Makerere Extends Semester Amidst Student Protests

Makerere University has extended this semester for one more week to compensate for lost time during the February staff strike. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, communicated the decision

 

“All exams have been moved to start on Saturday 4th May, 2019,” he said. 

He says the decision was reached in a consultation with student leaders on consideration of stalemate at the beginning of the semester.  The university had scheduled Monday April 29th as the start of semester exams in all units with the exception of the School of Law, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences –CAES and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences –CHUSS that were presumed not to have had lectures during the impasse.

 

However, this morning students staged a mini-demonstration citing cross-cutting course units across colleges. As a result, all exams that were due today were postponed to May 3rd. Academic staffs have been asked to ensure all coursework assignments, tests due this week are completed before students sit their semester examinations without fail.    

“There will be NO extension of semester dates i.e. closure date is maintained. Therefore, all rescheduling of exams should be done to fit in the original semester calendar and examination period,” said Nawangwe in his April 29th circular to students.  

Makerere University Guild President, Julius Kateregga had earlier requested management to extend the semester to May 13, which was rejected. According to Kateregga, students particularly from the College of Education and External Studies –CEES have overlapping courses in the Colleges of Natural Sciences, College of Business and Management Sciences –CoBAMS and CHUSS.  

“We had four weeks of non-teaching caused by MUASA (Makerere University Academic Staff Association) and Administration standoff. We therefore ask concerned authorities to adjust the Examination time table according or we call for students’ action to physically extend it,” Kateregga warned last week.