AFTER much controversy surrounding the issue of increasing tuition fees at Guyana’s premier tertiary institution, the University of Guyana will today commence the first leg of a four-day series of consultations regarding the proposal. 

Speaking at a press briefing yesterday, in the Education Lecture Theatre (ELT) at Turkeyen, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi related that there is a need for positive change at UG and it is either the University is kept in its current state or it makes the necessary improvements to become internationally competitive.
He stressed that there is a need for resources which have been lacking at the facility and the idea of increasing the tuition from GYD$127,000 annually to US$1,000 will aid the institution’s development.

“We need to create a new future for the University” – the challenges faced by UG are enormous and as a result growth is stifled – Vice-Chancellor Jacob Opadeyi.

Opadeyi noted that the tuition fee was set at US$1,000 in 1994, which was equivalent to GYD$127,000 at that time. However, he continued that as a result of the Guyanese dollar depreciating, US$1,000 would now be around GYD$210,000 but UG still charges GYD$127,000 as annual fees.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, the University must be a self-sustained one so as to avoid political interferences. As a result, the increase in tuition would aid in assisting all these developmental strategies and provide better services to its students. One such visible improvement seen by Opadeyi is the need for the rehabilitation of the football field which he described as a “fish pond” following heavy showers.
The development of programmes which are limited due to the lack of funding and high fees required by researchers from global markets are also issues which require a substantial amount of funding. These needs, therefore, must be met so as to foster development at the institution, Opadeyi noted.
“We need to create a new future for the University” he said, while noting that the challenges faced by UG are enormous and as a result, growth is stifled.
Commenting on whether he believes the successful implementation of an increased tuition fee for students will result in a decline in the student population, the Vice-Chancellor assured that he is certain there will be no decline. He maintained that if the adjustment which will result in an increase is achieved, “we will take care of those who cannot afford it.”
It was noted that in 2012, the University of Guyana Council reiterated the need for the UG administration to implement the adjustment of tuition fees to the current exchange rate and again it was not implemented.
In that light, the governing body has stated that in a move to improve the offerings and the infrastructure of the institution, they have now seen it necessary to engage the national community through a series of stakeholder consultations.
The consultations which will run for four days commencing today will aim to sensitise UG stakeholders regarding the current financial position of the University; present plans for improving the offerings and facilities at the University; present plans for the adjustments of the University’s tuition fees and seek feedback on the modalities for implementation; and gain support for the current and future plans of the University.
The consultation which will commence at 10:00hrs today in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre will be geared to address the concerns of the staff followed by that of the student body at 14:30hrs. The following day, the target group will be members of the public sector and political directorate, followed by members of the private sector and NGOs on Thursday. The final day, Friday, the consultation process will conclude at the Berbice campus and will be open to staff, students, the advisory board and the general public.

(By Ravin Singh)