The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said the waiver it was considering for extra-year students is not to encourage academic laziness.
Recall that BREAKINGNG reported on Tuesday that the management of the institution was considering a compassionate policy change to assist students struggling with carryover courses after a student of the university attempted suicide.
An internal memo dated October 17, 2024, from the university’s Senate Division, revealed that a special Committee of Deans meeting was convened to address the incident and formulate potential support measures.
The memo, signed by Deputy Registrar M.S. Oluwajoba, outlined the committee’s recommendations following a detailed report of the student’s attempted suicide.
The student, whose name was not stated, was revealed in the memo to be a second-year (Part II) undergraduate who had transferred from the Faculty of Pharmacy to the Department of Biology Education, reportedly attempted suicide on October 16.
The memo read, “Members of staff should continue as usual to offer support to our students. Any student who has only one or two courses to pass to graduate, having attempted those courses in the previous semesters, should be considered to graduate on compassionate grounds provided such assistance SHALL NOT change the candidate’s class of degree.
“The decision to assist such students shall be approved by the Departmental Board of Examiners and or the Faculty Board of Examiners. On no account should individual staff decide on such matters.
“Staff and Part Advisers should kindly cooperate in this regard.”
However, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, while clarifying the decision of the university in an interview on Wednesday said the conclusion of the school is not yet official as the management is not encouraging laxity on the part of other students.
According to him, the university wants to reduce the issue of suicide attempts due to academic failure likely raising heads among the final year students, “so that it will not be that somebody commits suicide because of extra academic years.”
“We decided not to make it official so that we will not encourage the indolent students. If you observe very well, you will see that there is a place there where the Dean of Faculty of Education said a student attempted suicide,” he added.
