for Senate approval of the results of all Postgraduate examinations.
- To recommend to Senate candidates that have satisfied the conditions for the award of postgraduate degrees/diplomas of the University for approval.
- To receive and consider applications for registration of titles of theses/dissertations, nominations for appointment as External Examiners of postgraduate programmes and theses for Senate’s approval.
- To consider all matters that may arise in the course of the postgraduate work of any registered Postgraduate Student, including special requests for suspension of studies for acceptable reasons, conducting part of the postgraduate work in other Universities outside FUNAAB, etc.
- To continuously monitor and evaluate the trends in Postgraduate developments in and outside the country with a view to making the Postgraduate programmes at FUNAAB innovative, relevant, competitive and attractive.
- To present to Senate an annual report on Postgraduate programmes at the end of each academic session.
- To consider all the Postgraduate matters, that are of relevance, referred to it by Senate.
- The Postgraduate School Board may set up any committee to exercise any of the above functions on its behalf. Reports of such committees shall be ratified by the Postgraduate School Board.
- To carry out other functions as approved by Postgraduate Board and Senate aimed at improving the delivery of services and function at Postgraduate levels.
- To facilitate the development of new Postgraduate programmes.
Regulations Governing the Award of Higher Degrees
The regulations governing the award of higher degrees in FUNAAB are contained in a separate publication that is circulated to all staff and students. Copies may be obtained from the Secretary of the Postgraduate School at an affordable fee. The document provides specific details on requirements as well as guidelines for admission, registration, coursework, examinations, and research work in pursuit of postgraduate studies at FUNAAB.
It is important that all postgraduate students take time to read through the postgraduate regulations, and ask questions where necessary as to properly guide their postgraduate studies pursuit in the University. Please note that ignorance is generally not acceptable as an excuse for violating any of the postgraduate regulations, hence the decision to have the regulation published in a much compact form than this prospectus can allow.
