University of PNG to resume classes

Transcript

Classes are scheduled to resume at the University of Papua New Guinea after the first semester was suspended due to a student boycott.

The protest began at the start of May to pressure the Prime Minister, Peter O'Neill, into stepping down to face corruption allegations.

Ben Robinson-Drawbridge spoke with the University's public affairs manager, James Robins, who says the decision to recommence lectures was made on Thursday by the University Council.

JAMES ROBINS: The resolutions that they announced yesterday of course by the acting chancellor Dr Nicholas Mann was that the suspension of the 2016 semester one academic program that was put in place on the 24th of May has been lifted and all students have been requested to return to classes. The other was that the 2016 academic plan has been adjusted to accommodate the semester one academic programs. What it means is that the classes at the schools of medicine and health sciences they will resume next monday the sixth of June. And classes at the Waigani campus for the school of business and public policy the school of humanities and social sciences. The school of Law and the school of natural and physical sciences they will resume on Tuesday the 14th. The semester one exams will commence on the 4th of July and conclude on the 15th of July and then following the assessment of these results that will take a week. Semester two will commence on Monday the 25th of July and all stakeholders are requested to make sure that students are aware of these crucial dates in the revised 2016 academic plan. Because failure to complete the semester one examinations will lead to exclusion from the semester two academic programs. The program has been extrapolated to the absolute limit. The end of the year, academic year will now be on the fourth of November. That was to occur on the 15th of October in our original but that will now be the fourth or fifth probably the Saturday the fifth of November. It is imperative that students adhere to these revised dates because there is no more flexibility to accommodate further boycotting of classes.

BEN ROBINSON: Did the university manage to secure extra funding to extend the academic year?  

JR: At this point in time that is a work in progress. We will extend as much as we can with our current funding. We have negotiations going on now with government to see where we might get a new source of funding or an extension of funding. So at this point in time we are running on the smell of an oily rag matey that is for sure.

BR: You say that the majority of students have indicated that they want to return to class but how can you justify that?

JR: We have spoken to many of them, those that are still here on campus, they pass through my security people everyday and they tell you know we are pleased that we can now go back to classes. Those students who left when they were requested to leave and in the first instance on the 24th of May many of those have been in contact with the student services and with us and indicated you know yep we want to come back when can we start classes.

BR: Is the university in communication with the SRC?

JR: We have invited the SRC to talk. I am not aware whether they have spoken with the registrar or the vice chancellor. They had not as of yesterday morning. And of course they are a member of the university council they did not come to that meeting yesterday.

The University's Student Representative Council or SRC was due to meet later on Friday to decide whether to continue the boycott.