Directorate of Academic Planning (DAP)

Brief History

The Directorate of Academic planning of National Open University of Nigeria was established in year 2010, with professor Femi Peters as the pioneer director. He was succeeded by Professor Stanley Ngoa in 2014, who headed the Directorate until 2016. Professor Nebath Tanglang who assumed office on the 1st of August 2016 succeeded Professor Ngoa. Professor Godwin I. Akper succeeded him on the 1^st of September 2021. The current Director is Professor Gregory O. Okagbare who assumed office on the 1^st of September 2023.

Vision

To be the springboard for enthronement of best international practices for qualitative higher education in National Open University of Nigeria.

 Mission

To be the repository of statistics and planning, quality assurance and enforcement of compliance with the NUCacademic standards.

Functions of the Directorate of Academic Planning

1. Prepares and revise the Academic brief of the University
2. Develop and implement strategic plans for academic programmes and initiatives in alignment with the university’s mission and goals.
3. Ensures that academic programs comply with accreditation standards and requirements by coordinating accreditation processes, preparing reports, and facilitating site visits.
4. Oversees the design, review, and enhancement of academic curricula to ensure they meet the evolving needs of students, employers, and the society.
5. Provide information for enrolment management by analysing data on student demand, demographic trends, and market dynamics to inform decisions about program offerings, recruitment strategies, and retention initiatives.
6. Conduct regular assessments of academic programs to evaluate student learning outcomes, program effectiveness, and alignment with accreditation standards.
7. Collaborate with university leadership and budget offices to allocate resources effectively to support academic priorities and initiatives.
8. Provide support for faculty development initiatives aimed at enhancing teaching effectiveness, promoting scholarly research, and fostering professional growth
9. Utilise data analytics and reporting tools to track key performance indicators, monitor academic trends, and inform decision-making.
10. Foster a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging innovation, experimentation, and reflection on academic practices and policies.
11. Act as focal point for liaison with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and other regulatory or governmental agencies regarding academic and higher-education policy compliance.
12. Evaluate, monitor and streamline affiliate institutions and sub-degree programmes to ensure academic standards across affiliated entities.

Units Under the Directorate Of Academic Planning

The units are:

1. Academic Standards
2. Monitoring and Evaluation
3. Data Management and Statistics
4. Strategic Planning
5. Accounts Unit
6. Administrative Unit

The specific responsibilities of the units are as follows:

Academic Standards Unit

Functions

1. Conduct periodic needs assessment for the establishment of new academic programmes.
2. Supervise the development of curricula of new academic programmes for the university in compliance with the NUC BMAS.
3. Responsible for completion and submission of application forms for the establishment of new academic units and programmes, as well as splitting and merger of academic units and programmes in the University.
4. Ensure compliance with the due processes for the establishment of new units, programmes, departments and faculties in the University.
5. Conduct mock-accreditation exercises preparatory to NUC accreditation.
6. Supervise resources verification of academic programmes.
7. Supervise the accreditation of programmes in the University by the NUC.
8. Keep up to date records of academic programmes.
9. Keep up to date accreditation status of all academic programmes in the University.
10. Ensure that the NUC-BMAS for each discipline is available to all Faculties
11. Ensure compliance with NUC Basic Minimum Academic Standards (BMAS) of all academic programmes.
12. Provision and supervision of the completion of Self Study Forms (SSF) by departments and Faculties in readiness for NUC accreditation.
13. Ensure that only programmes with approved NUC-BMAS are allowed in the University.
14. Plan the academic programmes of the university in conformity with its Academic Brief    and Strategic Plan.
15. Monitor the operations of all approved programmes as contained in the Academic Brief
16. Expand the academic programmes of the university when and where necessary in compliance with the NUC BMAS.
17. Liaise with the NUC on academic matters and the relevant Professional regulatory agencies for quality control and accreditation.
18. Liaise with other universities within and outside the country for the purpose of academic cooperation, academic staff and students exchange programmes
19. Responsible for the Production and or revision of academic brief, modelling it against the realities and goals of the University.
20. Responsible for the preparation of Academic Calendar for the University and ensuring its implementation.
21. Monitor compliance of Departments with the NUC guidelines
22. Undertake on-the-spot monitoring visits to Faculties reported to be involved in running unapproved programmes.
23. Undertake monitoring visits to Departments involved in running unapproved programmes
24. Sensitize the Universities on the effect of running unapproved programmes on students and the society at large.
25. All other activities that will enhance the delivery of qualitative education in the     University.
26. Any other assignment that may be given by the Director of Academic Planning.
27. Ensure that students evaluate courses taught to them.
28. Ensure that students evaluate course materials provided by the University

Data Management and Statistics

In general terms, the main objectives of the Data Management and Statistics unit are to provide a range of accurate information to the University for Planning and managerial decision-making produces a range of institutional statistics and undertakes data manipulation, analysis and interpretation to convert raw data into useful management information.

