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Gulu University on the spot over failure to produce transcripts
Gulu University main campus. Photo/Courtesy
What you need to know:
- A total of 1,270 students graduated in various disciplines from Gulu University during its 18th graduation ceremony. Of these, 522 were females while 748 were males.
A section of former students of Gulu University who graduated during the 18th Graduation ceremony on February 24 has accused the university management of deliberately failing to release their transcripts.
Led by Mr Lawrence Kagimu Kibirige, the 53 former students, who graduated with bachelors of Science in Agriculture degrees from the Faculty of Agriculture and Environment (FAE), said they have on several occasions engaged the university management including the office of the deputy vice-chancellor, assistant academic registrar, and the faculty dean about the issue in vain.
“Since March, we have occasionally approached these offices physically but this hasn’t yielded any positive response. Other programmes under the same faculty have [the graduates’] transcripts ready,” Mr Kibirige told the Daily Monitor last Thursday.
“We have written to the deputy vice-chancellor, the faculty and the university at large, but no positive response has come out of this. Although the deputy vice-chancellor promised to help one time, he did nothing. The dean claims that issue [is] with the main academic registrar who [has also denied the allegation],” he added.
“I cannot actually apply for a suitable job because I have no full documents speaking about my education at the university. Being a loan scheme beneficiary, who is given a one-year grace period to start paying the loan, I am worried. All I have is a half testimonial that is being rejected at most NGOs, application systems and other employers. I am wondering if I went to school for nothing. And at home, I am looked at as a grown person who can take care of myself,” Mr Kibirige said.
Mr Denis Apale, another graduate, told the Daily Monitor that some of the reasons being given by the University for the Delay such as issues with course codes, course unit names and new curriculum were identified in 2019 when the university portal was set up but little was done to rectify the issues.
“Now, here the drama is on as the new office bearers do not even know where to start from. An institution that frustrates one right from the time of joining until finishing and even after finishing,” he said.
Mr Isaac Okira Lackony, another graduate, said: “Imagine mere printing of our transcripts can take months! We have been denied good opportunities out here just because we cannot present the original papers. What else does Gulu University want us to do? Pay more fees? Will you employ us all, because we have missed a lot of golden chances? It is time we demand what belongs to us,” he said.
Mr James Onono, the assistant public relations officer of Gulu University, said: “We are working to resolve it. This is because of a system upgrade and as a university, we are really very sorry but for other programmes the transcripts are ready. Sometimes it could be caused by individual student issues like date of birth and name errors. So, such corrections take some time to resolve.”
A total of 1,270 students graduated in various disciplines from Gulu University during its 18th graduation ceremony. Of these, 522 were females while 748 were males.
