Accra, Oct. 07, GNA - Professor Clifford Nii Boi Tagoe, Vice Chancellor of University of Ghana on Saturday urged fresh students admitted into the university to study diligently and promote its image. Administering the Matriculation Oath to 5,600 students 42 per cent of them being women, Prof. Tagoe pledged the commitment of the authorities to make their studies pleasant.

The matriculation ceremony signified the students' formal admission to the university for the 2006/2007 academic year. Professor Tagoe said out of 16,000 undergraduate applications received, the university offered admission to about 7,500 out of which 5,600 had duly registered.

He said there continued to be direct entry into Level 100 to the Accra City Campus where about 1,200 students enrolled this year, adding that with major improvements in the infrastructure and facilities, the university would be able to increase access to qualified applicants in future.

In addition the university admitted 360 students from Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Togo.

The Vice Chancellor said 153 applicants from Less Endowed Schools were offered places to Programmes in Humanities, Business and Engineering Sciences and the authorities had waived the Academic Facility User Fees (AFUF) for any student with the best entry qualification from each of these schools.

Professor Tagoe said last year, the university instituted a process to assist students to significantly reduce or eliminate financial barriers that might prohibit their access to the university and this year, it would award about one billion cedis.

He said the university had already offered financial assistance to 163 students, 41 of them through the Scholarship Secretariat ranging from two million cedis to 11 million cedis in addition to with 160 applications from freshmen and women still under consideration. On accommodation, the Vice Chancellor said it continued to be a problem because out of 26,325 students only 8,918 representing 34 per cent had residential placement.

He said despite this gloomy picture the university had continued to initiate series of hostel projects on campus towards the achievement of its Corporate Strategic Plan.

On examination malpractices, Professor Tagoe said the university would not hesitate to impose the highest sanctions on students whose actions brought the university into disrepute.

He cautioned students that their involvement in occultism, peddling or use of narcotic drugs and selling of beds was a breach of the university rules and regulations.

Mr Anthony Oteng-Gyasi, Chairman of the University Council cautioned the students against the abuse of the healthy democratic discourse that prevailed on campus through the use of threats of anarchy and violent methods to push forward their view point.

He said indiscipline would not be tolerated on campus adding that infractions on the rules and regulations especially on the examination process by students would be punished.

Mr Oteng-Gyasi said fundamental human rights and freedoms were subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and the public interest adding that freedoms were not unfettered.

Mr Charles Osei Afriyie, a Level 100 student who represented the Matriculation Class of 2006, called on the Government and other stakeholders to fully assist the university to enhance teaching, learning and research work.

=93A conducive academic environment, I believe, would make us achieve our expectations with less difficulty,=94 he added. 07 Oct. 06