Badejo made the call during the inaugural Senate meeting at the university’s main campus in Ojo, according to a statement released by the institution.

The vice-chancellor emphasised that LASU must move beyond its reputation for size and infrastructure by delivering tangible benefits to Lagos State and its residents.

She said the university’s performance should be assessed not only through its expansion but also through the quality of its graduates, their employability, research output and contributions to public policy.

While acknowledging the institution’s considerable growth in student enrolment and academic programmes, Badejo identified research funding, infrastructure development and staff welfare as areas requiring further attention.

She disclosed that 84,326 candidates selected LASU as their first-choice institution in the current admission cycle, making it Nigeria’s most preferred university for the second consecutive year.

The university also has a student population exceeding 85,000 across its campuses in Ojo, Ikeja, Epe and Badagry.

Badejo urged Senate members to collaborate in tackling the institution’s challenges and strengthening its academic standards. She also appealed to senior academics who had stopped attending Senate meetings to resume participation and contribute their experience to the university’s progress.

According to her, stronger collaboration between experienced academics and younger scholars would support better decision-making and ensure sustained institutional development.

The vice-chancellor outlined five principles that would guide her administration. These include positioning Lagos as a hub for practical research, prioritising measurable outcomes, improving student welfare, promoting industrial harmony among staff and establishing achievements that would remain relevant beyond her tenure.

As part of her commitment to staff welfare and administrative transparency, Badejo promised to provide every staff member with a confidential statement of verified entitlements within the first 100 days of her administration.

She also announced plans to establish a LASU counselling and well-being centre alongside a student opportunity fund designed to support students’ academic and personal development.

On academic standards, the vice-chancellor said the university would introduce a comprehensive academic quality audit, an admissions standards framework and a policy guiding the responsible use of artificial intelligence in teaching, assessment and research within her first year in office.

Badejo further called for greater unity across the university community, stressing the need for its various campuses and faculties to work towards shared institutional objectives.

She assured Senate members that all matters requiring the Senate’s prior consideration would be presented before the body. She also pledged to make supporting evidence available for scrutiny alongside administrative proposals.

The vice-chancellor maintained that her administration would be evaluated based on measurable achievements, particularly improvements in academic quality, transparent performance reporting and staff welfare.

Source: Peoples Gazette