DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF DEPARTMENTAL FEE CLEARANCE INFORMATION SYSTEM (CASE STUDY OF COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPART, IMT ENUGU)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Many organization uses computerized information system to keep their data/information. There is an urgent need to document all information of an organization for the decision making in such organization. Departmental Fee Clearance information system is used mainly in higher institute of learning to track the record of students. As the number of students increases, manual approach to the processing of students data/information need to be change to the electronic format of processing. Computer science Department in every institution is highly sensitive and need to be taken care of. This department deal with students figures in terms of payment and therefore need to be well documented. Figures can be easily manipulated and incorrectly represented which call for immediate attention when dealing with such information. Because of the manual approach used in Computer science department, a lot of students’ records are mismanaged. The institute also has suffered a lot of bruises like improper calculation of student fees, embezzlement of the institute money by some Computer science staff and some student claiming that they have paid. Departmental Fee Clearance information system, FCIS is well automated system. Departmental Fee Clearance information system, FCIS makes the staffs of Computer science department of any institution to be accountable to the management. The management uses Departmental Fee Clearance information system, FCIS as effective tool in keeping all the students records as pertaining their payment. The management uses Departmental Fee Clearance information system; FCIS to know the entire student that have made their payment and those owing them. It is used as a effective tool to calculate all the student payment and document such report. Another important aspect of Departmental Fee Clearance information system, FCIS is that it is used as effective tool during student’s clearance. Being automated system, the student’s record will be easily retrieve to check his/her payment status. Before now, the student’s payment record must have been recorded in the system by the computer operator in the Computer science department. Once a student’s record is brought out the payment status will show. If the student is owing any fee, the Departmental Fee Clearance information system, FCIS will indicate it and vice versa.

BACKGROUND

PRIOR TO THE establishment of the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, there were two institutions in Enugu – The College of Technology which offered courses in Engineering and Laboratory Technology, up to the Ordinary Diploma Level and the Institute of Administration which provided short in-service Training Courses for Civil Servants of various grades. The college of Technology was part of the Ministry of Education and was controlled directly by that Ministry. Similarly, the Institute of Administration was controlled by the Ministry of Establishments. Both institutions were staffed by Civil Servants who were posted to the two institutions and could be re-posted to other departments of ministries according to the needs of the service. They were not specially recruited as teachers. Thus, the administration and operation of the institutions closely followed the routine in the Civil Service. Both institutions were separate and located on different sites. However, the need for a higher institution of learning to upgrade the training in technology and management education has begun to be felt for some time. The academic program of the College of Technology, Enugu, was no longer adequate for the assessed needs of Nigeria at the threshold of industrial take-off. If the industrialization of the country was to be achieved and maintained at a high standard, the technologists, technicians and processionals needed a better and more functional training. It is clear that successful industrial development depends as much on the technologists as on the management skills and expertise available to the country concerned. For a brief period during the year 1985, the Institute seemed to have lost its identity as a result of the merger with the Anambra State University of Technology. This arrangement, however lasted for only five months before relief came and the Institute was reborn, to the joy of staff and students alike. In order to fit into the information and communication Technology age, the IMT established in 2004, a Knowledge Centre in Campus II to provide researchers and information seekers with quick answers through the internet. Equipped with 45 Pentium IV workstations and a 3.5m VSAT, this knowledge Centre is the first of its kind around. IMT believes that technology cannot be transferred but developed indigenously. However; through foreign aid in areas of books and equipment donation, indigenous talents could be developed to manufacture products, which are relevant to Nigeria’s technological development.