Senior management staff including President Dekle and Deans of SBE, Professor Attahir Yusuf; SITC, Dr. Mathias Fonkam, and the Graduate School, Professor Chris Mbah, were all present at the meet-and-greet session for new graduate students on January 30, 2020.
The informal session allowed for conversation among and between the students and their faculty members. While returning graduate students attended, the session was organized particularly for new students. Dean Mbah said the session was organized to make the new students feel at home and to let them know that we are here to support them and to provide guidance for them."
President Dekle addressed the students: "For me, the graduate students are integral to AUN. You help us move the research forward."
The event reminded her of when 30 years ago, she was a graduate student. "And it was such an important time and such a fun time…for me, graduate school was when I discovered really who I was as a person and what I wanted to do with my career." It was in graduate school that she discovered her liking for leadership and then ran for the graduate students' council. In her last year, she was elected president.
"I want to encourage each of you to think about doing something outside of academia as well. It can be community service; we have a lot of that here. It can be playing on our football team, which is fun. I like watching one. It can also be forming a graduate student council."
During the question-and-answer session, the VP for Academic Affairs & Provost, Professor Muhammadou Kah was asked how the graduate school intends to maintain research.
Here is how Provost Kah responded: "My return to Africa and AUN, in particular, is to reawaken and continue my contribution to scale up the culture and delivery of high-quality research amongst our Ph.D. students and faculty members and to enhance the stock of quality Ph.D. and researchers from Africa. I assure you that research standards will be upheld by the AUN learning community."
The Provost also reiterated that papers published and conferences attended should be highly peer-reviewed in the area of student's specialty. "I repeat, AUN will not compromise standards by identifying with substandard journal papers or conferences; graduate education is a serious journey."
He also underscored the role of passion in learning and recognized that many of the students have sacrificed jobs, time, and money for this pursuit of knowledge. "You should be thirsty enough. You are no more children; you are adults."
He reminded them that they are coming to an environment that has zero tolerance for cheating and plagiarism. "You may come from different university environments that may be tolerated or negotiated but here is a different academic culture. The grades that you have, you earn them. Nobody gives it to you."
The American liberal arts education that AUN operates is one that rewards hard work. The Provost said grades are not awarded based on sentiments. "If you get an A, it's because you have worked hard to earn it."
Whether it is writing reports or research papers, graduate students must be conscious of doing the right thing as integrity is a core university value. "Make sure you cite your work properly. You have to be careful and cautious not to lift and cut and paste. You will pay for the consequences. Reach out to your faculty members to help you how to cite."
Reported by Omorogbe Omorogiuwa