CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Record
keeping in an organizational set-up is very important and cannot be
overemphasized. This is because continuity depends on availability of useful
records of past activities. In a complex organization like that of the
university, it is not possible to keep every information in the brain because
the volume of information is heavy, therefore records must be kept.
The
keeping of records predated the existence of man. For instance, in Genesis l
and 2 God kept a chronological record of all his creations of the world from
day one when he created the heaven and earth to the seventh day when he rested
from all his works which he had made.
In
Nigeria, Education law demands that every educational institution should keep
certain school records such as log book, admission register, visitors book
,inventory book, account book etc The keeping of record is often organized around
a life cycle that all records should follow viz-creation, storage, retrieval
(for use as needed), retention and disposition which includes protecting all
vital documents (records).
According
to the International Organization for Standardization 2001, record can be
defined as information created, received and maintained as evidence and
information by an organization or person in pursuance of legal obligation or in
the transaction of business.
Mbiti
(1978) sees school records as comprising all the books and files or other
document containing information relating to what goes on in that school, who is
in the school as well as what type of property the school owns.
According to the Fund and Wagnalls Standard Desk
Dictionary (2000), record is an
account in writing or other permanent form serving as a memorial or authentic
evidence of facts or events. It is regarded as information handed down or
preserved.
Record
management is the practice of maintaining the records of an organization from
the time they are created up to their eventual disposal; this may include
–classifying, storing, securing and destruction (or in some cases, archival
preservation) of records. Record management is primarily concerned with the
evidence of an organization’s activities and is usually applied according to
the value of the records rather than their physical format. In the past, record
management was sometimes used to refer to only to the management of records
which were no longer in everyday use but still needed to be kept (semi-current
or inactive records) often stored in basement of offsite. More modern usage
tends to refer to the entire life cycle of records – from the point of creation
right through until their disposal. An
academic record or academic transcript is an official statement of all results
achieved through study. It includes a complete listing of all the courses, the
credit points achieved for courses and the grade point average (G.P.A), if
applicable and a complete status, if you have already graduated from your
course. Additional information is provided to help understand your academic
record.
Every
student who has ever been enrolled at the university will have details of their
achievements recorded in the university database, the official record of these
achievements is called an academic record or academic transcript; this record
details your entire academic history with the university.
Record keeping occupies a strategic position in
the efficient and effective management of the university system. Infact, it is
central in the administration of institutions of learning because it documents
the planning and implementation of appropriate course of services allowing
monitoring of work. In the conventional paper based organization such as the
universities, paper continues to be viewed as the materials for records in
administrative documentations (Igwoku 2008). The approach is for records
created in the course of day-to-day business of the universities to be stored
and kept in hard copies as evidence of an action, decision or process. However,
the process of record keeping provides a framework for keeping, maintaining and
providing for the disposition of records and what is contained in them. They
are therefore intended to benefit all members of staff by facilitating
continuity and evaluation of services and preserving privacy. This framework is provided for by guidelines
designed to educate people on decisions regarding professional record keeping.
For instance, American psychological association (APA 2007) contains the
“ethical principles of psychologist and code of conduct” generally required for
the maintenance of appropriate records of psychological services.
In
Nigeria, just as in America, the nature and extent of the record will vary
depending upon the purpose, setting and context of the services. However,
whatever the record may be, it is important that the staff get familiar with
the legal and ethical requirement for record keeping in their specific
professional context and jurisdiction. Generally, record keeping must be guided
by some level of confidentiality, proper maintenance security, preservation of
the content and context etc (Uwaifo 2004, Akporhonor and Iwhiwhu 2007).
Unfortunately,
the Nigeria situation in the business of record keeping and management
especially in the university system has not been too successful because of lack
of management components (Omeyi, 1997).
Writing
in support of the above finding, Ibiam (2004) noted that many years of neglect
had done great damage to the education sector and record keeping is not an
exemption. In his view, Iginodala, 1998) believes that personnel (secretaries
and filling clerks) who maintain the registry system with filling cabinets
containing the paper evidence of university business are inadequate and infact
ignorant of their responsibilities. This calls to question the reliability and
authenticity of records kept in such a system. Giving credence to this Afolabi
(1999) asserted that record management practice in Nigeria has a number of
problems which may include insufficient skilled and experienced record
management personnel and possibly, low priority of record management in the
scheme of things. Awe (2000) viewed the problem in record keeping from the
perspective of these bodies – government, university management, the staff and
the sutdnets. He accused these bodies of being responsible for unavailable
inaccurate/incomplete and dishonest records. And according to (Ututlu 2001)
these adversely affect planning for and provision of structures and facilities,
adequate finding, proper formulation and review of policies. Other associated
problems of record keeping identified generally in the educational system in
Nigeria include lack of record manual and filing guidelines which lead to loss
of vital information (Egwunyenga 2005) and inadequate computer terminals
(Oketunji, 20020 others are difficulty in record retrieval and lack of
appreciation by management and staff of the need for well controlled records
(Egunleti 2001). The result of the forgoing is high profile failure in
accountability.
The
management of these problems would mean the development of efficient and
effective options within and between universities this indeed requires urgent
attention. Ogundele (2001) believes there is serious training need for staff.
