UPNG to resume in September

The 5000 plus students of University of Papua New Guinea students will be returning to classes on September next month after the academic year was terminated last month.

 New Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology, Francis Marus announced early this week during his official handover of the ministry that students must resume classes as soon as possible. 

Soon after he was handed over the ministry portfolio by former Minister, Malakai Tabar, Marus had a briefing with the state University chancellor’s to salvage the academic year.

Vice Chancellor of UPNG, Professor Albert Mellam said the credibility, standard and quality of university programs will not be affected.

“We don’t want to sign off on the output of a degree and have stake holders to question us. So we have look at the timeline and we will front load 2017 because 2016 is gone. It will be the normal calendar accept for semester 1 which we will backtrack it by about five weeks. We also do not want to affect our staff members who are entitled to their leaves so there will be a space in between where staff will take their leave on December but the students have to make some sacrifices here,” Said Mellam.

Prof Mellam said students will start early on January in 2017 for their second semester which they will complete around March where it will coincide with the beginning of the normal academic year for 2017.

“The University council will release the exact dates ones the adjusted calendar is approved.

We start around March for the 2017 academic year. We have looked at all activities and the adjusted calendar will not affect our yearly activities such as the graduation.” He said.

Mellam stressed that stakeholders and students must not forget that there was a situation in campus and most of administrative processes were not followed.

 He announced that students will not be penalised for not filling in withdrawal forms that were given out after the academic year was terminated.

“Continuing students who are registered in 2016 will fill in a separate form when they come in next month and non-school leavers will follow the normal process and apply,”

Chancellor of UPNG Dr Nicholas Mann said the termination of the academic year does not mean that students were terminated.

“No students were terminated. Those registered students who are eligible to come will re-enrol.

“We have backtrack the calendar so the students will have to restart instead of resuming where they have left off. We have to start fresh,” He said.  

Mellam has also added that there will be a peace ceremony between the students and the university once risk assessment is completed.

“Firstly there will be a risk assessment done on the issues of security around. We have to be very satisfied on how we will manage the situation based upon professional advice. The actual reconciliation was aborted when situation went out of hand. The government imposed curfew will still be on where private security and police will be assisting University Force until the situation is back to normal in campus.”