A group of postgraduate LimKokWing University students from China are not allowed to graduate in a convocation due tomorrow because their examination papers are not marked, not due to their fees, as alleged by the students yesterday.
In a press conference earlier today, LimKokWing senior vice president Gail Phung said that the fees are being negotiated separately with the students’ agent, who taken the payment on behalf of the students.
“The fees has nothing to do with the students, we are dealing about that with the agent. We are not allowing them to graduate because their papers are not yet marked. They need to be marked and if they pass, they will be allowed to graduate,” she said.
Gail clarified that the students, should they pass, will be allowed to graduate together in a year-end convocation scheduled for December.
“But if they are demanding and want to graduate earlier, we will have a senate meeting and discuss the possibilities of having a special ceremony for them,” she added.
Gail’s clarification comes less than 24 hours after Komunitikini published a report about the students not being allowed to enter the campus premises yesterday.
Asked about the management’s decision not to allow the students into the campus, Gail said that ‘discipline’ must be adhered to.
“They came as a group and were demanding to be allowed to graduate this Saturday. We had already informed them earlier that their graduation would be at a later date,” she said.
Gail admitted that the students were waiting at the compounds of the campus till late night, but also claimed that an understanding was reached between them and the university’s representatives.
She also refuted the students’ claims that they were only notified about the fact that they can’t participate in the convocation several days ago.
“Last month I was in Beijing and I have personally spoken to them. I have already informed them that either they will graduate in December or we will have a special ceremony for them.”
It’s the second batch
According to Gail, there are nearly 70 students from China who came as a group, but in two separate batches.
But, she added, it is the second batch, comprising of 37 students, who are demanding an earlier convocation.
“The initial agreement is to let all 70 of them graduate together in a group. So it will be done in December, or we will have a special ceremony for them alone. But they will all be grouped under the same convocation,” he explained.
The students are mostly postgraduate students pursuing a Masters in Business Administration (MBAs).
CJMY
Admin
Jimmy Tan
