Papua Nueva Guinea: University Senate rejects students’ protest request

Papua Nueva Guinea/ mayo de 2016/ Papua Nueva Guinea education news

Resumen: El Senado Académico de la Universidad de Papua Nueva Guinea ha rechazado la solicitud de los estudiantes a boicotear las clases, la decisión del Senado fue en relación a dos puntos, el primero referente a el libre flujo de las actividades académicas y la segunda de los derechos de cada estudiante a asista a clases con poca perturbación o intimidación. El senado académico es la autoridad suprema que preside los asuntos académicos de la universidad.

THE University of Papua New Guinea academic senate has rejected the students’ request to boycott classes.
Vice-chancellor Prof Albert Mellam told a press conference yesterday afternoon that the senate’s decision was in relation to two issues – free flow of academic activities and the rights of every student to attend classes with little disruption or intimidation.

The academic senate is the supreme authority that presides over the academic affairs of the university.
“After lengthy discussions and careful considerations of those two issues, the senate resolved to reject the petition by the students to cancel classes yesterday and to suspend academic activities of this university for an indefinite period,” Mellam said.
Executive dean of the School of Law Prof Mange Matui said the senate was also concerned it was three weeks away from first semester exams and it wanted to see the academic programmes delivered as scheduled.
“The university administration through the SRC has communicated that we are on the 11th week.
“We only have about three to four weeks before the semester ends and we cannot disrupt the academic activities of the university,” Matui said.
Mellam and Matui urged students to return to classes.
“There are academic consequences. Senate will obviously meet, we are monitoring the situation on a daily basis, and there are disruptions to the academic activities.
“When senate meets, it will take its decision on the next course of action based on the faculty boards that make up the different faculties,” Mellam said.
It is understood he gave approval for a forum last Wednesday for students to discuss and debate issues of interest to the student population.
However, the students sought endorsement to have a forum on matters that were outside of the university and on Monday demanded that classes be suspended indefinitely. Students were understood to have waited at the forum square yesterday morning for an address by the vice-chancellor.
By 4pm, they deserted the forum square as Mellam tried to address them following the senate’s decision.
Mellam said the senate would assess the situation over the next few days and possibly meet on Friday for further deliberation.
Meanwhile, SRC president Kenneth Rapa told the media that he had conveyed the senate’s decision, but it was the students’ decision to continue the boycott.
The National

Fuente:
http://edu.pngfacts.com/education-news/university-senate-rejects-students-protest-request

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