Non-compliance By Faculties: Is the School Calendar a Joke?
By Ayoade Divine
At the heart of every academic institution is its calendar. A structured timeline designed to guide teaching, learning, and every academic activity that goes on. The University of Ibadan is no exception, as it operates on a central calendar each session, for the organization and synchrony of activities across faculties.
However, this is not completely so in reality. Oftentimes, we have faculties that do not follow the stipulated activities in the central calendar. This has led to a recurring cycle of late examinations, late resumption, and rushed lectures, one that is most peculiar to some faculties.
These faculties struggle to align with the academic calendar's structure. When most university students complete their examinations and vacate the school premises, students in these faculties are usually still writing exams several days later. For instance, according to the university's calendar, all exams were meant to be concluded on the 8th of August. However, according to a Mathematics student in 100L, some of them still wrote COS101 (a computer science course) on the 13th of August.
This leads to a predictable outcome - the faculty rounds up the semester late and therefore resumes activities late. As a result, lecturers resort to rushing through topics and squeezing weeks of content into a few days. Several times, classes even run into the examination weeks, leaving students with barely enough time to study or prepare adequately. This recurring pattern has slowly become normalized, yet it carries deeper consequences for the structure and quality of academic life of the students
One of the most pressing consequences is the academic strain placed on students. When lectures are delayed and later squeezed into shortened timeframes, students are forced to keep up with a fast-paced academic load that leaves little room for reflection or deep understanding. This limits the quality of learning and weakens the foundation needed for future academic progress. Additionally, the constant need to catch up can lead to fatigue, reduced motivation, and a general sense of being unprepared, not because students aren’t willing to learn, but because the structure gives them little chance to do so properly.
Beyond academics, the irregular calendar also disrupts students’ schedules. They often resume late, finish late, and find themselves out of sync with peers in other faculties. Holidays become shorter and almost non-existent, which can make students miss out on plans they might have for themselves. Over time, this breeds frustration, fatigue, and an overall decline in motivation.
Beyond the immediate effects on students and faculty, the persistent delay in academic activities within some faculties casts a shadow on the reputation of the university as a whole. The University of Ibadan, being Nigeria’s premier university, is held to high academic and administrative standards. However, when certain faculties consistently fail to adhere to the centralized academic calendar, it projects an image of disorganization and inefficiency. Prospective students and parents may begin to question the university’s ability to maintain academic integrity and structure.
Given these challenges and their impact on students, it’s clear that proactive steps must be taken to restore order and fairness in our academic calendar.
One way to fix this is if the university actually keeps a closer eye on how faculties follow the calendar. There should be regular check-ins to see if lectures and exams are happening on time. If the school had a system to track all this, it’d be harder for faculties to just drag their feet and catch everyone off guard with last-minute rushes. Holding everyone accountable would make things way smoother for students and lecturers alike.
Another important thing to do would be better planning and time management from the faculty themselves. Most times, the rush happens simply because things weren’t scheduled properly in the first place. If faculties take the school calendar seriously from the start by planning lectures realistically and setting exam dates early, they won’t have to scramble to meet deadlines. A bit of intentionality and structure can save everyone the stress of rushed lectures.
In the end, a calendar is only as effective as those who follow it. While the University provides a structured timeline meant to guide all faculties, consistent disregard for this calendar disrupts the flow of academic activities and places avoidable strain on students. To truly uphold academic excellence and fairness, all faculties must be committed to proper planning, coordination, and timely execution. After all, an organized academic calendar is about giving students the stable, balanced environment they deserve.
.png)