This year’s People’s Assembly also known as “Meet the Vice Chancellor (VC)” was held at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Science Auditorium.
The forum which is organized by the Students Representative Council (SRC) annually is one which affords students of the university the opportunity to interact with the SRC as well as the authorities of the university.
Any institution which seeks to develop will have to set off with a plan to attain the desired developmental targets and one of such institutions is the KNUST.
KNUST’s 10-Year Strategic Development Plan which was drawn in 2004 dissolves this year and as such a new one has to be drawn (2k24) hence the addition of a segment to this year’s event to take inputs from the students body for deliberation.
The SRC Secretary initiated the event with a word of prayer after which the Speaker of the KNUST Parliament explained to all present the purpose of the event.
The VC, Prof. W. Ellis, then took questions from the student body. The questions that were asked were mostly about hostel prices and accommodation, congestion in classrooms due to large class sizes and the setting of 60 and above average as requirement for candidates applying for student leadership positions.
Responding to the issue of accommodation and huge increase in hostel prices, the Vice Chancellor made it clear that the building of halls by the university is out of the question because the university doesn’t have the needed funds to undertake such projects.
He also pointed out that the reason why the university has not engaged the private organizations to take up the building of halls or hostels is mainly due to the inability of both parties to come to an agreement.
He said most of these private companies who have approached the University to build halls or hostels come with demands which the University cannot guarantee them. Some of which are hundred percent occupancy of the halls or hostels when built and the duration with which they want to retrieve their monies.
On the hike in hostel prices, Prof. Ellis entreated all students to hold on to any form of payment to any hostel since talks are still on-going with hostel managers and the outcome will be communicated to all students so they can begin payments.
The inconvenience faced by students brought about by the large class sizes was addressed. The VC, though willingly conceded to the fact that the numbers were high, pointed out two reasons why students were having congestion problems in their various classrooms.
He stated that some lecturers do not follow the time table and shift their classes to different days to suit themselves. This leads to the need for a new classroom to be found for the set day as the assigned classrooms will be occupied by another class. The lecturers sometime end up using a classroom meant for a smaller number of students.
Some lecturers also combine two or more classesl. For example, “Parallel” and “Regular” students are combined in one class. “Parallel” students are supposed to have lectures only in the afternoons but since the lecturer may not be okay with the afternoon time, he combines both classes for the morning period meant for only “Regular” students.
Prof. Ellis therefore charged all Class Reps to bring forward such cases so they are taken up by the right quarters to ensure a good environment for teaching and learning.
The idea to convert the tenure of office of student leaders into their National Service so they are exempted from academic work and then come back to complete their academic work after serving their term was welcomed by the Vice Chancellor. He asked that the student body deliberate on it so a conclusion could be made in that respect.
The SRC took the opportunity to launch the Student Welfare Assurance Plan by Vanguard Life Assurance. It is a product from Vanguard Life Assurance secured by the SRC to support students who previously would have dropped out of school due to the demise/incapacity of a parent or guardian. The coverage of this policy is from the 1st of February, 2014.
Students were entreated to send all inputs for the “2k24 Strategic Development Plan” to any of the SRC Executives for onward submission to the University Authorities.
On a day when the Vice Chancellor celebrated his birthday, I think all in all the event came to a fruitful conclusion and the only way for KNUST is forward.
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