 |
| Dr. J.V.K Afun |
Majority of fresh students admitted into Ho Polytechnic to pursue various Higher National Diploma programmes for the 2013/14 academic year are on ‘conditional admission’ pending their successful completion of a three month special access programme.
Addressing the Polytechnic’s 21st matriculation ceremony for 1,563 fresh students the Rector, Dr. Victor Jakpasu Afun, said the almost 800 fresh students do not obtained ‘credit’ passes in some of the core subjects but their total aggregates in 5 subjects did not exceed 30, which is the minimum admission requirement.
The special access courses according to the Rector will be run concurrently with the regular HND programmes and students who do not ‘justify their inclusion’ at the end of the three months will be exited from the polytechnic.
He further explained the ‘conditional admission’ offer is targeted at addressing the peculiar admission situation this year in which two streams of students completed senior High school.
Dr. Afun therefore urged the students to take the access courses very serious and cautioned that “we are not going to give the opportunity to you next year to register for this special access course; this is a onetime offer and if you decide to fail, then we have to show you the exit from Ho polytechnic”.
The rector also disclosed that, the Polytechnic this year offered admission to 2,263 and 701 applicants for both tertiary and non-tertiary programmes respectively out of a total of 3,056 applications received but only 1,563 accepted the offer.
The fresh students who took the matriculation oath administered by the Registrar; Mr. David Dzontoh will be studying in the faculties of Engineering, Applied Sciences and Technology, Art and Design, Business and Management Studies.
Dr. J.V.K Afun advised the matriculating students to cut off any spirit of mediocrity and negative feeling they had about polytechnic education, stating that “Your choice to Ho polytechnic is neither by mistake or accident”.The rector also observed that certificates did not matter as what one could use his or her head, heart and hand to do after acquisition of the certificates, he thus charged the students to make good use of the opportunity to acquire useful skills as polytechnic graduates are “five times more likely to be employed…than those with others”.
Dr. Afun again stated that the polytechnic would not countenance indiscipline, fighting, assault, unruly behaviours, excessive noise making, provocative dressing, drug use and sexual assault.
“Even though lectures do not appear to be compulsory, anyone who absents himself of herself for 14 consecutive days will be barred from writing the end of semester exams,” he stated.
He therefore urged the students to adhere to all rules and regulations stipulated in the student handbook, as they enjoy their freedom on campus.
He also admonished the students not to study without praying but not to use all their time praying and evangelising at the detriment of their books.
