29 Feb 2016

Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) students have petitioned the management following a proposal to change the university's academic calendar.

The acting vice chancellor, Prof John Cooke, received the petition today (February 29).

According to the university’s Student Representative Council (SRC) leader,  Ms Boitumelo Bohule, the students were not happy with the proposal because it extended their academic calendar.

She said the proposed calendar meant that the first batch of BIUST students who were supposed to graduate this year, would now graduate at a later date, probably next year.

Therefore, Ms Bohule said change in the BIUST academic calendar would disadvantage students.

BIUST acting communications director, Mr Keoagile Rafifing, said the BIUST senate called an emergency meeting to resolve the issue. As a result, he said February 29 classes were cancelled in order to deal with the issue.

Mr Rafifing, however, did not give details as to how BIUST intended to change its academic calendar, saying that the issue was internal and still under discussion.

The university has 1 900 students including 206 postgraduate and 56 international students. ENDS