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UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE
PRESS RELEASE
IT
HAS COME TO THE NOTICE OF THE AUTHORITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE THAT
SOME UNKNOWN PEOPLE IN SIERRA LEONE, KOREA AND SOME SOUTH EAST ASIAN COUNTRIES
HAVE BEEN AWARDING DEGREES PURPORTED TO BE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE DEGREES
UNDER A FICTITIOUS INSTITUTE CAPTIONED, “DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTE,
UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE" OPERATES
FROM THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER, “P.O. BOX 1179, TELEPHONE
220528."
INFORMATION
RECEIVED INDICATES THAT THE FOLLOWING DEGREES HAVE SO FAR BEEN AWARDED:
BACHELORS
OF VARIOUS DISCIPLINES SOME OF WHICH ARE NOT OFFERED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA
LEONE
-
61
MASTERS DEGREES
-
15
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PhD)
-
10
DEGREES
TO BE AWARDED ON 20 DECEMBER 2000
BACHELORS DEGREE
-
28
MASTERS DEGREE
-
1
THE
AUTHORITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE WANT TO MAKE IT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR
THAT THE “DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTE” DOES NOT PRESENTLY EXIST WITHIN THE
STRUCTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE.
THE
UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO BRING TO THE ATTENTION OF THE
GENERAL PUBLIC THAT CERTIFICATES, DIPLOMAS AND DEGREES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
SIERRA LEONE ARE AWARDED SOLELY ON THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN THE UNIVERSITY OF
SIERRA LEONE BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SIERRA LEONE ACT OF 1972 OF THE LAWS OF SIERRA
LEONE.
THE
AUTHORITIES OF THE UNIVERSITY BEING: THE
CHANCELLOR, THE PRO-CHANCELLOR, THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, THE PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR,
THE COURT, AND THE SENATE, ANY OTHER AUTHORITY EXTRANEOUS TO THE ABOVE IS
THEREFORE ULTRA VIRES. THE
AUTHORITIES DISSOCIATE THEMSELVES COMPLETELY FROM THE ACTIVITIES OF THE SAID
“DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTE” AND AFFIRM THAT THE DEGREES BY THE SAME
INSTITUTE ARE NOT AWARDED UNDER THE AUTHORITY AND SEAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF
SIERRA LEONE.
THE
UNIVERSITY VIEWS THE ABOVE DEVELOPMENT WITH SERIOUS CONCERN AND GRAVE
APPREHENSION. THE ACTION OF THE
ABOVE GROUP AND ITS APPELATION “DISTANCE LEARNING INSTITUTE, UNIVERSITY OF
SIERRA LEONE” IS FRAUDULENT AND ALL CERTIFICATES, DIPLOMAS AND DEGREES AWARDED
BY THE SAID INSTITUTE ARE THEREFORE NULL AND VOID.
UNIVERSITY
SECRETARIAT
25
SEPTEMBER 2000
Merging
of some Departments and Faculties
Some departments have been merged and others are
being planned. The following
mergers have been effected:
(1)
The Faculties of Law and Social Sciences have been merged to a new
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law.
(2)
The Department of Mechanical Engineering has been merged with the
Department of Maintenance Engineering
(3)
The Departments of Zoology and Botany are to merge at the beginning of
the next session.
New
Institute at Fourah Bay College
The Institute of Library Studies which was an
off-campus Institute under the University of Sierra Leone has been transferred
to Fourah Bay College. The
Institute is now merged with the Mass Communication Unit at Fourah Bay College
to form a new Institute of Library, Information and Communication Studies.
Modularisation
of Courses
All courses at the College are being modularised.
Delivery and lectures in modules is expected to commence at the beginning
of the 2000/2001 academic year.
Access
Course
The College introduced an access course this session
in an effort to increase students enrolment into the faculties of Pure and
Applied Science and Engineering. Those
who are successful in this one session programme gains automatic entry into any
of the two faculties. Enrolment into the course this is year is about 80.
Duration of
Degree Courses and Entry Requirements
The current duration of degree programmes, 4 to 5
years for honours degrees and 3 to 4 years for both honours and general degrees,
for holders of the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate.
The new entry requirement for first degree enrolment
would be based on the WASSCE but holders of the GCE 'O' and 'A' level would
still be admitted until the latter are phased out.
Physical
Development
(1)
The construction of a block to have the Computer Training Centre, an
Internet Café and other related facilities, is to commence this month (April
2000)
(2)
Plans are also completed for the construction of a 9 metre tall Obelisk
at the centre of campus to commemorate the new millennium.
This is to be funded by the Trustees of the Fourah Bay College Trust
Fund.
Millennium
Activities
The College set up a Millennium Committee which has planned a number of on-going activities to celebrate the new millennium. Activities include Public lectures, Seminars, concerts and drama performances. The objective is to focus on the work of the College and chart a new way forward.
