The Imo State University’s (IMSU) Star FM Studio, which has commenced production, with recording of music, jingles and talk shows; though yet to begin, transmitting signals, is awaiting the approval of President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to Ukachukwu Awuzie, the vice chancellor, in an exclusive interview with BUSINESS SCHOOL, the FM license is being expected; informing that “the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) wrote us in January, to inform us that our application is now awaiting the signature of the President.”
Awuzie, said, IMSU has been witnessing tremendous positive changes in its infrastructure and academic content since the last one year under the current governing council and his vice chancellorship; adding that all these would soon make the 23-year-old institution a citadel of learning, research and community service.
He revealed that the university has been blazing the trail in information and communications technology (ICT) under the direction of Edmund Igboanusi (PhD), an ICT expert and director of the institution’s ICT Centre.
“The university has for the first time deployed its own proper offshore dedicated server to host all its online data and services. Local servers have also been installed for critical administrative functions and services in the vice-chancellor’s office, bursary, registry and library,” said Awuzie.
He said digital exams/ records and transcripts platforms would commence soon with the digitisation of the most recent Senate approved results – working backwards to 2005.
“The 248-systems capacity new ICT building is almost completed. It is being built through a TETfund intervention attracted by me when I was ASUU president,” he stated.
He added: “the Network and e-Library coordinators have installed 25 online library resource hyperlinks on our main portal. We have also commenced the use of paperless mark sheets and results sheets. HODs [Head of Departments] have been requested to collect soft copies of these from the ICT Centre to give to lecturers.
Other information and communication technology based progress recorded by IMSU include: “200 all-in-one systems acquired through the 2011/2012 TETfund intervention. 50 are deployed in the Orlu IMSUTH [Imo State University Teaching Hospital] Library, and 150 would be installed here on the Nwaebere Lake (Owerri) main campus.
“The e-Library section of the Library is now remodelled in readiness for this. Once the furniture is ready, we shall install the systems there, and link it up to the Server for virtual library services on the first floor.
“Lecturers through their HODs are assisting in bringing departmental bibliographies to populate that Server with offline e-resources. With that server, even if there is no Internet students will still access e-books,” he informed.
Awuzie told BUSINESS SCHOOL further that “the Wifi envelope on the Nwaebere Lake main campus is now running. We are in the process of acquiring more masts, radios and antennae to extend the services to ASUU Rock, ETF-1, Law/Business School, the New ICT Centre and extension areas of the campus. The E1- radio from Visafone is now also installed at the Orlu IMSUTH campus; and the masts are now being populated with relevant gear and antennae.
He explained that the university would be ready as centre for JAMB’s computer based test (CBT). “JAMB has come for initial inspection of the CBT readiness of the installations we have on campus. By their next visit in April, we shall have capacity-readiness of adequate systems on the main campus to run the CBT,” he stated.
BEN EGUZOZIE
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