The University of Guyana (UG) yesterday launched its new online application process which will be operable from Monday.
Prospective applicants will be able to log on to www.uog.edu.gy and access application forms that can be completed and submitted online for entry to the University of Guyana. Alternatively, they can log on to www.turkeyenonline.uog.edu.gy or www.tainonline.uog.edu.gy.
Applying to study at UG has become increasingly tiresome over the years. And though this entire procedure has not been revamped, being able to complete application forms online is a step forward for the university.
According to Registrar, Vincent Alexander, “UG in its pursuit of efficient and effective service delivery and cognisant of the views of its clientele has seen it fit to launch its students’ Records Management System which entails electronic access to the administrative services, namely: application, registration, records retrieval and related services as well as the establishment of an electronic database as the hub of a new system for students’ records management.”
Persons who do not have internet access or prefer not to use the internet can still obtain application forms from the traditional sources across the country and submit them in the way in which they were traditionally submitted.
According to Alexander, the university has been contemplating this form of service delivery for some time but was deterred by the exorbitant cost of the software. However, the university was able to develop its own software production capacity and through the instrumentality of the Department of Software Services has been able to deliver what would have otherwise cost at least $50 million.
The software was developed by Software Engineer Malampati Shekar and his team of students from the University of Guyana who provided a live demonstration of the online application procedure for members of the audience.
According to Shekar, the software is so designed that it allows students to apply for up to three different programmes simultaneously and caters for security and privacy provisions through the use of passwords. Students will also be afforded the opportunity of viewing the status of their applications without having to call or visit their respective campuses. “They will be able to find out whether their applications were accepted or denied from the comfort of their homes,” he said. “They will only have to visit the campuses to conduct document checks.”
Progressively, the university will move from online applications in April to online registration in August and other online services in the short to medium term.
In his closing remarks, Alexander noted that the university is not merely introducing new technology. The entire registry system is being revamped, including the upgrading of jobs and manpower.
Alexander has stressed the need for prospective students to apply in a timely manner. Students who are writing CSEC, CAPE or other relevant examinations are urged not to wait until results are released to apply; they can apply in anticipation of their results. They must take note however, that the university has basic entry requirements that must be attained if an applicant is to eventually gain entry. There are also certain categories of applicants who must sit and pass the university’s entrance examination before gaining admission. They are therefore advised to apply in a timely manner since the examination will only be offered in the month of August.