Functions

1. Collection, Interpretation and Analysis of data from relevant bodies, for the internal evaluation of the performance status of the University on all NUC, approved funding parameters and guidelines.
2. Collation and analysis of the staff/students evaluation data
3. Developing, managing and updating the website of the Directorate
4. Provision of database information on various aspects of University operations for use by the University as it deems fit; e.g information on University academic/material resources, facilities, etc.
5. Projection of students’ enrolment figures and corresponding staff strength
6. Collection, analysis and interpretation of data from relevant Department/Unit and University Annual Statistical trends.
7. Providing period statistics to Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission, National Manpower Board, Federal Bureau of Statistics, Private Sector Organizations, NGOs and individual researchers on demand
8. Documenting and Storing information on Academic Programmes of the University
9. Collection, Analysis and Interpretation of data from relevant University bodies such as the Faculties, Centres, Institutes, Administrative Unit.
10. Collection and Storage of Statistical publications from other Universities
11. Developing a sound computerized database on all relevant information about staff and students in the University, in liaison with the Directorate of MIS/DICT and Registry
12. Collection of relevant data on changing trends in University activities e.g enrolment, staff mix, staff training and turnover, and passing such information for institutional-based research.

Strategic Planning Unit

Functions of the Strategic Planning Unit

The Strategic Planning Unit is a vital component of the Directorate of Academic Planning (DAP) at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). The unit’s primary functions include:

Developing Strategic Plans: Preparing and implementing the university’s strategic plan, aligning with the institution’s vision and mission.

Academic Policy Development: Formulating and reviewing academic policies, guidelines, and procedures to ensure academic excellence.

Curriculum Development and Review: Collaborating with faculties and departments to develop and review academic programs, ensuring relevance and quality.

Accreditation Support: Providing support for accreditation processes, including preparing documentation and reports for regulatory bodies.

Academic Data Management: Collecting, analyzing, and reporting academic data to inform decision-making and policy formulation.

Academic Planning and Monitoring: Monitoring academic programs, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing corrective measures.

Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the university’s academic programs meet their needs and expectations. These functions enable the Academic Brief/Strategic Planning Unit to contribute to NOUN’s academic excellence and strategic growth.

The Directorate of Academic Planning (DAP) at NOUN oversees academic planning and development. Key aspects include:

Academic Planning Processes:

Strategic Planning: Setting academic goals and objectives aligned with the university’s mission.

Program Development: Initiating and reviewing academic programs to meet industry needs.

Quality Assurance: Ensuring academic standards and quality through monitoring and evaluation.

Strategic Planning

Vision and Mission Alignment: Aligning academic plans with the university’s overall vision and mission.

Environmental Scanning: Analyzing internal and external factors impacting academic planning.

Goal Setting: Setting specific, measurable goals and objectives for academic development.

Administrative Unit

Functions of Admin Unit headed by a Deputy Registrar

• Administrative Unit: Overseeing daily administrative activities in the Directorate
• Coordinating office operations, including documentation, correspondence, and record-keeping
• Supervising staff and ensuring efficiency of workflow in the Directorate.
• Academic Support: Coordinating meetings, Resource Verification and Accreditation exercise of all academic programmes of the University.
• Policy Implementation and Liaison: Act as a link between Registrar and staff of the Directorate.
• Reporting and Record Keeping: Maintaining accurate records of staff and activities of the Directorate.
• Preparing reports for Director on administrative and operational issues.
• Representing the Director in meetings and also oversee the Directorate in the absence of the Director.

 

Achievements of the Directorate

The achievements of the directorate so far includes the following

University Programme Accreditation

The Directorate coordinated and supervised presentation of thirty-one (31) programmes for accreditation by the National University Commission (NUC) in March 2012, in which we got full accreditation in 4 programmes, interim accreditation in 26 programmes and Denial for 1 programme. And the Directorate in November 2017 also coordinated and supervised presentation of nine (9) programmes for accreditation by the National University Commission (NUC) which we got full accreditation in 8 programmes, interim accreditation in 1 programmes and no Denial

University Strategic Plan Document

The Directorate of Academic Planning coordinated the writing and development of the Strategic Plan for the University for the years 2013-2017.

Committee of Directors of Academic Planning of Nigerian Universities(CODAPNU) 

The Directorate facilitated and conducted the hosting of the Conference/Annual General Meeting of the Committee of Directors of Academic Planning of Nigerian Universities (CODAPNU) in October 2012 at Lagos.

University System Annual Review Meeting (USARM)

The Directorate coordinated the University’s preparation for the University System Annual Review Meeting (USARM) in 2012

Coordinated the collation of staff/students data for the National Universities Commission for national planning purpose using in 2017.

Organization of Workshop for staff on how to access TETFUND Intervention Funds on academic matters in 2017.

Organization of Workshop for technical on conversion of course materials to OER formats in April 2018.

Major Achievements Of DAP

1. Generated staff and students data for effective planning
2. Accreditation of programmes in 2012, 2015 and 2017
3. Production of Academic Brief in 2014
4. Rationalization and Regularization of Unapproved programs from 49 to 15
5. Conducted workshop for Deans, Deputy Deans and Heads of Departments of NOUN      on Curriculum Design in 2017
6. Conducted Mock Accreditation in 2017
7. Restructured DAP and created 5 Units viz:

• Academic Standard, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit
• Data Management and Statistics Unit
• Strategic Planning Unit