ASSESSMENT OF POLICY IMPLEMENTATION IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN KWARA STATE

Dr. Olaolu Paul AKINNUBI

Abstract

Private universities are statutorily charged with the responsibility of producing high level
manpower which can be achieved through effective implementation of policies put in place in the
institutions. This paper examines policy implementation in private universities in Kwara State. A
descriptive survey design was used in the study. Twenty administrators (Registrars, Deans and
HODs) and 80 lecturers were randomly selected as participants from Al-Hikmah University,
Ilorin and Landmark University, Omuaran. A researcher-designed instrument titled: “Policy
Implementation Questionnaire’’ (PIQ) was used to elicit data from the participants. Two experts
in the area of Education Management validated the instrument. Test re-test method was
employed which gave a reliability coefficient value of 0.91. Descriptive statistics of mean rating
and rank ordering were used to answer the research questions raised in the study, while t-test
statistic was used to test the research hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the
study showed that students’ admission policy was ranked number one with 98 points. The level
of policy implementation was moderate with overall mean of 2.61.There was no significant
difference between the administrators’ and the lecturers’ assessment of the level of policy
implementation in private universities in Kwara State. Based on the findings of the study, it was
recommended, among others, that private university admission committee should lay more
emphasis on admitting only qualified students.