AUNThisWeek

A “Development University” offering liberal arts education on the American model must align teaching and learning outcomes with transforming students' curiosity into passion and motivation, the motivation to seek solutions to the challenges faced by the Community. And because local and global problems are multidimensional, they require an interdisciplinary approach. The mode of instruction must therefore be more interactive than didactic.

The AUN faculty kicked off the 2021/2022 academic session in a cerebral and buoyant mood with a well-attended two-day retreat that focused on reaffirming the primacy of the “Development University” mission and how best to deliver transformative education in the American liberal arts tradition.

Held on September 3rd and 4th in the 24-hour room of the library, the retreat, according to its organizers, aimed to "develop reflective faculty members who are competent higher education teachers in the liberal arts tradition within the context of a Development University."

Other expressed aims were to "contribute to the improvement of the standard of teaching and the quality of student learning at AUN; further the University's commitment to its liberal arts philosophy and mission as a Development University; and to demonstrate AUN's commitment to excellence in teaching."

Respected Professors David Merill and Cort Smith delivered stimulating presentations via Zoom to guide participants.

An acclaimed authority on Pedagogy, Professor Merill delivered a paper on the Problem-Centered approach to Pedagogy while Professor Smith, who has served as Acting Dean at AUN, shared thoughts and experience on how to lead successful discussions by using "Learning Through Discussion."

President Margee Ensign stressed the origins of AUN, the founder’s commitment to American pedagogy, and the essence of AUN's “Development University” focus and strategic vision. From the outset, this university, she said, "seeks to become a great center of resource and learning for Nigeria and Africa and a catalyst for development in the developing world." President Ensign explained that while AUN will fulfill its traditional role of reporting and transmitting culture and knowledge, it will muster intellectual and research energies to emerge as a center for creating new knowledge.

In his presentation, "Learning to Think, Analyze, and Communicate: The Case for AUN's Liberal Arts Education," Dean of Graduate School and Research, Dr. Jacob Jacob, traced the historical development of the American-style liberal arts model and identified the outstanding characteristics that set it apart from other models.

These include Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) courses, in which every student in every field must improve their writing skills,  and small classes that engender more teacher-student interaction as against the impersonal ambiance of the huge lectures of competing models. In these more interactive classes, students learn to use language and oratorical skills as an art form and a crucial life skill in order to inspire change and creative thinking, flying in the face of mere regurgitation of lesson notes.  And this American model also has come to stress problem-based teaching and an interdisciplinary curriculum.

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor Attahir Yusuf, delivered an excellent, insightful, and well-received review of the retreat's proceedings on the second day while the University's Registrar and Vice President for Administration, Dr. Andrew Okolie, and the AVP for Safety and Security, Dr. Lionel Rawlins, gave presentations which explained the code of conduct for faculty and the state of campus security, respectively.

Reported by Grace Togor Passa