GIJ impasse: Some owing students never return after graduation – Vice Rector

The Ghana Institute of Journalism has justified its decision to deny students who are yet to complete the payment of their fees access to the exams hall.

According to the school, some former students who were allowed to write their exams while they still owe never returned to pay after they completed.

The journalism school is the news following an impasse over e-registration which caused a temporary shut dawn of the school Sunday.

The students staged a protest as authorities denied scores access to the end of semester exams over the online registration. Some of the affected students said even though they had paid their fees and registered manually, they were still not allowed to write their papers.

Speaking to Morning Starr Monday, the Vice Rector of the school Dr. Modestus Ofosu said management will not back down on their demand for fees before exams.

“Those who had challenges with the online registration portal were those who paid after the deadline. If you enter a University you should know you have to pay your fees. How can we run the school without students paying fees? In the past GIJ allowed students with financial challenges to write exams and pay fees later. As we speak, we have certificates of past students who are now working with prominent media houses but have refused to pay their fees,” he told Morning Starr host Francis Abban.

Meanwhile, GIJ in a statement has reiterated only paid up students will be allowed to write the ongoing exams despite the tensions on campus.

“The Ghana Institute of Journalism wishes to assure all our students and the general public that GIJ is open and will continue its end-of-semester examinations as scheduled from Monday, December 3. Students who have paid their fees and registered are eligible to take part in exams. These include students who faced challenges with registration online and were assisted by the Academic Affairs Department to register. However, Management is still eager to consider any students who paid the required fees by the November 21st deadline and have been unable to register online for any reason.

“Like in most universities, students are required to pay fees and register at the beginning of the semester to be able to participate in lectures and examinations. This academic year, Management offered students the opportunity to settle their fees by extending the period several times: from end of September to October, and finally to November 21, 2018,” the statement said.