ASUU Rejects Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards Imposed By NUC

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has strongly opposed the Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) proposed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Nigeria. ASUU claims that the implementation of these standards would undermine the quality of university education and erode the authority of university senates.

In a statement released on Friday, ASUU’s national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, expressed deep concerns over the NUC’s decision to impose the pre-packaged 70% CCMAS contents on the Nigerian University System. According to ASUU, this move limits the role of university senates, which are responsible for developing academic programs, to only 30% of the curriculum.

ASUU also highlighted numerous shortcomings and inadequacies within the CCMAS documents, emphasizing that the process of setting academic standards is as crucial as the standards themselves. While acknowledging the NUC’s authority to establish minimum standards and ensure quality in the Nigerian University System as stated in the Education (National Minimum Standards and Establishment of Institutions) Act, ASUU criticized the hazy procedures employed by the NUC in generating the CCMAS documents without significant input from universities.

The CCMAS covers 17 academic fields, including Administration and Management, Agriculture, Allied Health Sciences, Architecture, Arts, Basic Medical Sciences, Computing, Communication and Media Studies, Education, Engineering and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Law, Medicine and Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Science, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Veterinary Medicine.

ASUU revealed that many university administrators, though dissatisfied, have refrained from publicly commenting on the CCMAS. However, some university senates have expressed their dissatisfaction with the ongoing efforts to impose these standards on Nigerian universities.

Describing the CCMAS as a nightmarish model of curriculum reengineering, ASUU condemned the flawed process and content of the documents. It argued that the 70% “untouchable CCMAS” lacks a solid foundation and would not withstand critical scrutiny by university senates.

ASUU proposed an alternative approach, suggesting that the NUC should encourage universities to propose innovations for the review of their programs, similar to the ongoing initiative at the University of Ibadan. These proposals would then be evaluated and consolidated by competent expert teams to revise the existing BMAS (Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards) documents or develop new ones as appropriate. ASUU emphasized that this bottom-up approach contrasts with the top-down imposition of the CCMAS, providing a more inclusive and collaborative process.