Monrovia – There is always less argument over the fact that inadequate space at the Ashmun Street Campus of the United Methodist University has to some extent impeded ongoing drive to ensure academic excellence and get on par with colleagues around the world.
And the University interim President Dr. Albert Coleman has endeavored to make a case for relocation at the annual spring meeting of Presidents of leading Universities, business schools and Industry leaders from around the world under the auspices of the Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in London, United Kingdom on May 9, 2018.
Currently the University’s College of Management and Administration is amongst only four (4) Universities (University of Ghana, Morocco, and Kampala) on the African continent whose business schools are currently working with the AACSB for accreditation.
Addressing a news conference yesterday May 1, 2018, Dr. Coleman said a 12 year development plan for the University which will include plans to relocate at the University’s property in Doeman Town, Robertsfield Highway will be sold at the meeting.
“The facility here on Ashmund Street is inadequate for the growing number of students we have. So our plan is to relocate on the Robertsfield Highway Doeman Town. We will start with a multipurpose building that will have around 80 classrooms. And we are hoping that as a result of that, we will move the first phase of students there which would be both Junior and senior students who are already grounded at the University, he said.
He intoned “it is a 12 year development plan. So we will be selling that to other members of the AACSB. And they are hoping to see how they can help us. We also have a capital campaign to raise funds for the relocation.
“With this space and talking about academic excellence, it is impossible to do what we want to do here. But for now we are trying to improvise and manage the best way possible. It is our hope that in the next two years, the first multipurpose building on the new site will be completed, he mentioned.
The AACSB focus he said is to get Universities to align their curriculums to the need of the work force and ensure that they (member universities) have qualified instructors and materials. And they (AACSB) will help drilled you in the process.
He noted, “Since we begin part of the AACSB, our business school has now realized the importance of curriculum mapping, developing students learning outcomes, and having core courses. This led us to doing things differently”.
“I have been able to work with the senior group of the AACSB to secure funding so that UMU can continue to send professors for different training programs. Besides being a member, when we get to that meeting we will network with bigger Universities”, he added.
Report by Edward Blamo, FPA Contributor