Concerned Graduates of University for Development Studies (UDS), Wa Campus has kicked against the decision of the Management of UDS to hold a joint graduation ceremony for all its students in Tamale.
A statement issued by the Concerned Graduates of UDS, Wa Campus signed by Ampofo Ofori Samuel, its Convenor, and copied to GNA in Tamale on Saturday, said the decision to hold a joint graduation ceremony for all its students in Tamale presented a lot of inconvenience and further costs to the graduates, who have already made arrangements to attend the ceremony at the Wa Campus.
UDS has for some time been holding separate graduation ceremonies where students, who completed their studies at Wa Campus, and Navrongo Campus, graduate at their campuses whiles those at Tamale and Nyankpala Campuses graduate at the Tamale Campus.
UDS planned to hold graduation ceremony for the Wa Campus on November 17, this year but suddenly changed this decision and asked those to graduate at the Wa Campus to rather join the rest of the graduates at the Tamale Campus for the graduation on November 10, this year.
The statement said “On the issue of rescheduling the venue to Tamale to host all campuses, we feel this is a form of disrespect to the entire congregation without giving notice earlier. They have not even given us a tangible reason for the impromptu change in venue, which we believe is totally unacceptable.”
It said “preparations have already been made as to where we will be accommodated together with our families without much hustle. Our friends were joining other students on campus to free up some rooms for our accommodation. Now the changes mean we all struggle to book for hotels and guest houses around Tamale for ourselves and our families on top of the huge amount of money taken as graduation fees.”
The statement said “we want to tell the administrators that we graduates from Wa campus want the ceremony done on our campus to reduce our stress, hustle for accommodation, and hustle for graduation gowns that are not even enough.”
It warned that “if our plea is not considered, UDS will experience its first graduation boycott.”
GNA spoke to a member of the Management of UDS, who confirmed the decision and said the Management of UDS was making efforts to engage the students to understand the situation and attend the graduation ceremony in Tamale.
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