Cash-strapped university forced to withdraw Lm10 graduation fee

A decision by the cash-strapped university administration to charge a fee of Lm10 to students who will be graduating in November has been withdrawn by the university rector after the intervention of Education Minister Louis Galea.

In fact, the Department of Information said yesterday, Dr Galea had requested rector Roger Ellul Micallef to withdraw the fee.

The fee would have cost the students collectively more than Lm25,000 - between 2,500 and 3,000 will graduate this year.

In a statement Dr Galea declared that neither he nor the government had been consulted over the decision to introduce the new fee. He had only been informed about it by representatives of the University Students Council.

After being informed about the fee and investigating, it was learnt that the decision had not even been discussed by the university council, which incorporated government and student representation. It resulted that the decision had been taken at the university's administrative level, the statement said.

The minister also issued a directive to the university insisting that no fees should be imposed on students in the absence of discussion and approval by the university's council.

The DOI said this had been the second time that the university's administration had imposed a fee without any consultation and the approval of its council. Last July students who were registering with the university for the first time were charged a fee, which is still in force.

Dr Galea said that while, through its autonomy, the university did well to insist for adequate financing to continue to fulfil its functions, one had to bear in mind that it was the only state university in Malta which was regulated by provisions in the law and by policy of the government of the day.

The university, he added, was free to embark on initiatives that would be financially rewarding, such as carrying out research and giving advice to industry. Such initiatives were taken by overseas universities.

But it should not continue to impose burdens on students if not through decisions taken by the university council, he said.

Dr Galea pointed out that the government, through a working group led by Roderick Chalmers, had embarked on a process to examine the system to finance the post-secondary, vocational and tertiary education system.

He said that when the group's report was finalised the government would dialogue with everyone concerned before deciding on what policies it should adopt.

The university's decision to impose the Lm10 fee for graduation had been harshly criticised by the student organisation PULSE.

PULSE said that during the past week students who would be graduating in November had received a letter from the university informing them that they had to pay Lm10 in a specific Bank of Valletta account.

They were also told that students failing to deposit the fee by October 8 would have to pay an additional charge of Lm5 to the university's finance department.

PULSE added that students were warned that failure to pay the graduation fee would result in them not being able to graduate.

The University Students Council welcomed the withdrawal of the Lm10 fee.

In a statement the KSU said it believed that the university administration should resort to consultation before introducing similar measures.

KSU said this was not the first time that measures were introduced without any consultation, mentioning the fee for students to register with the university and another fee for students to obtain an official copy of their result.

KSU coordinator Trevor De Giorgio also lamented about lack of cooperation by the university administration.

As an example he mentioned how the administration decided not to allow the council to hold its 'Campusfest' at the quadrangle and substantially increased the fee to allow the activity to be held at the university.

Mr De Giorgio said 'Campusfest' was now being held at the car park from tomorrow to Sunday.

Studenti Demokristjani Maltin (SDM) praised the prompt action taken by KSU and the Ministry of Education, following the imposition of the graduation fee.

SDM also deplored the decision taken by the university administration without using the necessary procedures and without consulting the university council.