Habibullah Temako reports,
The students of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) have been thrown into confusion after hearing a rumor that the General Studies (GST) Course 104 has been canceled.
The GST 104— also known as the Use Of Library— is a 1 unit course done by new students in their first semester. It aims to equip students with the essential library skills and inculcate a good reading habit in them.
In other to clear this confusion, the NEWS DIGEST PRESS conducted an interview with the UDUS GST exterminar, Dr. Sa’adat Bon Adam on Tuesday 11th of February, 2025, where he revealed that a new system was introduced.
According to him, “ The new system, which is known as Core Curriculum and Maximum Academic Standard (CCMAS), has come with its new courses which are quite different from the previous old existing system that was in place, known as Bench Minimum Academic Standard (BMAS).”
He said that the GST 104 was not captured in the new system (CCMAS). As a result, new students will not be enrolled in the course but it will continue to remain available for students who have outstanding carryover on the course.
In addition, he further disclosed that the new students will only be taking GST101, Communication in English and GST102, Nigerian People and Culture for the first semester.
“The new students have nothing to do with GST104 because a new system has been introduced which could not reflect the course. However, we’re only going to be mounting the GST104 for carryover students until the last person has passed it before it could be completely scrapped.
“We have a venue in the city campus and students who have carryover can go there to have their lectures, and here in the main campus we have 3 venues to accommodate the faculty because they’re not many,” he said.
He equally clarified that the new system does not affect other GST courses taken from the 200-level students, as they will continue to operate under the old system, BMAS. Consequently, all GST courses taken by UG2 students remain unaffected.
The Aims of CCMAS
In order to ensure quality university education in Nigeria, and to keep pace with the standard expectations of modern universities, the National University Commission (NUC), advanced the journey to restructure the Bench Minimum Academic Standard (BMAS) in 2018, bringing in its place, the Core Curriculum Academic Standard (CCMAS) to meet up with 21st century realities, in the existing and new disciplines and programme in the Nigerian University System.