By: Ogunleye Kolapo Olayemi
Several students have expressed disappointment following their omission from the Dean’s Roll of Honour announced during Tuesday’s Freshers’ Orientation at the Faculty of The Social Sciences.
Many of the affected students, particularly from the Department of Political Science, described the situation as discouraging, noting that the recognition meant to celebrate academic excellence had instead sparked frustration.
A 200-level student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “I was devastated, I won’t lie. Even if we are later given the awards privately, the excitement will no longer be there. It’s really saddening that this same error repeats itself every session.”
Another 200-level student also criticised the outcome, stressing that the issue goes beyond the award itself. “To be candid, I felt so bad about this, and I am not pleased with the way things went. It is not only about the award but the recognition. We all laboured for this, so why should some be awarded while others aren’t? I just feel the faculty administrators can always do better,” the student said. The student further suggested that the omission may be linked to the use of incomplete records. He noted that some borrowed courses, particularly by Political Science students taking Philosophy courses outside the faculty, may not have been captured.
A 300-level student described the development as counterproductive to the purpose of the award. “It’s unfortunate really. The programme was meant to encourage students, but it’s doing almost the opposite now with this unfair omission,” the student said.
Findings by POSSPRESS indicate that at least eight students in the current 200 level were affected by the omission, alongside several others across levels.
Responding to the concerns, the Faculty President, Adegoke Peter, said steps are already being taken to address the issue. In response to inquiries from POSSPRESS, the President described the omission as a recurring systemic error and expressed regret over the situation, apologising to affected students. He assured that the faculty leadership is committed to ensuring that all deserving students receive due recognition.
According to him, discussions have already been held with key stakeholders, including the Departmental President, Mr. Victor Oladibu, to compile a list of affected students. He added that plans are underway to submit a formal complaint to the appropriate authorities to address the discrepancies.
He also emphasised that efforts are not limited to relaying complaints but include concrete steps aimed at resolving the issue institutionally and preventing future occurrences. These measures, he noted, will involve guiding departments to ensure accurate student records in determining honours.
The Dean’s Roll of Honour is designed to celebrate first class students across all levels in the faculty of The Social Sciences ciences. However recurring concerns over omissions have raised questions about the reliability of records used in selecting awardees.
