Africa-Press – Namibia. SOME undergraduate students at the International University of Management (IUM) coastal campus at Walvis Bay are complaining that they are forced to re-register and pay registration fees for the fifth year
They told The Namibian that it is unfair since they completed their studies last year, and only had pending research projects to submit. “We were told to submit our research projects on 29 January this year if we want to graduate in May. We were also given the option to submit our projects in July to graduate in September.
“The management made a U-turn, a week after the January due date. They said we must re-register and pay N$2 100. We cannot pay double for a module that we never failed,” said Anacky Ndakalako, a mathematics and agriculture student.
Another student Selma Egumbo said students at the IUM coastal campus were being treated differently from those in other regions. “We are told to pay N$2 100 because of the research project, which was supposed to be submitted on 28 January. The due dates of other campuses like Ongwediva and Nkurenkuru were extended,” she said.
A concerned parent, Johny Simon, has also expressed his displeasure. “Some supervisors have been sending students to work back and forth without having gone through it (research paper) thoroughly, which resulted in the supervisors commenting on already completed and printed out papers.
“They were given two deadlines to submit their projects in time for graduation. Management is not considering this. The amount of N$ 2 100 is being charged for re-registration. These students are unemployed and some have completed with the help of the NSFAF (Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund),” he said.
IUM’s director for marketing, communication and stakeholders engagement Gerry Munyama told The Namibian that the university has specific regulations, of which all the students are aware.
“All students must register each year in January/February for the first semester and in July for the second semester. No research student shall be supervised unless she/he is a registered student.
“The effect of the above regulations is that every registration is valid for only one academic year from January to December. Every student must be an active student for that academic year,” Munyama said.
He noted that students who did not complete their studies in the previous academic year and need to extend their studies into the following year must also register for that academic year to become active students.
“Active students are those who registered under the current academic year and are entitled to services of the university in that year. Annual registration is not forced.
“Students may opt not to register, for example, when they need to take a gap year. They can come to register again when they are ready, as long as it is within the maximum allowable study duration, and there is no curriculum change,” he said.
He explained that the institution does not charge tuition fees on subjects, but on qualifications over a study period. “Students who have paid the required fees in the previous academic year but failed or are yet to complete the research module, must re-register for the new academic year, as long as their research module is pending,” he said.
This year, the University will have two graduation events – the winter graduation in May and the summer graduation in October. “It is up to them to choose when to graduate, depending on their readiness. We are aware that this new arrangement has sparked a lot of excitement and eagerness among the students to graduate at the May graduation ceremony, even those who are not academically ready,” Munyama said.
He noted that all the campuses, including Windhoek, Nkurenkuru, Walvis Bay and Ongwediva operate under the same academic regulations and directives without discrimination or favour.
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