As was reported, lectures at the University started on Monday, 19 February 2024. The Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Professor Roger Coopoosamy, said everything was normal in the faculty this week. “Lectures progressed well the whole week. For instance, in one of the Nature Conservation lectures, 51 of 58 enrolled students attended. This shows that the students are hungry for education, and that knowledge is paramount.” Professor Coopoosamy said his faculty has just under 90% registration. Some returning students have not been able to register due to delays in the processing of their supporting funds.
Four Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Nature Conservation students said they attended all their lectures as per timetable. “We attended all lectures this week,” said Nkosazana Nzimakwe, one of the students. All the students said attendance throughout the week was normal.
The Department of Chemical Engineering reported a 60% attendance. Improvements in class attendance in the other faculties are expected as funding related issues get resolved daily. Until the morning of 23 February 2024, the University had registered 13 072 students; the Faculty of Engineering had 5158 students; the Faculty of Management Sciences’ registration was at 5929, while the Faculty of Natural Sciences had registered 1982 students.