UG students decry slothful registration process, hike in tuition fees

guyana chronicle October 26, 2015

STUDENTS at the University of Guyana (UG) are dismayed at the delayed registration process and the increased tuition fees, while the institution’s top officials seem not to be getting their act together.According to Rosheni Takechandra, it is already half-way through the semester, and students have not been registered as yet.

Stephan Sookram

“Why is it that issues have to be made public before they are taken seriously or resolved? When will the services provided by the University of Guyana improve? Today is the due date for payments, and I have not been registered as yet. The same is the issue for my other colleagues,” Takechandra said. She said the reason students have not been able to register, is simply because their grades were submitted late by the university, and by the time these were added to their profiles, registration had closed off. “We were told they will allow us to register,” she said, “but until this day, there has been no progress on this matter. They need to be more efficient! When will the University of Guyana start to treat students with more respect and dignity? “We are making a huge sacrifice to pay for a service. We want to be educated; we want to develop our skills and abilities to serve humanity… They are not treating us with dignity. The next batch of students must not face these same issues. We demand better! And we demand it right now!” a frustrated Takechandra declared. NO INCREASE IN EFFICIENCY Another student, Rhinold Cameron, said that with the recent increases in both tuition and miscellaneous fees at the University of Guyana, it was expected that there would have been yet another increase. That is, the increase in efficiency in the administrative and other processes. It has been seven weeks since the commencement of the 2015/2016 academic year, and yet many students, both new and continuing, are attending classes “like illegal immigrants in a foreign land.” This dilemma, he said, has been caused by a number of factors, ranging from tardiness of either lecturers or administrative officers, to complex registration systems Online, depending on the need of the student.

Rosheni Takechandra

However, he said it would be almost ludicrous for one to accept any of the aforementioned reasons – at this our highest academic institution. “We are not prepared to pay any penalties which become effective after October 23, 2015.” Another student, Stephan Sookram, related: “I find it very disturbing that Guyana’s premier tertiary institution is also one of its most delinquent. “How is it possible that at that level, basic things pose the largest hindrances to education? Simple problems should not require constant daily trips to the university campus to fix them. “The basic processes of the university are frustrating, and even though I know there are lecturers who try their utmost to lift the perception level of the university and act in a professional manner, the administration aspect continues to let students down. “Sometimes, UG makes me think that for an advancing institution, it has only retarded since its inception. I hope that I’m wrong.” Expressing his frustration with the process, Alva Solomon said, “I went to see our department head, Ms Walcott, and she endorsed my registration for the next phase of the programme, which is the degree… “To date, Admissions has done nothing to speed up that process, which would see me choosing the courses for this semester. The problem is that the deadline is coming and going and UG will

Rhinold Cameron

more than likely expect us to pay those fees, which is totally unfair!” Newly appointed UG Registrar Dr. Nigel Gravesande was unavailable for a comment over the weekend .