…prepares for varsity status elevation
The Federal School of Surveying (FSS), Oyo, has matriculated 459 students for the 2024/25 academic session during the institution’s 36th matriculation, held recently.
The Rector of the institution, Dr. D.N. Olayinka-Dosumu, while welcoming the new intake on board, assured them of technical skill-based surveying and geoinformatics education empowerment, which is highly in demand in the labour market, saying that the profession would also make them self-employed in the economy.
She congratulated them for choosing the right profession.
She then admonished them to solemnly affirm on oath their loyalty to the institution as worthy ambassadors, urging them to abide by the rules and regulations of the school.
Speaking on the public notion classifying the school as a monotechnic institution, Olayinka-Dosumu stated that the school, founded in 1908, now runs and graduates students in cartography, GIS, photogrammetry, remote sensing, and computer science at the Diploma and Higher National Diploma levels.
She added that all programmes are fully accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), assuring that more programmes are still coming on board.
Speaking further, she declared that the school management is working tirelessly to ensure the elevation of the school’s status to a degree-awarding institution.
Olayinka-Dosumu, an associate professor, commended Senator Yinus Abiodun Akintunde for his unwavering efforts in sponsoring the bill for the upgrade of the school. According to her, the bill is now on the verge of second reading, expressing optimism of the President’s assent as soon as the bill is passed by the National Assembly.
The rector expressed appreciation to Oyo town, community leaders/elders and other well-wishers of the school for their support towards the school’s elevation to a degree-awarding institution, which is to be known as Federal University of Geoinformatics after the passage of the bill, as well as the President’s approval
“Meanwhile, the Federal School of Surveying, Oyo, is undergoing a series of upgrading and updating processes of its teaching and research, infrastructure and human capital development, overhauling the system to meet degree awarding institution standards.
“Many of our lecturers are acquiring their doctoral degrees in preparation for the proposed Federal University of Geoinformatics. She noted that the ongoing development has reached an advanced stage to qualify it for a university status.
According to her, the school management is leaving no stone unturned to make the school the first among equals. She noted that the school library is being stockpiled with upgraded versions of needed materials and is fully virtual, adding that the institution is endowed with teaching and research facilities under conducive learning that a standard university should have, including artificial intelligence, which, according to her, has been injected into the school curriculum.
While she appealed to the Federal Government to extend the TETFUND facility to the school, Olayinka-Dosumu declared that the school is blessed with a formidable Governing Council Board, drawn from various ministries in the country, including the Armed Forces, that will drive the institution towards achieving its goal and objectives.
Speaking in the same vein, the guest lecturer for the occasion, Dr. J.E.T. Babalola from Ajayi Crowther University, while enjoining the new intake to be committed and focused, asserted that the Federal School of Surveying is due for elevation in view of its relevance to nation-building in the areas of geoinformatics and GIS.
The guest lecturer added that many of the modern developments that Nigeria had achieved could not have been achieved if the Federal School of Surveying had not existed to have played the pivotal roles in the development process.
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