The University of Guyana needs to do better

Jun 14, 2021 Letters

Dear Editor,
I am a first year law student of the University of Guyana and while I acknowledge that the institution has always been faced with numerous difficulties from both internal and external forces, it is sad that to this day, more than five decades after its establishment, UG still cannot get it right.
The current academic year started late due to the COVID-19 pandemic and examinations for the first semester were held in the period February 13 to March 5, 2021. It is appalling to know that close to four months later, the majority of grades for that examination has not yet been issued. Several inquiries were made via the Head of the Law Department and the UG Law Society. While genuine efforts were made by both parties to to fix the situation, at the time of writing this letter, there has been no issuance of grades.
This is unacceptable coming from an institution that is supposed to be Guyana’s premier academic institute of excellence. What is more worrying is that this is coming from one of the most prestigious departments within UG – the Law Department. For four out of the six courses for this semester, we haven’t even received a mid-term grade. This violates the very tenets of academia, which is all about checks and balances and transparency in grading. Students have a right to know where they stand with a particular course before going into the final exam for that course, yet it seems as though some lecturers believe this is a privilege that can only be enjoyed at their discretion.
While it is understandable that due to the effects of the pandemic, the situation is much more difficult than usual and lectures and other staff of the university are working under dire constraints, three to four months after exams and no grade is unacceptable. Even for UG.
What will become of students who have scholarships and need their grades in order to receive funding for semester two for which mid-terms have already passed? I can’t even begin to imagine what the third year students, who need their grade to transition to law school, are going through. I do hope that this letter comes to the attention of someone in authority and that some relief is given to the situation. We can do better and we must.
Yours truly,
Name provided

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