The newly admitted undergraduates of the Coal City University Enugu have been charged to balance their academic and extra-curricular lives to ensure that they excel in their studies.
The advice was given by the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Afam Icha-Ituma, during the virtual matriculation ceremony of 247 students on Monday, June 8 2020 – which also doubles as the university’s fourth.
In line with the Federal Government’s official safety protocol for the COVID-19 pandemic as outlined by the National Centre for Disease Control, the ceremony was seamlessly migrated to a virtual platform, as all participants, officials and guests hooked up live on Zoom, Google Meet, YouTube, Face Book and other interlinked online platforms.
“The Coronavirus pandemic has resulted in the closure of all universities in the country to contain the spread of the virus, and has necessitated some adaptation and change in lifestyle to ensure adherence to government guidelines on public health.
“At a time that the global viral scourge has taken an adverse toll on academic activities across Nigerian universities, Coal City University has forged ahead unhindered by reaching into its robust technological infrastructure to deliver programmes to appreciative students. Many universities in Nigeria are unable to rise to the challenge and have closed down completely, particularly due to lack of technological infrastructure for e-learning. Coal City University is providing digital leadership in the higher education sector and has maintained teaching, learning and research activities, thanks to our prompt migration to our robust virtual learning environment (myCCU),” the VC explained.
He assured the undergraduates of a “stable academic calendar and timely progression and graduation of all our students,” buttressing the university’s unwavering commitment to excellence in research, the Vice Chancellor outlined the several veritable alliances between CCU and foreign universities, especially in the area of staff and students exchange programmes. This, he said, will enhance students employability, unleash entrepreneurial spirit and ultimately afford the students much-needed “international experience and a future centric mind-set”.
The university’s Chancellor, Sir Chinedu Ani, congratulated the university’s management for blazing the trail in technology-based pedagogy in Nigeria. He praised the Vice-chancellor and the management team for the resounding success of the virtual matriculation ceremony, noting that while matriculation ceremonies and academic activities have been halted in many universities in Nigeria amid the coronavirus pandemic, Coal City University is “thinking without the box and adapting effectively to the new normal”.
Upon resumption, the students’ll submit copies of the oath to their respective faculties and sign the matricular.
