Biography
Mandu S. Umoren is a Lecturer at the Faculty of Education, University of Uyo, Nigeria. She holds a PhD in Educational Management from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Her area of specialisation is Economics of Education, although she has a very special interest in institutional branding, innovative management of educational institutions and the creative roles of service users. Mandu Umoren has extensive experience in university teaching, research, academic administration, assessment, supervision, and student mentorship. She teaches Theories of Educational Management, Human Resource Management in Education, Group Dynamics, Advanced Economics of Education and Advanced Politics in Education. Dr. Umoren has presented research papers at both national and international conferences and participated in workshops, seminars, and professional development programmes. She is a member of the Nigerian Association for Educational Administration and Planning, Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration and Management and the Nationwide Association for The Advancement of Knowledge. She remains committed to impactful research, academic leadership, professional development, and service to the University of Uyo, and the wider community.
Conference contributions 1
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE READINESS AND NON-ACADEMIC STAFF'S SKILL REBALANCING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF UYO, NIGERIA
This study examined the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) readiness on non-academic staff's skill rebalancing at the University of Uyo, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the levels of skill rebalancing and AI readiness as well as the relationship between AI readiness (in terms of data, technological infrastructure, and AI policy) and non-academic staff's skill rebalancing at the University of Uyo. Two research questions and two hypotheses were developed to guide the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The population comprised all senior non-academic staff of the University of Uyo. A sample of 731 respondents was purposively selected for the study. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument entitled Artificial Intelligence Readiness and Non-Academic Staff's Skill Re-Balancing Questionnaire (AIRNASSRQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Educational Management and Measurement and Evaluation, while its reliability was established using Cronbach's Alpha, yielding a coefficient of 0.71. The results revealed a moderate level of skill rebalancing among the non-academic staff at the University of Uyo (mean = 2.67, SD = 0.840), while the level of artificial intelligence readiness was low (mean = 2.38, SD = 0.65). Also, a significant positive relationship between artificial intelligence readiness and non-academic staff's skill rebalancing was found in the understudied university. The multiple regression analysis revealed that the dimensions of artificial intelligence readiness jointly predicted the non-academic staff's skill rebalancing significantly. The study concluded that artificial intelligence readiness is a significant determinant of non-academic staff's skill rebalancing in universities. It was therefore recommended, among others, that the university management should strengthen AI-related capacity-building programmes, improve digital infrastructure and internet connectivity, and enable non-academic staff to adapt effectively to the changing technological demands of university administration.