ASSESSMENT OF THE MANAGEMENT OF STATE UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study was on assessment of the management of State universities in South-South Nigeria. Five research questions and five null hypotheses guided the study.  The study adopted a descriptive survey research design.  The area of study were the six State universities in South-South Nigeria and the population were all their academic and senior administrative staff. Documents from the National Universities Commission (NUC) stated the population of these universities to be 13,741 personnel.  The sample size was determined by using the Taro Yamane Formular.  The Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to determine the sample size.  In the second stage sampling, Proportionate Stratified Sampling Technique was used with each university serving as a stratum to obtain the number of staff members that is proportionate. This resulted in the sample size of 389 respondents.  The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire developed by the researcher.  Cronbach Alpha statistics was used to determine the internal consistency of the items.  Means were used to answer the research questions, while the t-test was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance.  The result of the study among others showed both academic and administrative staff perceived that State University manage their staff personnel to a high extent or relatively well and that there was significant difference between the mean rating scores of academic and administrative staff on the extent to which staff personnel are managed in State universities of South-South Nigeria.  Academic and administrative staff perceived that financial resources were managed in State universities in South-South Nigeria relatively well.  This means that the relative difficulties perceived to have been encountered by the products of State Universities in South South Nigeria are either environmental or a result of other variables or dynamics that require deciphering for further research. The result showed that State governments, university managements, parents, scholarship boards etc may safely send their wards to State universities of South South Nigeria also called the Niger Delta, for inculcation of university goals. The study recommended among others that government, and managements of state universities should increase grants (capital and recurrent) to universities, as this would help the universities to acquire facilities that would ensure the attainment of the universities mandate and vision.  The limitation of the study were outlined, and suggestions made for further research.