Those who gloss over the critical role of the senate of a university may have to pay more attention to some risk factors of ignoring the senate.
This was unveiled in a presentation at a retreat by Barineme Beke Fakae, a renowned researcher as well as professor of veterinary parasitology and entomology, who was a two-time vice chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), now Rivers State University (RSU).
Isaac Zeb-Obipi, vice chancellor of the Rivers State University, named him the father of modern RSU for several reasons especially for starting and laying the foundations of transparency, ICT, digital campus, and financial prudence.
Speaking to the RSU senate on the topic: ‘The Role of the University Senate in Academic Governance’, Fakae focused on strengthening governance through effective legal and policy frameworks.
He warned about risk to avoid, saying role conflict occurs where the Senate becomes overly administrative, or the Council interferes in academic decisions. He called for balance.
In reviewing decision-making in a university senate, he said the quality of university governance depends heavily on how the Senate makes decisions. He gave the principles of effective decision-making including evidence-based deliberation, inclusiveness of diverse expertise, respect for academic freedom, and timeliness and efficiency.
He pointed at what he called good practices such as use of well-structured committees, circulation of documents before meetings, clear agenda and minutes, and data-driven discussions.
He went on: ‘Members of the University Senate bear the responsibility of safeguarding the institution’s integrity, upon which its survival depends. Drawing from my background in parasitology, I often note that only a foolish parasite would destroy its own host. In the same way, the Senate must act with foresight and restraint. Positioned at the very core of academic life, the University Senate serves as the custodian of academic integrity, standards, and excellence, and its effectiveness is decisive in shaping the institution’s credibility and reputation.’
He discussed the statutory powers and responsibilities of the Senate, its relationship with Council and Management, decision-making processes and delegation, accountability mechanisms, and practical strategies for strengthening Senate effectiveness.
Helping the senate to understand academic governance, he said it refers to the framework of authority, policies, and processes through which academic decisions are made within a university. ‘At the centre of this structure is the Senate, which is responsible for academic standards, curriculum development, quality assurance, research oversight, and student academic matters.
‘In essence, if governance is the engine of the university, the Senate is the driver of its academic direction.’
He took a lot at statutory powers and responsibilities of the Senate, saying the authority of the Senate derives from university laws, statutes, and regulations. Typically, he added, the Senate is empowered to handle control of academic programmes by approving new programmes and courses, review and update curricula, and ensure relevance to national and global needs.
The Senate also handles regulation of examinations and standards by approving examination results and award of degrees, diplomas, and certificates. There is the oversight of research and scholarship, promoting research excellence, approving research policies, and encouraging innovation and interdisciplinary engagement.
The Senate, according to the researcher, said the Senate would determine admission standards, regulate progression and graduation requirements, handle academic misconduct (plagiarism, examination malpractice), and ensure fairness and due process.
On key insight, he said the Senate must not merely exercise authority, it must exercise it responsibly, consistently, and transparently.
Fakae harped on the ideal Senate’s relationship and said effective university governance depends on clarity of roles and mutual respect among three key bodies. Council should focus on finance, policy, and overall governance; while the Senate should focus on academic matters.
For clarity, the expert who took the UST to the first spot among state-owned universities in Nigeria gave what he called guiding principle as the ‘Council governs, Senate regulates academics.’
He said the Senate formulates academic policy, Management implements policies. On areas of interdependence, he mentioned strategic planning, resource allocation for academic programmes, and institutional accreditation.
To boost good practices, Fakae suggested use of well-structured committees, circulation of documents before meetings, clear agenda and minutes, and data-driven discussions. He gave an action point thus: ‘Move from ceremonial meetings to strategic academic decision-making forums.’
He suggested effective delegation of tasks within the Senate, given the complexity of modern universities, to achieve efficiency, expertise utilization, and faster decision-making. He said the Senate of a university has committees such as Academic Planning Committee, Curriculum Committee, Research and Publications Committee, and Examination and Results Committee.
He insisted that delegation must be accompanied by clear terms of reference, reporting obligations, and oversight mechanisms. He made it clear that the Senate can delegate tasks, but not responsibility.
He harped on accountability, saying it ensures that the Senate’s powers were exercised responsibly. Internal Accountability looked at transparent procedures, proper documentation, and ethical standards; while external accountability involves accreditation bodies, government regulations, and public expectations.
The mechanisms to strengthen accountability include periodic review of Senate decisions, performance indicators for academic units, and audit of academic processes. He named a key idea thus: ‘Accountability builds trust; institutionally and publicly.’
The retreat looked at complex challenges confronting modern universities such as rapid technological change, quality assurance demands, funding constraints, global competition, and balancing expansion with quality. ‘These challenges require the Senate to be proactive, not reactive; strategic, not routine-driven; and innovative, not rigid.’
He then gave what he called practical strategies for strengthening Senate effectiveness, saying it is in line with the workshop’s objective of actionable outcomes. He proposed capacity building for Senate members with regular training on governance and higher education trends; strengthening committee systems by ensuring committees were functional and not symbolic; digital governance tools such as use of technology for document sharing, voting, and tracking decisions; and policy clarity and review such as regularly update academic policies.
Other key recommendations were data-driven decision-making whereby institutional research units should support the Senate; culture of accountability by embedding transparency and ethical conduct. The goal should be to deliver a Senate that is efficient, credible, and respected.’
Fakae deposed that the University Senate is not just an administrative body but it is the guardian of academic excellence and institutional integrity. ‘Its effectiveness depends on clear authority, strong processes, ethical conduct, and strategic thinking.’
Any university with optimal senate functionality, he noted, would discover that their academic standards would improve; institutional reputation grows, and stakeholder confidence increases.
‘Let us work collectively to ensure that the Senate of Rivers State University becomes a model of effective academic governance-focused, accountable, and forward-looking.’
Fakae urged all universities to therefore commit to strengthening the Senate as a dynamic, responsive, and accountable organ of academic governance.