By Awa Macalo
The University of The Gambia yesterday oriented 900 students as it completes undergraduate degree admissions for the 2021 academic year.
The institution’s senior management staff together with deans from various schools within the university congratulated and welcomed the new students and encouraged them to be active participants in the university’s extra curricular activities to enhance their capacities, build efficiency and effective networking skills.
The registrar of the University of The Gambia, Momodou Lamin Taro, said among the university’s goals is to also unify and mentor students and create a platform where they would be able to stand for the nation, develop it and defend it at all cost. “We come from different geographical and ethnic backgrounds, together we all represent the diverse and universal nature of the university where the main goal is pursuit of knowledge. Diversity is not about how we differ but about appreciating and embracing each other’s uniqueness and enriching ourselves with others’ tremendous body knowledge and experience.” Taro further urged new students to take their studies seriously and make a positive impact during their 4 years course.
“As an adult, you must weigh the consequences of your individual and collective actions. What you do individually or collectively will affect your future. As you enrolled in UTG, you have done so as an individual and you are the only one who can protect your future. You should therefore never forget your individuality within the collective and do not let your individuality be swallowed up by the collective. Always think seriously about the consequences, to you as an individual of your collective decision”
The president of the UTG Students’ Union, Ousman Jassey, called on new students to deeply adhere to the university’s regulations, be active and passionate about their knowledge-seeking journey and be ready to conquer all odds to be exceptional students and leaders that the country yearns for.
The acting vice chancellor, Professor Prierre Gomez, in his remarks revealed that the university will move to its permanent site at Faraba Banta in the year 2022. “The movement will surely give more room for expansion and possibly for the first time in the university’s history, there will be campus residency that this cohort of students will enjoy before graduation. The management is poised to create and sustain an enabling environment for you to succeed in your academic pursuits while in UTG, there are structures that have been put in place to allow you to enjoy your stay. We have a functional directorate of students’ affairs and alumni matters, a dedicated Students’ Union and sub-associations that are your pairs to help you put through campus activities and academic-related challenges, deans and faculty officers in each school to attend to your concerns about your welfares and a listening and dynamic management team who will go extra miles to ensure your comfort while at UTG.”
The University has received more than one thousand applicants who want to enrol in the country’s highest learning institution in various schools but 900 students were able to meet the criteria and are now enrolled as the September 2021 intakes.
