UNIZIK Staff Awards Committee Presents Interim Report to Vice-Chancellor

The Committee on Staff Awards of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, has presented an interim report on proposed categories and selection criteria for the University’s staff awards to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie.

The delegation, led by the Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Emeka Francis Ezeonu, paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor in his office on Monday, August 24, 2026.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Ezeonu recalled that the Committee was constituted by the Vice-Chancellor on July 27, 2026, with the mandate to recommend appropriate categories of staff awards and develop criteria for selecting deserving recipients.

He explained that although the Committee had been engaged with examination-related activities, it considered it important to present an interim report within the one-month timeline given by the Vice-Chancellor.

According to him, the proposed awards have been grouped into five major categories:

Category A: Academic Staff Awards — designed to recognise pedagogical innovation, academic mentorship and research impact.

Category B: Non-Academic (Administrative and Professional) Staff Awards — recognises the vital contributions of administrative, professional and support staff to the development of the University.

Category C: Long Service and Loyalty Award — honours staff members who have demonstrated long service, loyalty and dedication to the University.

Category D: Junior Staff Awards — intended to recognise outstanding junior staff, including those who demonstrate excellent performance and exemplary courtesy.

Category E: Vice-Chancellor’s Special Recognition Award — proposed to recognise exceptional productivity, commitment and institutional citizenship, with the final selection left to the discretion of the Vice-Chancellor.

Prof. Ezeonu said the Committee would proceed to develop the rubrics and scoring system after receiving the Vice-Chancellor’s observations and further directives.

Responding, Prof. Anyaehie commended the Committee for its efforts, describing the work completed so far as impressive.

He, however, emphasised the need for the Committee to carefully identify and apply appropriate determinants to ensure that the most deserving individuals emerge for the various awards.

The Vice-Chancellor cautioned against relying solely on general student opinions in selecting academic staff awardees, noting that such an approach could produce biased results.

He explained that students might favour lecturers perceived as easy-going, including those who may be less rigorous in teaching or assessment.

Prof. Anyaehie therefore advised the Committee to consider more objective approaches, including obtaining input from course representatives who are better positioned to assess lecturers based on their actual teaching performance.

He suggested that relevant criteria could include lecturers’ ability to complete their courses before examinations, create opportunities for interaction with students and set examination questions that accurately reflect what was taught in class.

On the proposed Graduate Research Supervision Award, Prof. Anyaehie urged the Committee to develop an appropriate and measurable method for selecting awardees.

He suggested that the Committee could consider the quality and outcomes of supervised research, the number of publications arising from such research, the ranking of the journals in which the papers were published, and the extent to which such research contributes to the University’s academic standing and ranking.

Prof. Anyaehie further urged the Committee to ensure that the final criteria promote fairness, objectivity and excellence throughout the selection process.

Other members of the delegation were Prof. Veronica Ojukwu, Prof. Amaka Ukamaka Okeke, Prof. Jatex Obi, Mrs. Ogonna Nwokeke, Dr. Chidimma Chukwuwejim, Mrs. Chigozie Isabella and Mr. Ekene Ezeumeanya, Special Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor on New Media, who is facilitating the project with sponsors.

The meeting provided an opportunity for the Committee to receive further guidance from the Vice-Chancellor as it continues its work towards establishing a credible and transparent framework for recognising deserving staff members of the University.