UOG students to return to classes today

LECTURES at the University of Goroka (UOG) are expected to resume today after an eight-week stand-off between students and the administration.
On Saturday, newly appointed chancellor Benais Sabumei (MBE) announced to UOG staff and students the resolutions reached by UOG’s new full council to end the boycott.
He said in an open letter to all staff and students that the student representative council (SRC) members Benjamin Michael and Genevieve Mungkaje, present at the council meeting last Friday, informed that classes for all programmes would commence today.
Mr Sabumei stressed the importance of classes commencing today as “any further delay would grossly affect the academic calendar and more drastically every student’s future academic progress at UOG”.
He said in the letter that the council was pleased with the decision and commended the SRC members for their undertaking.
Mr Sabumei also announced that registered students would be given the opportunity to express their individual democratic right to return to classes via a referendum which was to be conducted this afternoon.
Other resolutions reached at the council meeting included: 
* Compilation of the terms of reference (TOR) for the investigation committee;
* Composition of an investigation into the student boycott;
* Approval of the TOR and the approval of an investigation committee, the elections of representatives to the final four vacant seats of the council and  
* Approval of the revised 2010 academic calendar.
Mr Sabumei said the agreed members of the investigating committee were former Attorney-General Michael Gene, academic Prof Allan Easton and accountant George Kuno.
The duration of the investigation will be four weeks commencing on March 29 and will examine several issues from the TOR concerning governance, processes and procedures, administration matters, academic matters, student welfare, staff welfare and financial matters.