The Papua New Guinea DIVINE Word University (DWU) President Prof Fr Philip Gibbs says 1,900 students were assigned to the university by Higher Education Science and Technology Department this year.
Gibbs also noted that 212 students, who applied, benefitted from the higher education loan programme last year,
“The 2022 academic year registration is going slowly due to flight cancellations and some problems with the computers used to register students,” he said.
“Normally, more students would have come.
“The official registration dates are from Feb 7 to 11, and on Feb 18 it would stop.”
Gibbs said students who come after Feb 11 would be asked to pay a late fee.
“But, if students call and explain to the registrar that they are going to be late due to the flight cancellations and tickets, they would most probably not be charged a late fee,” he said.
Gibbs said the registration could not continue into the third week because “by then it is too late to join the classes”.
He said students who were readmitted after suspension due to disciplinary issues would be accepted with conditions on a case to case basis.
“If there are not enough spaces in dormitories on campus, the university might help find boarding houses for students,” he said.
“They could perhaps be picked up and dropped off by the school bus”
Gibbs said the university had been adhering to the “Niupela Pasin” (New Normal) to help fight the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) by wearing masks and practicing social distancing.
“But, the Covid-19 has been a threat to the institution because some of the university’s medical staff are sick at the moment, putting extra strain on other staff to cover for them during the registration week,” he said.
Gibbs said some students were sick, but the clinic had run out of test kits making it difficult to determine who was sick and who was not.
He recommended students to get vaccinated and adhere to the public health protocols.
The National / StudyinPNG
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