UNILAG REGISTRY
The Registry of the University is vested with the responsibility of coordinating various departments/units of the University to ensure efficiency and optimal performance. The Registry is headed by the Registrar who is the Chief Administrator of the University and statutorily the Secretary to Council, Senate, Congregation and Convocation.The Registrar reports to the Vice-Chancellor on the day-to-day administration of the University. Over the years, the growing complexities in the administration of the University has seen the Registry metamorphose from a small Unit in a one-room accommodation in the then Ministry of Education in 1962 to a more robust organ with quite a number of key departments/units. While this development is largely a product of thorough institutional framework, the idiosyncratic values of successive registrars have also helped in shaping the Registry.
The Registry has come of age, as it has recorded milestone achievements since inception. It is made up of well-structured and functional departments/units as component parts with keyresponsibilities. To ensure efficiency, these units/departments are headed by seasoned administrators who are responsible to the Registrar. Importantly, the Registrar coordinates the activities of all administrative staff in the University.
The Registry’s vision as articulated by the Registrar, Mr. Ismaila Oladejo Azeez is “to be part of a dynamic and resourceful Management, leading a team of well-educated administrators who are highly motivated and endowed with integrity, honesty and transparency”.
COUNCIL AFFAIRS
The University Council is the highest decision making organ in the University Governance Structure. It is mainly a policy making body but wields enormous power in its advisory and supervisory roles. The Council is headed by a Pro-Chancellor who is a nominee of the Visitor. Primarily the Council is responsible for the policies and operations of the University, it superintends over assets of the offices and functionaries.
The secretariat of the Governing Council is the Council Affairs Unit. The Unit supports the Registrar in servicing the Council and ensures that Council decisions are implemented without delay. It also facilitates meetings of Council and the various standing committees of Council such as the Finance and General Purpose Committee and Tenders Board. The Unit also secures all Council documents.
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
This Office is headed by a Director who is responsible to the Registrar and concerned with the smooth administration of academic programmes in the University. The Office monitors compliance with academic regulations in the University. There are units under the Academic Affairs which help in ensuring academic excellence. These units are:
Senate and Ceremonies
The Examinations Office
Records Office
Admissions Office
Certificate and Verification Unit
SENATE AND CEREMONIES
This is the secretariat to the University Senate.It takes minutes at all meetings and ensures Senate decisions/approvals are implemented promptly. The Unit also serves as secretariat to the Ceremonies Committee which is in charge of arrangements for the Convocation, Congregation as well as Inaugural Lectures.
THE EXAMINATIONS OFFICE
The Unit is in charge of conduct of all examinations in the University. The Unit also performs other essential functions such as, reproductionof examination questions, supply of examination materials, scheduling and attendance of Faculty Board of Examiners meetings, processing of results for Senate and Vice-Chancellor’s approval, processing of schemes of examination and list of examiners, scheduling of lecture and examinations time-table and implementation of academic misconduct reports after Vice-Chancellor’s approval.
RECORDS OFFICE
The Unit is responsible for the safekeeping of students’ records and ensuring prompt issuanceof transcript upon request. It is responsible for issuing statements of results for the purpose of NYSC, scholarship approval and other official requests. The need for optimal performance and eradication of e rrors led to the computerisation of records. However, high attention is placed on accuracy of information t hat emanates from the Unit as this is important to avoid jeopardizing the career of ex-students, thus the Unit is headed by administrators of proven track records.
ADMISSIONS OFFICE
The Office is in charge of admitting eligible candidates in compliance with the National University Commissions standards and quota. The functions of the Admissions Office include; filling vacuum created by the exit of graduating students, attending to general requests on admission issues, conducting post-UTME screening exercise, selection of qualified candidates, screening and registration of admitted candidates, verification of students’ results and confirmation of studentship. With the overwhelming choice of University of Lagos by a good number of UTME applicantsand the quality of students the JAMB examination produced, the Management through the Admissions Office introduced the post-UTME screening to help curb the intake of unqualified candidates. This novel idea has since been imitated by other universities.
CERTIFICATE AND VERIFICATION UNIT
This Unit prepares Certificates of graduates upon completion of academic requirements and approval of Senate. The Unit also verifies certificates of ex-students upon request from private and public organisations. It is important to note that the Unit has lived up to expectation by ensuring certificates are ready as requested by the regulating body and modalities for collection of the certificates are seamless.
HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
The Personnel Division is the core of the Registry and is basically concerned with Human Resource management. This Division is saddled with the responsibility of recruitment/appointment of personnel, promotion of staff, welfare and capacity building, processing of leave, processing of retirement/exit and discipline of erring staff. It also ensures proper establishment and job description for staff members. It has the following units:
Academic Staff Unit
Administrative and Technical Staff Unit
Junior Staff Unit
Staff Training and Development Unit
Health and Safety Unit
Pension Unit
ACADEMIC STAFF UNIT
This Unit is vested with the responsibility of handling all academic staff matters in the university. The academic staff includes all persons appointed as teaching or research staff including professional librarians of the University. The Unit operates through the Appointment and Promotion Board headed by the Vice-Chancellor.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL STAFF UNIT
This Unit is solely responsible for handling all senior administrative and technical staff matters in the University. This category of staff is usually from level 6 to15. The Unit operates through the Administrative and Technical Staff Committee also headed by the Vice-Chancellor.
JUNIOR STAFF UNIT
The Unit takes care of the appointments, promotions, discipline and other welfare needs of the junior staff of the University. This category consists of non-academic staff on levels 1 to level 5. The Unit operates through the Junior Staff Appointment and Promotion Board headed by the Registrar and Secretary to Council.
STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT UNIT
The Unit plays a key role in making sure personnel are acquainted with rules, regulations, traditions and ethical codes of practice governing their employment. The primary aim is to ensure that stakeholders in the University get adequate service at all times. In achieving this task, the Unit identifies both local and international conferences, workshops, symposiums and study tours that can benefit and develop members of staff with appropriate administrative skills required to drive the University’s vision and mission.
HEALTH AND SAFETY UNIT
The Unit is to ensure that safety and health standards are maintained in the work environment at all times. In addition, it handles other duties not assigned to a particular department/unit in the Registry. However the routine duties include; ensuring the University environment is kept clean at all times, courier services, maintaining residential and phone directory of members of staff. This Unit is also the secretariat to the Student Welfare Board, Minor Contract Committee, Campus Local Trading and Site Allocation Monitoring Committee and the Staff Uniforms Committee.
PENSION UNIT
The Unit takes care of pension related issues for all categories of staff retiring from the University services. It also educates staff on the Pension Act and other contemporary issues relating to pension in Nigeria.
As earlier stated, the Registrar oversees all administrative staff of the University. Therefore the office has a close working relationship/oversight functions with the following offices:
SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
The unit is headed by a Dean, usually an academic staff. However, the Deputy Registrar/Administrative Secretary is the administrative head of the School who assists the Registrar with day to day administration of the Postgraduate School.
INFORMATION UNIT
This is the public relations unit of the University. Its major thrust is to provide accurate informationabout the University to the University community and general public.Although this Unit is under the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, it is however headed by a senior administrative staff, usually a Deputy Registrar. The Registrar plays an oversight role.
STUDENT AFFAIRS
The students are at the heart of any university, therefore great attention must be put in ensuring their experiences in the university arerewarding. The Student Affairs Unit of the University of Lagos handles all matters concerning student welfare. The core of the Unit’s activities is allocation of accommodation for students, regulating student activities,mobilisation for National Service identifying brilliant and indigent students for scholarships, and providing counselling services for students. This important Unit is headed by a Dean who relies on administrative staff in the day-to-day activities of the Unit. As the Chief Administrative Officer of the University, the Registrar plays an oversight role by ensuring the Unit conforms to the set norms of the University.
LEGAL SERVICES
The University deals with individuals and corporate bodies on a regular basis, these engagements require that extant laws are considered. The Unit therefore prepares the legal framework for awarding and renewing contracts i.e. crafting suitable agreements, partnership with other organisations (both local and foreign) and other engagements. This Unit is therefore essential in advising Management on the rules of engagement. The Registrar works closely with the unit to ensure support from time to time.
FACULTY OFFICES
The Faculty Office is headed by a Faculty Officer who is the Registrar’s representative in the faculty. The Faculty Officer is the secretary to most of thecommittees at the faculty level. It is pertinent to note that the Registrar provides support for the faculty officers at all times, the faculty officers in turn keep the Registrar abreast of progress and challenges facing the faculty. The Faculty Officer coordinates the administrative duties of all service personnel at the faculty level. They serve as the interface between the main Registry and staff/students at the faculty level.
SANDWICH
This programme is headed by a Director, often an academic staff. The administrative head is a Registry staff. Like a Faculty Officer, the administrative staff in the Sandwich is the secretary to all committees and panelsservicing the Programme.The officer also reports to the Registrar from time to time for support.
The current Administration is committed to raising a crop of well trained and motivated administrators who will be changes agent that would transform the face of administration in the University of Lagos – the University of First Choice and Nation’s Pride.