Monrovia – Some aggrieved students from the Nursing Department of the United Methodist University on Monday stormed the Ashmun Street Campus in protest over the cancellation of the Nursing program.
According to the nursing students, they registered for their courses at the start of last semester, but unfortunately for them, they could not see any grade after the closure of last semester.
This, the aggrieved students said the administration has asked them to go to their Ganta Campus in Nimba County and start all of the courses they did last semester over and without refund.
When contacted, the Associate Dean of the Winifred J. Harley College of Health Sciences at the UMU Joseph Peters told FrontPageAfrica that for some reason, he could not respond to the claims from the aggrieved nursing students.
The aggrieved students, headed by Alexander G. Weah locked the administrative building of the university putting normal working activities to a standstill.
Weah said the school is about to open for the new semester, and their courses are not reflecting in the school’s system. He added that the first protest was postponed because of the graduation exercise. Since then, Weah says the administration has been adamant in overturning their decision.
As for Weah and many of the students, their hope of being in school this semester is not sure as they are unable to pay for the courses they did last semester.
“We will continue this protest until the administration changes its decision. We will not rest. There are lots of people that are waiting for us to get this degree and the administration wants to delay us, it is unacceptable,” Weah said.
Another aggrieved student Patrick M. Fahnbulleh said the administration instructed them to register the nursing program at their Ashmun Street Campus. But at the end of the semester and to their utmost surprise their grades were not reflected on their grade sheets.
“They told us that the program has been canceled and they were not giving us grade sheets and that we should go Ganta and start all over. And they said they will not give our money back,” Fahnbulleh said.
He added: “The administration is so heartless to us the students. They told us that they are not in the know of the program running here (Ashmun Street). They told us to go to Ganta and start those courses over. We have paid more than US$600, and other requirements. Where is the money we spent, if they cannot do a refund, let them transfer our grades to Ganta, we will go there.”
“Registration is supposed to begin today for the new semester. So, what becomes of the money we paid for last semester,” the aggrieved student stressed in anger.
Also speaking to FPA, students Kebbeh M. Kollie said they were giving receipts for all of the courses they registered at the Ashmun Street campus.
“The Dean for our college in Ganta says we are going to pay for the courses that we did last semester. We are not in the position to pay for those courses. We are willing to start the courses over, our times were wasted –yes, but we are unable to pay for those courses. The money went in the school’s cover and we got receipts. So, we are going to pay for those courses,” Student Kollie said.
“Our recommendation here is to tell the Dean and the president of this institution that, if we will go Ganta, we will not do those courses back. If not, let them refund our money and we will redo those courses we did last semester,” she concluded.