KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY

STUDENTS’ GUILD 2021/2022

P.O BOX 1, KYAMBOGO
Tel:+25675246050/+256787924764
‘”Email: Kanyesigyepeterson@[Link]
OFFICE OF THE GUILD SPEAKER

16th July,2022.
Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya
The Vice Chancellor
Kyambogo University
[Link] 1, Kyambogo
Dear Professor,

RE: STUDENTS' REQUEST FOR SEMESTER EXTENSION

Greetings from the 18th Students' Guild and the entire students' fraternity.

We gladly appreciate your overwhelmed support towards the recent developments around the
University which is benefiting the students and staff.

As the students' Guild, we have been overwhelmed by the students requests and cries over the
large study load of the semester Vi's a vie the period within which the course outlines should be
fully covered.

The GRC house resolved to conduct an individual consultation at each constituency to ascertain
students plea for extension, this was done and later on an Emergency GRC meeting was held on
16th July 2022 in which 65 out of 76 members in attendance were in agreement of the
semester extension, as a representation view from their constituencies.

An online survey was also conducted by independent students offering Bachelor of Science in
statistics year three for a period of 18 days on students' view for semester extension, this
survey attracted over 2,262 students and responses in which 61% were in agreement for
semester extension, 35% were in disagreement and 4% were undecided.

As we are aware that this semester began on the 31st May 2022, there has been some
irregularities against remitting knowledge to students and working towards good coverage of
the syllabi. This along with other matters created a huge worry to students and doubt on
whether they have obtained the fundamental knowledge and skills required for them to qualify
in achieving good results from this semester.

Based on students' views and request through the various consultations made which involved
an emergency GRC meeting, online survey on semester extension and GRCs' constituent
consultation, the summary resolutions has been to request the University Management to
extend the semester by at least 4 weeks.

This letter is therefore to summarise the students' views, request and reasons for semester
extension as collected from the Students online survey, GRC meeting and constituency reports
as well as individual request. Below are the reasons for the semester extension;

i. Syllabi coverage is generally low across all faculties with other courses/departments
unable to cover 40% of the syllabus as of to date. This is greatly affecting students in
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Vocational studies, Engineering and Faculty of
Science.
ii. The students who had gone for school practice reported back to campus after a month
from the start of this semester, this affected students from Faculty of Education, Faculty
of Arts and Social Sciences and Vocational studies. They were unable to adequately cope
up with the syllabus and carry out their research on the course, consultations and
assessment by lecturers. Perhaps the online learning did not give a firm ground for
learning since they were colliding with their school practice activities and others having
gone to up country schools with poor Internet connection could not easily connect for
online learning.
iii. Final year students offering Geography as a subject in Faculty of Arts and Social
Sciences has been for over a three weeks' field trip which is equally core for their
achievement of academic excellence, this however came after they had just reported
from School Practice, giving them a period of less than a month to cover syllabus and
prepare for examination. Hence they have covered a minimum percentage of syllabus
required for assessments.
iv. Tests and course works has not been fully remitted . As of to date, most classes has not
done course works and tests some of which is because their coverage is low and has no
area for assessment. This has been a challenge in the past two semesters with some
lecturers resorting to unidentifiable and unclear mode of assesing students' level of
achievement. This creates irregular standards of assessment and worries
professionalism of the process.
v. Students in the Faculty of Engineering has not been able to fully conduct Practicals
within the period consumed.
 vi. Most students have cried and pleaded in the Survey form that they have not been able
to fully pay tuition to date as their parents are striving hard to make payments during
this hard economic time. Extending the semester will give them more time to make full
payment and help students sit for their examinations without inconvienices.
vii. There are group of students who pay their own tuitions, they have feared that they are
not able to raise full amount for payment.
viii. The turn up of lecturers for teaching and assessment of students has been low in all the
Faculties and schools across the university. Extending the semester can help the
university to follow up such and enable an average level of attendance of lecturers.
ix. Our fear is that Examination Malpractices may become rampant due to unpreparedness
and low syllabus coverage as students struggle to avoid retakes as it has been in the
past two semesters.

Recommendations.

1. On behalf of the students based on the information provided, we therefore recommend

that the semester should be extended by a period of 4 weeks.
2. The University Quality Assurance Directorate and its Committee should endeavor a
follow up on whether the teaching and assessment of students are being done
according to the regulatory frameworks.

We pray that our request and recommendations are considered for the goodness of the
university and academic prosperity of the students.

Attached is a copy of the survey for semester extension with some details of responses.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you

Yours Sincerely

.................

[Link]. KANYESIGYE PETERSON

GUILD SPEAKER

Cc
Deputy VC AA
Deputy VC F&A
Academic Registrar
Director Quality Assurance
Director ICT
Faculty Deans
Guild President
Students noticeboards.