THE University Zambia (UNZA) Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Simukanga says students will start the term-system with no arrears. THE University Zambia (UNZA) Vice Chancellor Professor Stephen Simukanga says students will start the term-system with no arrears.
Responding to a question from a third year student in the School of Education, Mizinga Belden, who wondered how management would deal with students who had arrears in the previous semester, Prof. Simukanga said students who had arrears last semester and those yet to fail in the forthcoming examinations would be given a compensatory grade so as to start the term system on a new note.
“The University will give compensatory grades to all those that will fail to reach the 40 per cent pass mark and all those that had arrears in the past semester so that we open a new page next trimester,” he said.
Prof. Simukanga also explained that the term system would help to address the escalating failure rate at the Institution which had been a source of concern to the University Senate and Council.
“The high failure rate at the University has been a consequence of abnormal workloads and lack of adequate time that both the students and the lecturers have been facing for some time now” he said during the Student-Management meeting on Friday (19/07/13).
He said the term system would greatly benefit students who found difficulties in beating the registration deadlines due to failure to pay the required amount of fees.
“Right now I have countless appeals pending on my table concerning those of you who fail to settle tuition fee balances and some of you want to pay your balances after exams. All this is due to limited time available for both students and lecturers as well,” he said.
Prof. Simukanga told the students that the introduction of the term system would ensure the lecturers had ample time to carry out research.
“Lecturers do not only lecture, they also have to carry out research and make sure that your course contents are up to date. On the other hand you also need ample time to prepare for examinations and other things, the semester system makes it difficult to do all these things, hence the need to revert to the term system,” he said.
He added that the grading system would be modified.
“In our modified grade system, an A will be equal to 4 points and an A+ will be equal to 5 points” he said.
Prof. Simukanga said all the half courses would be merged to make one full course.
“All the half courses will be merged to form one single course that will be offered once per year. For instance SS 241 and 242 will be merged into one single course,” he said.
The University of Zambia changed from a term system to semester system in 1996 and in October this year, the term system shall be re-introduced.
UNZA Students Awarded Complimentary Grades
