BRIDGE THE GAP: UNDERSTANDING STUDENT EXPECTATIONS OF FACULTY EXECUTIVES

By Vivian Nnagboro

A new session has begun for students of the Faculty of The Social Sciences, and this session has ushered in a new set of executives that will lead the association of this great faculty. During the election that took place last session, we were able to find out from the now-elected officials what their plans for the session were and how they intend to implement those plans. It is still too early to say if they can carry out all the plans mentioned in their manifestos. All we can do now is wait and hope this new set of executives doesn’t come bearing empty promises. 

As long as the executives have the plans they wish to implement, it is only fair for the students to have things they expect to get from the executives this coming session. For any great association to prosper, not only do the leaders have to have viable ideas, but they also need to have followers who have a vision of how they intend to be led. 

FATSSSA press was able to meet up with some students of the faculty to get their opinions of their expectations for the executives this coming session. They were each asked these six questions

What are your expectations from the executives regarding fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment?

How do you believe the executives can enhance communication and collaboration among students in the faculty?

What initiatives or improvements would you like to see from the executives to enhance academic resources and support services?

In your opinion, what role should the executives play in promoting extracurricular N and student engagement?

How can the executives best address the concerns and challenges faced by students in the faculty?

What measures should the executives take to ensure transparency and accountability in their decision-making processes?

Below are the responses from some of the students of the faculty:

FATSSSAite Number One 

1. Of course, I expect that the executives, especially the vice president, deliver since it's directly in his office. But generally, I have so much belief in the executives. I mean, they all know that the primary purpose of being here is for academics, so they'd do everything they can to make us have a smooth academic year. 

2. The best way to approach this is actually what I see them do. There should be a bond between the executives and FATSSSAITES. The executives should not be seen as inaccessible people. And so far, I see a good rapport between everyone, especially with the new freshers. They are always on the ground to attend to them in the faculty Secretariat. Also, the executives should not forget the closest people to FATSSSAites: class reps. I trust the president to understand and capitalize on this; he has been a very active member of the council of class reps, and he knows how they can help achieve things. 

3. I'd generally like to see an improvement in the already established e-library. By this, I mean providing more materials that would greatly help students, especially in some POS and SOC courses. 

4. Everyone knows they play a very crucial role in making us have other activities in this school; kudos to them on that. On the engagement part, I believe that we are all grown here, and most people do what they want to do. However, there is a place for proper marketing and orientation, which affect how people perceive events and other activities. I want the executives to present every activity for the session in a way that would interest everyone. They should first try to create some sort of home feeling for everyone so when there are events; people want to come because it's their thing, and they must turn up for it.

5. It depends on the challenge faced. Some challenges are way beyond their capacity. But using the increase in school fees as a case study, this is a big issue that needs everyone's attention. We know the association can't foot people's fees, but there is a way they can help. If the council can have something like a bursary for the association, even if it's going to cater to just 2 people, it's a good thing. It would be in the record that the administration assisted in sorting the fees of someone. 

6. The best way to ensure transparency and accountability is to cooperate with the House of Representatives. Members of the House of Representatives are elected to represent the generality of FATSSSA; these people should not be seen as their enemy but rather as partners in progress. There should be proper information and understanding between the two bodies. It is only proper for the members of the House of reps to relay what happens to their constituency members; by this, we have an all-inclusive administration. 

FATSSSAite Number two

1. Well, so far, I think the executives have been doing a good job as it is. The learning environment has been pretty decent. So yeah, they're living up to expectations. However, sometimes the noise around the faculty (from those who aren't having a class now) is a lot. If they could help with that, that'd be perfect. 

2. Well, an active FATSSSA group for all social sciences students where everyone can drop their thoughts or complaints could be created. Especially for proper information dissemination 

3. Provision of more past questions wouldn't be a bad idea... Sometimes, one might only see a single past question for a particular course... If more could be provided, that'd be perfect. Organizing Tutorials for challenging courses, too, would be nice. 

4. Well, they should lead by example by participating in such activities and should encourage, recognize, and celebrate students’ achievements in extracurricular activities. 

5. Reporting such concerns and challenges to the Faculty administration so that solutions can be proffered effectively. Especially if they're major issues.

6. Well, the students should be included in the decision-making, and proper communication between both the executives and the students should be constantly made. There should be regular reporting on the key decisions as well. 

