STUDENTS at the International University of Management in Windhoek say they cannot afford the graduation attire the university is forcing them to buy ahead of graduation this month.
The university will be having a graduation ceremony for postgraduate diplomas, masters and PhD qualifications on 27 September 2019.
IUM’s acting vice chancellor Kingo Mchombu confirmed last Thursday that graduates are required to buy their graduation gowns from the university.
He said any graduates who do not agree with the university’s decision to procure graduation attire are free to graduate in absentia and may receive a full refund of any graduation-related expenses incurred.
This stance has raised concern among students from the international relations and diplomacy department, who prefer to have the option to rent a gown instead of being forced to buy one.
According to them, the gown, which is N$1700, is “exorbitantly expensive”.
To air their grievances, the graduates last Tuesday wrote to the university’s management, stating their concerns with regard to the costs of the gowns.
“We the students, feel that IUM should give students the option of purchasing or renting gowns,” they said. “Some students have siblings that graduated last year and already have gowns, why should they still be compelled to buy new ones,” stated the letter.
Although many students in the past did not raise this issue, they said it is a burden to have to settle their account and still have to buy gowns before graduating.
“In this regard, we have already paid N$660 for [the] tassel, hood and graduation fee, and are therefore requesting IUM management to review its decision and allow students to rent gowns at affordable prices,” the concerned students said.
One of the students, who chose to remain anonymous, told The Namibian yesterday that it would be a waste of resources to purchase a gown that one would not use again. “It’s not fair, with students’ interests at heart they should not compel people to buy gowns,” she said.
“I thought about the sleepless nights that I already spent so I just said ‘let me go pay for it’ and graduate,” she continued, “But I went to look for money to go and pay for it,” she added. She reiterated that a graduation is a ‘once-off ‘ occasion.
“For future purposes they could change these things and allow people to rent. In this economy, people are paying school fees and now people are forced to graduate in absentia because they cannot afford it,” she continued.
The university said anyone who has paid any money towards their graduation and decides not to graduate should have informed the institution before Tuesday, 10 September.
Postgraduates who qualified for graduation this month were informed, through a statement issued by the university in July, that they must purchase hoods and tassels from the university.
“Postgraduate diploma, masters and PhD graduands must purchase from the university gowns and bonnets,” it stated.
The university also said that graduation attire can be collected from Monday, 9 September until 20 September.
The university’s spokesperson, Gerry Munyama, told on Wednesday that he is only aware of one of the concerned students, who has decided to pay for the graduation attire.
He questioned why graduands were only coming forward with complaints weeks before graduation when they were informed in advance about graduation fees, including the compulsory payment for the graduation attire.
“All graduands are expected to purchase it from the university to maintain the quality and standards,” Munyama said.
Other tertiary institutions allow graduands to rent and reuse graduation attire, provided that it matches that of their faculty.
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