The Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, UI, Professor Abel Idowu Olayinka has disclosed that out of 53,513 candidates that applied for admission into the school for 2017/2018 academic session, only 3,514 candidates were admitted.
Olayinka stated this on Friday at the matriculation ceremony of the new students saying, “The success rate for admission here is only 6.6 percent. In other words, only one out of every 15 of our UTME candidates eventually secured admission. To that extent you are privileged. Your hard work has finally paid off”.
The Vice Chancellor added that out of 2,659 direct entry applicants, only 446 representing 16.8 percent candidates were able to secure admission.
He said, “There were a total of 53,513 Unified Tertiary Matriculation (UTME) candidates who made the University of Ibadan their first choice and who scored a minimum of 120 marks out of a maximum of 400 marks, during the 2017/2018 session admission exercise. Going by our tradition, the first step was to screen out those candidates with less than 200 marks. From the Science-based disciplines, we had 16,124 while the humanity-based disciplines had 10.445. The total number of candidates for the post-UTME screening was 26, 769. At the end of the successful POST-UTME screening exercise, 5.397 candidates in the science-based disciplines obtained 50 percent and above while 3.871 in the humanity-based disciplines obtained 50 percent and above. The four candidates with the best grades in our post-UTME screening; were from Medicine and Law with a joint score of 86 percent and Technology and Medical Laboratory Science with a joint score of 84 percent”.
He continued, “Our system of screening was rigorous and we are very proud of it because we firmly believe that if it is from Ibadan it must be of outstanding quality. Some of the candidates who were not satisfied with the scores they obtained at the POST-UTME Screening requested for a re-assessment. All the 26 candidates who paid the mandatory reassessment fees were reevaluated. It was observed that there was no deviation from the original grades returned by the system, thus proving our internal mechanism to be highly reliable. The normal admission meetings at the Faculties were conducted before the strike action commencement of the three non-teaching staff unions in November 2017. Hence, all candidates on the first choice were recommended on merit. There was a change of operation in the 2017/2018 admissions; no university can admit a candidate. We can only propose to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, after stating our criteria on the Central Admission Processing System, CAPS, of the JAMB, who will in turn contact candidates to accept or decline the offer. When candidates have accepted, they are then offered admission on the basis of our criteria”.
Olayinka explained that candidates who participated in the Post UTME but failed to secure admission were not recommended for admission for various reasons which include, poor performance at the Post UTME, wrong subject combination at either UTME or SSCE/NECO.
Urging the new student to take their study very seriously, Olayinka said, “As you are probably aware of, out of the total of 2,998 students who were in the 100 level last session, 328 representing 10.9 percent were advised to withdraw from this University. That one out of every nine students in that cohort was asked to withdraw was easily the worst performance recorded here in the last 12 years. We pray that your set will perform much better that the students in that cohort who did not take any POST-UTME before they were admitted. The pass mark in any of your courses is 45 percent as against 40 percent up till the 2015/2016 session. Moreover, you need to pass a minimum of 24 units at the end of the 100 level as against a minimum of 20 units hitherto. Some programmes such as those in the College of Medicine, Technology and Veterinary Medicine even require much higher threshold to retain your studentship. In other words, the standard is rising and you are, therefore, expected to work diligently and consistently throughout the session”.
The Vice Chancellor also informed the students about the requisites of a student desirous of earning the institution’s degree to include: intelligence, innovation and creativity, academic focus, sustained robust health, obedience to constituted authorities, regular and punctual attendance at lectures, commitment to submitting assignments at all times, writing all your continuous assessment tests, avoiding undesirable associations and groups, avoiding examination malpractices, avoiding any act that may be interpreted to be a violation of your matriculation oath, diligence and commitment, C.T. compliance and religious tolerance.
Warning against drug abuse, cultism and other vices, Olayinka stated, “I wish to urge you not to engage in any form of cooking in your rooms. The use of boiling ring, hot plate, gas cooker etc will not be tolerated in the halls. Anyone found flouting this rule will be queried and arraigned before the Student Disciplinary Committee, SDC. The University management has resuscitated the cafeteria system where you can get decent meals at affordable rates. Let me also admonish you to always call at the Student Affairs Division when in distress or in need of any important information. In addition, endeavour to check the University Official Bulletin, online or offline, and be conversant with your handbook which should be your companion for important information always. I implore you to register for your courses as soon as possible… I also urge you to get involved in positive student activities that would enable the University to pass through you.”
