By Joseph Lamin Kamara
The Registrar of the University of Sierra Leone says if the Ebola outbreak "continues at this rate until the end of February 2015, we might not be able to save the 2014/15 academic year."
Sorie Ndigi Dumbuya told Politico in an interview at his office yesterday that a number of actions were now being taken to meet the challenges posed by the outbreak.
Dumbuya said this was not the first time the University had had difficulty in maintaining the academic calendar citing instances in the past when the university had started the academic year in January or February – instead of October – and had been able to save it.
He said if the outbreak could be contained by "January or second week in February we can save the academic year again this time."
The Registrar said the Ebola outbreak had "terribly affected" the University because college fees, which is its main source of income had not been paid and "government has changed its policy of funding from subvention to fee subsidies."
He said that under the fees subsidy system government had taken the responsibility to pay “80%” of the fee of each registered student of the University of Sierra Leone, but, he suggested that the students cannot now register because of the restrictions on large gatherings.
The registrar said other aspects of the University's work continues including research and infrastructural development, citing the construction of a multipurpose structure at the University’s constituent college, Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), and a new office block to house the University Administration.
He described the "Ebola outbreak as an unfortunate situation for everybody...but we are working on other measures to engage our students."
The Public Relations Officer of the USL, Munda Rogers would not give details of this engagement. He told Politico last night that several meetings were being held and the public would be duly informed through a statement on the University's new approach to fulfilling its mandate amid the Ebola outbreak.
© Politico 11/11/14
