UDSM: Over 900 former UCLAS students for fresh graduation

Written by ABDULWAKIL SAIBOKO

THE University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) will re-confer various certificates to 902 former graduates of the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS), who have won a case in which they had asked to be recognised as graduates of UDSM and not Ardhi University (ARU).

UDSM Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rwekaza Mukandala said in Dar es Salaam  that the graduates will be given new certificates indicating that they graduated from the UDSM and that the old papers were invalid.

"We expect to hold 42nd graduation ceremony on Saturday and on November 3. We would like to inform the public that UDSM will also confer various certificates to former graduates of UCLAS who have won their case," he said.

Prof Mukandala said that the graduates in question graduated between 2007 and 2009 and that by the time of their admission, ARU had not been a registered university.ARU, he said, was the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS) under UDSM.

Our decision is in line with the High Court judgement on the "Lello and Others v. Ardhi University, University of Dar es Salaam and Attorney General, Misc. Civil Case No. 69 of 2008," filed by students of ARU who contested being awarded ARU degrees."They demanded to be recognised as UDSM graduates," he said.

One of the former students who graduated in 2008 and who preferred anonymity, said that he had been longing to see the court ruling in their favour and that he was pleased with the decision."It has been a long time, there have been so many inconveniences in between because there was no need for us to be conferred certificates from the university where we were not admitted," he said.

The source is currently employed as an urban planner in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlements.Prof Mukandala said that the UDSM and ARU have no objection on the court ruling and that everything is set ready to issue new certificates.

In this year's graduation ceremony, 3,642 graduands are expected to be conferred various certificates ranking from Diploma to PhDs. The Ardhi University's Vice-Chancellor, Prof Idrissa Mshoro said he had no objection with the court ruling, as UDSM and ARU are all public owned higher learning institutions that focus on almost similar targets.

"We have no problem with the court ruling because these are Tanzanians and we are happy if they get what they want. The ruling will mean that our certificates will be invalid," he said.In another development, the UDSM's year-long celebrations of 50 years anniversary will  climax tomorrow with various activities, including the launch of the construction of the students' centre.

Prof Mkandala said that already the university has raised some 3.5bn/- in pledges and cash, the monies which are enough to construct the centre."The event will be marked on Thursday (tomorrow) and will be graced by the President of Zanzibar, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein who will also lay the foundation stone of the centre," he said.

Source: Daily News (24/10/2012): http://www.dailynews.co.tz/index.php/local-news/10819-over-900-former-uclas-students-for-fresh-graduation