By Mary John
The University of Jos Senate has passed a resolution to postpone the first-semester examination for the 2022/2023 academic session.
This resolution was made at the plenary session held on 23 November at the Senate building. It was the first special meeting of the Senate for this academic session and arrayed with two pressing topics lining the agenda: a review of the academic calendar and the Vice-Chancellor’s announcement.
Following the review of the calendar and subsequent resolution, a new calendar signed by the Director of Academic Planning and Management, Prof J. P. Chollom has been released to the University’s internal public.
The new calendar proposes the continuation of academic activities until the 24th of December. From the 25th of December to the 7th of January, 2024 shall be a period of break for the Christmas and New Year festivities. Examinations are set to commence on the 8th of January and conclude on the 27th of January.
While it was argued that the previous calendar was too fast and demanding, the revised calendar—though less than 24 hours old—has raised an even louder outcry, especially among returning undergraduate students who feel cheated by the system.
Afiniki, a 200-level student of the Department of History Education could not contain her discontentment at the postponement of the examination.
“I heard rumours about this and assumed they were just that—rumours. I never saw it was possible to shift the exams so far into the future. After all the stress of rushing through the course outlines, sleepless nights of reading and preparations we’ve had to endure, this new development isn’t fair to us at all. Now, whether I go home or stay back during this long period of wait, I won’t be able to concentrate or bring myself to prepare as much as I should with all the festivities and time stands between now and the commencement of exams,” she said.
Another student, Joan, a final year student of the Department of Mathematics said, “I am both a student and a seamstress and I earn a living from sewing. You know how this Christmas season is and how busy it can get for a seamstress, but because of the exams, I had turned down all the commissions I received so I could concentrate. Now, the exams have been postponed and I’ll be forced to return to work. How do I go back to my books with all the distractions that come with working during the Christmas break and how do I prepare for the exams now? I feel like the system just set me up to lose either way because nothing I choose now will work as perfectly as I had earlier planned.”
Meanwhile, some students are still conflicted over whether or not this resolution is a blessing or a curse. One such student is Naomi, a 300-level student in the Department of Mass Communication.
“I am receiving this information with mixed feelings. This is because, after the swift lectures we had because exams were slated for 4th December, Lecturers had to cover their courses in a limited time only to find out now that exams have been shifted. So what will we come back to classes to do? Is the extension a good undertaking that will benefit new students who were just offered admission into the university? Will this interval be enough time to undergo a more substantive learning exercise?” she said.
The Unijos Echo tried reaching out to the University’s information unit for more intelligence on the recent development but to no avail. However, as the news continues to unfold, we shall be providing more information as it gets to us.
It’s a good news