By Petrina Francis, Education ReporterTHE UNIVERSITY of the West Indies yesterday deregistered five hundred and fifty-two undergraduate students for failure to pay tuition fees.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing on the Mona campus, Joseph Pereira, deputy principal, said 229 of 2,600 part-time students were deregistered while 323 of 6,971 full-time students were removed from the academic register.
The deputy principal also disclosed that the administration has granted special payment arrangements for 163 undergraduate students who had expressed in writing reasons why they couldn't meet the October 13 deadline the university had set for tuition fees. These students, he said, have until November 30 to make good on their payments.
"Those students who have been deregistered this semester will be given leave of absence for this semester," Mr. Pereira said. "They are in no way expelled from the institution. They are free to come back in semester 2 and resume their studies provided they, as with all other students, meet the deadlines that have been set that is they must pay semester 2 fees by January 31, 2005."
DISAPPOINTED
The deputy principal said he was satisfied with the rate at which students came out to settle their fees. However, he said that he was not pleased with students having to be deregistered. "I am somewhat disappointed that students did not take up in any significant way the offer to put things in writing and set out if they had hardship," said Mr. Pereira.
Postgraduate and off-campus students were not deregistered.
Students at the UWI were deregistered on October 1 for non-payment of fees and were given until October 15, to pay their fees and be reinstated or face being ousted from the institution.
On October 6, they protested against the administration's decision by padlocking the three main entrances to the campus.
