Kampala University, students locked in standoff

Sep 30, 2015

STUDENTS of Kampala University-Masaka Branch have protested what they called a sudden program shift. This is the second week since the changes were made

By Davis Buyondo

 

STUDENTS of Kampala University-Masaka Branch have protested what they called a sudden program shift. 

 

This is the second week since the changes came with immediate implementation directives. It also comes halfway through the semester.

 

 The directive goes to full time students of Mass Communication, Information Technology, and other courses with less than 50 students to transfer to the weekend program.

 

This means the KU Masaka branch will only have weekend programs. But the students have objected to the changes claiming the move will interfere with their studies.

 

However, the affected students did not attend lectures for the whole of last week as the full-time lecturers did not show up. Most of them spent time chatting with colleagues on campus.

 

The situation forced the Students’ Guild Council to write to the University Council to make reforms on the new directives before the situation escalates.

 

In a letter dated September 25, the Guild Council demanded the new program changes be reassessed or quashed immediately.

 

The aggrieved students also demand that Prof. Badru Kateregga, the University Vice Chancellor, call an urgent meeting with the student leaders to chart a way forward and address the grievances of students on time.

 

According to the university brochures, admission and application forms, they clearly indicate three programs i.e regular, weekend and in-service.

 

The regular program is given first priority while other programs come next. The students’ council says that both full-time and weekend students have different notes and lecturers.

 

They argued that it will be difficult for regular students to cope with weekend students since the courses differ.

 

“The entire students’ body is not ready to abide with the above program shifts in any manner” said Gloria Asiimwe, the Guild president.

 

She said the changes were not communicated last semester to allow them enough time to prepare. 

 

Asiimwe further explained that the university council resolved to shift the full-time program to cut down on costs spent on lecturers. She added that both parents and guardians are equally affected.

 

“This was a misguided idea because our parents cannot pay tuition for only two days on weekend programs. They look at it as a waste of resources” she argued.

 

Evans Muhanguzi, the Guild prime minister, said that wasting the five days doing nothing may affect their performance.

 

“Just like an idle mind, students may engage in criminal acts like theft, commercial sex, alcoholism, drug abuse, gambling which tarnish the university name” he explained.

 

Muhumuza added that the University authorities had advised students to look for jobs and work during the. But he said no company or organization would employ an unqualified person or a part timer. 

 

According to Christine Nawatene, the Guild President KU Ggaba main campus said that she was left out during the university council meetings which decided on the programs changes.

 

Following the protest, Shakoor Wahab, the Dean of Studies - Main Campus in Ggaba, rushed to Masaka to meet the students on Saturday.

 

But the meeting never yielded results as students maintained their stand of not attending weekend lectures. 

 

Anthony Wannume Latigo, the KU-Masaka campus Academic Registrar, could not comment on the matter.

 

Weekend students have now joined the full-time students to pressure the administration into suspending the proposed program shifts.

 

A lecturer on the full-time program, who preferred to speak on condition of anonymity, said the changes will interrupt their schedule since they have to lecture students in other universities on weekend program.

 

Placards inscribed with statements demanding for immediate action have been pinned all over the university.

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