Several students prospective graduates from the School of Education at Makerere University will miss this year’s graduation on grounds that their names did not appear in the graduation book.
The affected students who are meant to graduate on Tuesday this week first received a soft copy of the graduation booklet on Thursday evening before the distribution of hard copies was done on Saturday, May 20, 2022.
Graduation booklets are released every year bearing the names of all qualifying students. The booklet is used by the Chancellor who confirms each student’s qualification by reading one name at a time. In addition, the booklet is used by the university Senate to distribute invitation cards to graduands and their guardians for the function.
After releasing a series of draft graduation lists to students as ensuring that all errors are corrected, a final copy of the graduation booklet is printed as the final confirmation of successful students.
However, while graduands from the College of Health Sciences, School of Law, and the College of Natural Sciences were celebrating their victory on Monday, representatives of over 40 affected students met at University Hall awaiting to hear from their college Principal on the matter.
Maureen Akello, a former student of Bachelor of Arts with Education, said that she was extremely disappointed to find her name missing from the booklet after she was cleared for graduation and even bought a gown. Her name appears in the final draft booklet.
Her coursemate, Hellen Tendo explained that being on the final graduation draft meant she had all her results in place and hence eligible for graduation. She was however shocked when the booklet came out with her name missing and has to wait until next year to graduate.
Jonah Kyeswa, who was pursuing a Bachelor of Sciences with Education explained that their back and forth engagements with the university administration is to see that they receive transcripts together with this cohort.
Jonathan Kitimbo, another affected student notes that their plea is that a list is made and read out at the graduation as proof that they will receive transcripts at the end of the day.
Since Friday when the students were advised to submit their names to the Dean of School for consideration, no tangible solution has been arrived at. Professor Umar Kakumba, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academics in response noted that sometimes there are errors with students like mistakes in name spelling, and glitches that have been experienced with the transition of Makerere’s student records management system to a new one among others.
Professor Kakumba noted that while the students won’t attend the graduation occasion, a meeting with the Senate that approves marks will be held to confirm their degrees. “We shall not read their names at the graduation but immediately after graduation, the Chairman of the Senate and I will meet and confirm their qualification and process their documents,” responded Kakumba.
Other than the School of Education, students from the College of Computing and Information Science together with the College of Engineering, Design Art and Technology have expressed similar concerns. This year 12474 graduands will be awarded degrees and diplomas excluding those that have raised issues.
