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ARU: Administration sticks to its guns
2007-12-24 09:49:43
By Correspondent Gadiosa Lamtey
Ardhi University authorities have insisted that they will continue to confer students with its own degrees and those who think otherwise should opt for other universities.
In an exclusive interview with The Guardian yesterday, ARU Public Relation Officer, Alfred Mwenisongole, said his university was responsible for confering degrees to those who were enrolled as ARU students.
``ARU has full mandate to confer its students with degrees and not otherwise. Those who are not satisfied with the decision have the door open for them,`` Mwenisongole insisted.
He said Ardhi University has full status under the law as other universities, and has a mandate to confer degrees to its students at all levels. He wondered where the complaints were coming from.
``Where is the fear by some of these students coming from when ARU has the same status as any other university including the University of Dar es Salaam?`` he queried.
Mwenisongole`s comments follow reports that some students were refusing to be conferred with ARU degrees because they were admitted as UDSM students before ARU was established.
Mid this year, there were on and off strikes by students who boycotted classes to protest the decision to confer them with ARU degrees.
Their argument was that Ardhi University is still at its infant stage, and is not yet known locally or internationally, which could dent their chances in labour market.
ARU`s management dismissed the students` demands, describing them as ``unfounded and unrealistic``.
A number of students, who spearheaded the strike, had also accused the ARU of being sluggish, not forthcoming and incapable of addressing students` grievances.
Mwenisongole dismissed the allegations and assured the public that the university management was working closely with the students` government to address fundamental issues for the good of the university.
He said that the University Council has established various committees, including the senate, faculty board and departments in which the students have representatives.
At some point, the striking students had threatened with a court injunction to stop the just-ended graduation.
The bone of contention was decision by authorities to issue Ardhi University degrees to students who were enrolled under the University College Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS), then a constituent college of the University of Dar es Salaam.
During the confrontation, students passed a vote of no confidence against the students` organization and instead formed two committees, to deal with legal matters and communication respectively.
In spite of all those confrontations, students resumed classes after the ARU authorities promised to settle the matter in an amicable way.
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