It is common knowledge that corrupt practices among lecturers in most tertiary institutions in Nigeria exist in varied and diverse forms and magnitudes. This is very disturbing to stakeholders in the education industry. This case study sought to determine if the innovative strategy of undergraduate students openly assessing and reporting on their lecturers’ professional and moral behavior would result in improved disciplined behavior and reduced corrupt practices on the part of the lecturers. The study took place at Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria and the subjects were all the 382 academic staff of the university. The data collection instrument was a structured and validated ten-item questionnaire that elicited information on a lecturer’s teaching, leadership and moral behavior. Guidelines for the completion of the questionnaire were clearly established such that students assessed only lecturers in their department who taught and interacted with them regularly and so they are able to assess them objectively. The Center for Quality Assurance established specifically for this purpose undertook the university-wide data collection under my leadership as Vice-Chancellor Data were collected across two academic sessions. Results showed that the moment the university senate made up of senior academic staff, heads of department, deans of faculties and directors of academic units was informed of this innovation, all the university lecturers sat up and began to reduce if not stop those unwholesome behavior in order not to be rated poorly by students. Obtained data were used to classified lecturers under six categories of overall performance namely: “Distinction Ratings”, “Very High Rating”, “High Rating”, “Average Rating”, “Below Average Rating” and “Woeful Rating”.

Keywords : Assessment, Lecturers, Corrupt practices, Universities. I