FATSSSAite Number three 

1. When it comes to fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment, I expect that everyone feels valued and respected, right? The executives need to promote an atmosphere whereby students can speak their minds freely and encourage them to be open-minded. Also, everyone's voice must be heard. 

2. To enhance communication and collaboration among students within the faculty, executives can organize regular meetings. This is like the congress meetings; there should be a platform where everyone can speak their mind without fretting. When students feel welcome or comfortable, communication can thrive! 

3. In terms of enhancing academic resources and support services, the executives can implement initiatives like expanding library resources, providing tutoring programs and tech 

4. They can organize events, clubs (book, press clubs, etc.), and sports teams and encourage students to participate. With these, students will make friends, develop new skills, etc., and have a well-rounded university experience, not only books, and I think our executives are really trying this. 

5. Executives can best address the concerns and challenges faced by students in the faculty by actively listening to their feedback, creating open communication channels, and implementing solutions based on their needs. Something like student advisory committees can help ensure that student voices are heard and that their concerns are addressed effectively. 

6. Executives should, at first, be transparent in whatever they do; they should provide clear explanations for their decisions and share relevant information with students, and students should not be left out in their administration. 

FATSSSAite Number four 

1. Basically, I expect to see more courses available for tutorials organized by the faculty and not just at times of exams. They could, if possible, reach out to the individual department heads to discuss how they can work together to create more ways of helping students of the faculty as a whole. 

2. Well, basically, I think the best way to promote communication and collaboration is through the creation of an activity that would require interaction with individuals from different departments and different levels. One which would give individuals a brief chance to interact with someone else they don't know. It could be in the form of a social activity or a more formal one. Also, it should be competitive too; people often enjoy competition, especially if it gives them a brief sense of superiority. But it should be something that would require interaction with people from different departments and levels. Like an inter-faculty treasure 

3. They could reach out to individuals of different levels of each department. Asking them to observe and report on the difficulties each level and department faces in acquiring materials and services in the Faculty. These individuals would go about like regular faculty members but engage in personal discussions to gather information. People have access to materials and how they acquire it. Thus enabling the executives to gather more materials and add them to the faculty archives for students to access. 

4. Well, in my opinion, if possible, they could make their social entertaining and attractive by doing occasional video interviews asking FATSSSAites random questions and thereby getting more people watching and thus spreading information about the events. Also, engage in various personal activities among the members. 

5. They could do this by having more personal interactions with the FATSSSAites, whether as a group or as individuals. Engage them in more personal and informal settings so that they gain their trust and thus can get information about their problems and possible solutions and maybe the source of these problems or challenges. And if possible, provide a solution. It also occasionally creates random anonymous forms for FATSSSAites to fill out and discuss their challenges. That way, they have more information about the problems faculty students face and come up with possible solutions. I know they can't have answers to every challenge or problem, as some are more personal and can be solved by the executives, but they could help by providing information about who could assist. 

6. Well, for starters, by giving more information and access to the Press on various decisions they wish to make and the impact of these decisions. Also, they could create more ways for students to express their opinions on these decisions. They could also find more attractive and informative ways of getting students to engage in the decision-making process. Also, they should create special groups in which the executives and the class representatives of the various levels of the different departments will be, where they could discuss the decisions they wish to make for feedback from each representative.

In conclusion, the expectations of students from the Faculty of The Social Sciences (FATSSSA) for their newly elected executives are multifaceted and reflect a desire for an enriching academic and extracurricular experience. Students look forward to a supportive and inclusive learning environment, effective communication and collaboration, enhanced academic resources and support services, proactive promotion of extracurricular engagement, addressing students' concerns and challenges, and ensuring transparency and accountability in decision-making processes.

These expectations underscore the importance of a strong partnership between students and their elected representatives. The students express optimism in the capabilities of the new executives and hope for a productive and harmonious session. They emphasize the need for executives to actively engage with students, foster open communication, and be responsive to their needs and aspirations. Additionally, the executives are encouraged to leverage the existing structures, such as class representatives and student advisory committees, to ensure student voices are heard and incorporated into decision-making.

Ultimately, as the new session unfolds, the executives must remain dedicated to fulfilling these expectations. By doing so, they can contribute to a thriving and vibrant academic community within the Faculty of The Social Sciences, where academic and extracurricular pursuits are nurtured and celebrated. The success of the executives in meeting these expectations will be a testament to their commitment to serving the best interests of their fellow students and ensuring a fulfilling college experience for all.