Democratisation of Governance in Tertiary Institutions: A Critical Analysis of Perceived Involvement of the Student Union in the Administration of Institutions of Higher Learning in Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the perception of academic and non-academic staff, heads of tertiary institutions, students, student union executives, and parents about the participation of student unions in the administration of institutions of higher learning in Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the areas in which the respondents perceived that the student union should or should not be involved. A Student Union Involvement Questionnaire (SUIQ) was administered to the respondents. A total of 45 academic staff, 61 nonacademic staff, 140 students, nine heads of institutions, and 52 parents returned their questionnaires. The data were analyzed with the aid of the t-test statistics. The study found that there was no significant difference between the perception of academic and nonacademic staff and the perception of students and their parents about the involvement of students in the administration of tertiary institutions. However, there was a significant difference in the perception of student union executives and heads of institutions. The study recommends that tertiary institutions should initiate democratic reforms in the administration of the institutions. Indeed, every member of the academic community; academic and nonacademic staff and studentsshould be actively involved in every aspect of the institution’s administration. This, it is hoped, will go a long way in reducing the crisis that has almost crippled teaching and research in Nigerian tertiary institutions.