As the University of Guyana celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, improvements have been promised at the two campuses during the 2012/2013 academic year, which begins on Monday.
This was announced by UG Vice-Chancellor (ag) Marlene Cox, who addressed new and incoming students at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT) at Turkeyen yesterday.
The unions and students led a campaign earlier this year under the banner `Operation Rescue UG’ for a raft of improvements, during which no classes were held. An agreement was later brokered for a resumption of classes but the unions have argued that many of the promises have not been kept and that there have only been superficial improvements.
Cox said that as the new academic year commences there will also be rehabilitative works to the science and other facilities at the university. The upgrade is being funding via the Caribbean Development Bank and the World Bank.
As she addressed first year students, Cox said that it will be a year of adjustments, especially for those persons who recently completed their secondary education. Noting that the transformation may be difficult and that the students are expected to work hard while studying each course, she cautioned it is how those challenges are addressed by each student that is of utmost importance.
According to Cox, the student population at the university stands at 5,500 students, adding that there are 600 staff members at Turkeyen, while at the Tain Campus in Berbice, there are 500 students and a staff of some 60 persons. She said this could be the largest community of students the country.
Responsible
decisions
UG Registrar Vincent Alexander told the audience that university students are expected to make responsible decisions over their academic lifetime. He told the freshmen that they may still be accustomed to the high school system, where the teacher and parent share the responsibility for the student. However, he said that at university, that responsibility rests solely on the student’s shoulders.
He also urged them to always be alert and be up to date with developments on campus, as he singled out the importance of keeping in touch with the notice boards, website of UG and press reports.
University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) President Duane Edwards told the students that entering university is as important as leaving, noting that a higher level of education gives one an even higher privilege to become creators of the country’s destiny.
He said that at the moment, Guyana is in dire need of citizens who have found the “right balance” to ensure not only their personal welfare but that of the country. He said that there is a fairly high number of persons, who after obtaining highly subsidised education at UG, migrate to greener pastures abroad.
He said a recent survey showed that 89% of the university graduates migrate but he noted that as much as the trend is justified by identifiable developmental challenges in the country, graduates often fail to realise that “it’s an ailing person who is in most need of a doctor”.
Noting that there is a high crime rate in the country, domestic violence is on the rise and political engagements might be difficult, he admonished that the education obtained by one can be used to address the various problems faced by the country.
On a more humorous note, Edwards said to sustained laughter, “This is the place where you forge lasting relationships, I am sure here is where many of you will meet your husbands and wives,” a remark which drew sustained laughter from the audience.