Full introduction and sustenance of computer and internet services as well as
record management integration (Baje 1998; Fadokun 2004) adequate manual
classification, security, storage facilities and funds are generally
recommended for good record keeping (Tower 20040. It is hoped that if these
options are adopted in the university system, perhaps most, if not all the
problems associated with record keeping would have been addressed.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
Record keeping can be viewed as very important
in any organization as it helps in the storage/preservation and retrieval of
vital information needed for future purposes. Unfortunately, in Nigerian
universities today, not much importance is attached to record keeping. This has
resulted into the dearth of useful information needed for the growth and
expansion of these institutions.
Records
keeping and management practice in Nigerian universities is bedeviled with a
lot of set backs such as: inadequately trained staff who are incompetent to be
incharge of record keeping, the use of manual system rather than computerized
methods for storing vital information, the negative altitude of staff towards
record keeping, improper security of records, lack of record keeping policy,
inadequate resource as well as lack of record retention and deposition
schedule.
Undoubtedly,
having accurate records is paramount to avoiding a disconnection and ensuring a
cohesive continuity in the affairs of any organization with the inclusion of
Nigerian universities.
2.3 RESEARCH QUESTION
The
following research questions were postulated for this study
1.
Does the level of workload of staff in charge
of record keeping affect the efficient management of students’ academic records
in University of Benin?
2.
Does the level
of qualification of personnel in charge of keeping records effect the proper
management of students’ academic records in the University of Benin
3.
Does the
experience of personnel in charge of students academic records affects the
efficient management of students’ academic records in the University of Benin?
4.
Does the
attitude of staff in charge of record keeping towards continuous update of the
methods of collecting and storing records affect the proper management of
students’ academic records in the University of Benin
5.
Does the use
of computerized methods for keeping records affect the efficient management of
students’ academic records the University of Benin
6.
Does adequate
entry of students’ academic result affect the efficient management of students’
academic records in the University of Benin?
7.
Does correct
proof reading and grading system affect the efficient management of students’
academic records in the University of Benin.
8.
Does the
enormous task of record keeping affect the proper management of students’
academic records?
1.4 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following null hypothesis will guide
the study:
1.
There is no significant relationship between
the level of workload of staff in charge of record keeping and efficient
management of students’ academic records in the University of Benin.
2.
There is no
significant relationship between the level of qualification of personnel in
charge of keeping records and efficient management of students’ academic
records in the University of Benin.
3.
There is no
significant relationship between the experience of personnel in charge of students’ academic
records and the efficient management of students’ academic records in the
University of Benin.
4.
There is no
significant relationship between the attitude of staff in charge of record
keeping towards continuous update of the methods for collecting and storing
records and the efficient management of students’ academic records in the
University of Benin
5.
There is no
significant relationship between the use of computerized methods for keeping
records and efficient management of students’ academic records in the
University of Benin
6.
There is no
significant relationship between adequate entry of students’ academic result
and proper management of students’ academic records in the University of Benin.
7.
There is no
significant relationship between correct proof reading and grading system and
efficient management of students’ academic records in the University of Benin
8.
There is no
significant relationship between the enormous task of keeping records and
efficient management of students academic records in the University of Benin
1.5 PURPOSE OF STUDY
The
ultimate desire of this project is to find out:
1.
If unskilled,
inadequately trained grossly over burdened staff is a factor militating against
the efficient management of students academic records.
2.
If the use of
computerized methods for keeping records promote the efficient management of
students academic records.
3.
Also to know
if the attitude of staff toward continuous update of the methods of keeping
records affects the efficient management of students academic records.
4.
Finally, if
proper entry of students academic result, correct proof reading of students
academic result and efficient grading system affect the management of students
academic records in the university of Benin.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The
importance of this study is to identify the factors affecting efficient
management of students academic records in the university of Benin.
This study will be of paramount importance to student. In other words it will
help students to have a comprehensive data and easy access to their academic
records at any given point in time. It will also help those who are in charge
of record keeping in the university have easy storage, update and retrieval of
academic records. This study would equally contribute to the body of literature
already existing by way of expanding the knowledge of the factors affecting
efficient management of students academic records as well as its usefulness to
future research.
1.7 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This
research work was intended to examine the factors affecting efficient
management of students academic records in the university of Benin.
The limitation includes:
1.
This study was
limited to departments in some selected faculties in the university of Benin
2.
Finance was a
major limiting factor of the study.
3.
The inadequate
literature in this area of study is one of the major problems encountered in
the study.
Basic
assumptions
1.
Improvement in
the attitude of staff towards record keeping leads to improvement in the
efficient management of students’ academic records in the University of Benin
2.
Better methods
for collecting and storing data results in the availability of accurate and
reliable data.
3.
All the
departments used followed the same method of record keeping.
4.
Proper entry
of students’ result, correct proof reading and efficient grading system leads
to efficient management of students’ academic record.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Record – This
is an account or report of what has happened in
the past
Efficient – This
means ability to work well or ability to produce the required result
Management – Management
is the act of planning, organizing, directing, controlling, commanding,
budgeting and staffing.