Africa-Press – Liberia. The Vice President and Dean of Students Affairs at the University of Liberia, Associate Professor Sekou Konneh, has called for the reintroduction of the double probation policy for all tuition-free students to meet their GPA requirements.
In an exclusive interview with FrontPage Africa, Dean Konneh said it is a need for the University of Liberia to introduce the probation policy to encourage students to study and meet up with their required GPA.
“After two consecutive semesters on probation, a student may be required to take a leave of absence or may be dismissed. Probation continues beyond two semesters only under extraordinary circumstances,” he noted.
Dean Konneh said reintroducing the double probation policy will help students focus on the reason why they are in school.
“I strongly recommend that we reintroduce the double probation policy and set a standard for students, if you cannot meet up with those standards and the required GPA, such student needs to go rest and reflect on the purpose they are in school,”
Dean Konneh, however, supports the tuition free policy at the University of Liberia, but recommends that it be restricted to only students with good academic standing with a required GPA of 2.0 or 1.3 and above.
“Academic probation is a period of time in which students must improve their academic standing by meeting or making evident progress toward their school’s eligibility criteria,” he said.
“Academic probation isn’t meant to be a punishment, but a warning or wake-up call. However, it can have serious consequences, especially for those who don’t get back in good academic standing.”
Mr. Konneh noted that many students refuse to meet up with their GPA requirements due to the tuition free enrollment policy on campus.
He then proposes setting a minimum GPA requirement of 2.2 for tuition-free education.
“Let’s set standards for tuition-free status such as maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.2, if this is done students will focus on their being here,”
He said due to the tuition free policy many students are not making effort to get their require grade points;
“They are not paying for it so they will not value it, in our country Liberia, anything that is free is not respected, take for example when you hear people say government toilet or public toilet that is free is not respected though it serves its purpose but people don’t value it, but if you pay your high earned money to acquire education, you attach seriousness to it,” he said.
Recently, the Students Unification Party (SUP), a student-based political party at the state-run University of Liberia, called for the removal Konneh over alleged corruption.
The students, among other things, accused the Dean of bribery, influence peddling in students.
But Mr. Konneh, addressing the allegations of bribery and influence peddling in student elections, denied the claims and explained his office role in implementing the university guidelines, something he says students are never happy with.
He also denied allegations of paying protesters, citing his lack of motive and resources to get involved in such.
Dean Konneh, however, dismissed all allegations from SUP, believes accusers are motivated by personal gains.
He warned that Office of Student Affairs will implement every guideline for campus-base students’ organizations such as SUP, PROSA and other student groups.
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