By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
To maintain the standards of the College, Fourah Bay College (FBC), University of Sierra Leone through its Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Professor Lawrence Kamara on orientation day confirmed to new students that the institution will ban repeating in classes.
A short notice signed by the Deputy Registrar, Brima Bah on the 16th January 2024 stated that starting this academic year, there will be no repeating in Year 1 and no student will progress to Year 2 with any reference.
It noted that Students who are referred in not more than two modules will be allowed to take re-sit examinations and that those who will clear the referred modules will progress to Year 2. It warned that in the event they fail to pass the referred modules, they will be withdrawn from the course and the college.
A graduate from the then Mass Communications Department, now Faculty of Communications, Media and Information Studies and a second Year student at the Faculty of Law at FBC, Abass Jalloh noted that the college has been operating with the aforementioned system, saying there has been no major difference to the old system. He called on the college administration to reinforce the system for proper implementation as he said time management has been very difficult in the college.
“It is always difficult for students waiting for graduation to take their reference exams and verify the grades before graduation,” he said.
He urged them to release reference exams date early for students to prepare well for the examination.
Abdulai Fasineh Dumbuya, a final Year Student at the Faculty of Communications, Media and Information Studies noted that it is unfortunate news for most of the students simply because, in retrospect, what has been the promotion framework is that students with three references in one academic year will not be promoted.
He said that students with three refrences, not necessary in one academic year, are promoted to another class which he described as a stern rule from the college regarding promotion from year 1 to year 2 respectively. He stated that most brilliant students barely live up to expectation in Year 1, since it is their infancy year in college.
He concluded that the introduction of this new rule will definitely hit hard not only on the brilliant students but also the weak ones who need help so as to keep on the course.
However, another notice issued on dress code reminded members of the college including students that the university requires everybody to conform to the principle of decent behavior which should be reflected in their comportment and mode of dressing.
It stated that as a college where students are trained to become professionals, they encourage students to dress as prospects for the corporate world.
The notice pointed out that men should dress in short/long sleeve shirts or t-shirts and jeans or long trousers/African Costume with sneakers, sandals or shoes, and women in normal western-style dresses, blouse/t-shirt with skirts, jeans or trousers/African costumes.
The college administration prohibits on-campus see-through dresses, short blouses, shirts that terminate above or around the navel, and very short skirts that terminate just below the hips. It also prohibits very tight-fitted jeans and trousers, slits on skirts that extend right up to the waistline or just below to expose the thigh, femora, and pants.
It further condemned exposure of the body between the waistline and breasts; and exposure of the top of the pants by pulling it right up above the band of the trousers in a “shabbily way.” It discourages those in the habit of pulling down the trousers almost to the hip to expose the pants and create a puff around the ankle (Puff Daddy), wearing a t-shirt that hangs below the top shirt (layers); a low-cut blouse exposes the breasts and exposure of entire back with dress having straps.
The administration cautions defaulting students that they will be sent out of campus if they fail to comply and they will be reported to the College Discipline Committee for a formal process of investigation.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (18/01/24)
