Introduction

In accordance with the mandate of the Governing Council and the values of the founding fathers, Olabisi Onabanjo University is guided by certain core values which are rooted in the University’s organizational culture. Accordingly, in the context of OOU’s Philosophy, shared Vision and collective Mission, coupled with aspiration to attain and remain at the cutting edge of research, learning and higher education, the University will use the proposed Open and Distance Learning Centre, through its blended mode of teaching to widen access to education without the constraints of time and space, irrespective of the learner’s age, gender and race.

Vision of the Open and Distance Learning Centre

The Open and Distance Learning Centre of Olabisi Onabanjo University is planned to be a centre of academic excellence where knowledge, skills and values shall be pursued relentlessly to ensure the flowering of human abilities, service to the Nigerian Nation and the world at large. More importantly the Centre shall open access to qualitative education using its support units, robust dedicated functional ODL portal.

Mission Statement

The mission statement of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) Centre of Olabisi Onabanjo University is:
To provide access to flexible and high quality education for our learners and the public through excellence in teaching, research, creative activities and service to the state, society and the world at large. In pursuing this Mission, the Open and Distance Learning Centre (ODLC) of Olabisi Onabanjo University shall aspire to:

i. Provide flexible learning conditions, in order to accommodate people with special learning needs and help individuals reach their potentials through life long Education;
ii. Be guided by its Philosophy and Vision;
iii. Be nurtured in the best international and cross-cultural traditions of University education;
iv. Provide excellent undergraduate and professional educational programmes and produce high quality human resources that will promote the development of the society;
v. Admit achievement-oriented and socially responsible learners who will, under competent teaching and professional staff, acquire and develop knowledge, skills and proper values that will enrich their lives and prepare them to meet the needs and challenges of the contemporary world;
vi. Provide a conducive environment which enhances learner’s learning and character development, and sustain highly competent staff dedicated to the pursuit of teaching, research and community service;
vii. Pursue viable and relevant research that stimulates economic growth and social advancement of its host community as well as scientific and technological transformation which meet the challenges of Nigeria’s socio-economic development;
viii. Be in constant contact with relevant institutions, organizations and bodies within the host community and beyond, and adopt a broad-based consultative approach in its research and learning processes; and
ix. Strive to preserve cherished beliefs, values and traditions of its host community while ready to adjust to changing conditions and taking cognizance of emerging opportunities.

Our Core Values

Since the founding of the Olabisi Onabanjo University in 1982, the University is guided by certain core values which are rooted in its organizational culture. Accordingly, and in the context of OOU’s philosophy, shared Vision and collective Mission, coupled with it aspiration to attain and remain at the cutting edge of research, learning and higher education, the following values constitute the building blocks on which the University operates. These Core Values shall also be the watchdog of the Centre for Open and Distance Learning:

i. Commitment, Competence, Teamwork and Self-motivation;
ii. Integrity and Honesty;
iii. Loyalty and Sincerity;
iv. Excellent (and Delightful) Professional Service;
v. Client (Learners, Government, other stakeholders) Satisfaction;
vi. Fool-proof Professional Conduct;
vii. Resourcefulness and Initiative;
viii. Superior Productivity;
ix. Gender consciousness and sensitivity;
x. Transparency, Accountability and Due Process;
xi. Innovativeness and Positive Change;
xii. Staff Empowerment; and
xiii. Good Corporate Government

Philosophy
Olabisi Onabanjo University, through its Open and Distance Learning Centre (ODLC), shall seek to make education accessible to a wide range of learners who hitherto were constrained by time, and space in the traditional mode. Learners shall be encouraged to cultivate a worldview that facilitates not only the continuous pursuit of academic and moral excellence but also develop their expertise and competence in reducing the quagmire of society’s disease, ignorance and squalor.

Objectives

The major objective of the ODLC is the attainment of Mass literacy. This can be further broken down into the following objectives:

• Expanding full access to education for learners who have diverse and special needs, especially deprived groups, working people, housewives and so on through open and distance learning system as supplementary to the existing system of education.
• Improving the quality of conventional education through different kinds of support mechanisms and materials by the application of ICT.
• Promoting lifelong learning, continuing education and professional development through open and distance learning system by applying mix mode delivery mechanism.
• Establish a provision to provide skill-based education through customized courses to cater for the needs of graduates from the OOU ODL Programmes seeking employment in the national and international job markets.

The primary goal of distance learning is to provide a window of opportunity to the rich array of quality instructional resources available to on-campus learners to learners anywhere, who are committed to higher education but are unable to attend the campus offering their programmes of choice. From the learner’s perspective, a seamless web of opportunity is available.