By Kolopu Waima
The University of Papua New Guinea has laid down the law on alcohol abuse on campus.
And the law is this – any student found consuming alcohol on campus will be terminated from UPNG on the spot.
This is the stern warn warning from Vice Chancellor Professor Ross Hynes yesterday to both new and continuing students in his welcome address to the students.
The warning comes at the beginning of the year when the students will be receiving K30 in pocket money from the Government, starting this month. The allowance for the students was taken away years ago over concerns that the students were abusing the money on grog and creating nuisance on campus.
Professor Hynes told the students that yesterday that the rules of the university and civil society are ethics based and must be observed, respected and followed by them.
He said that one of the university policies is on zero tolerance of consumption of alcohol and drugs on the campus.
“More than 90 percent of breaches in student regulations were alcohol related and such breaches usually lead to expulsion,” he said.
Prof Hynes said students who cause alcohol related problems on the campus would be immediately evicted in the halls of residence and would be terminated from studies.
He urged students to respect one another in gender and their human rights and should not mistreat fellow students by intimidation, violence and threats.
“I emphasise that such acts are almost invariably classified as criminal acts and it is not just expulsion from the university but commonly internment in jail,” he said.
“The rules of the university and civil society ethics were based and usually clear that our management system were continually seeking to improve and it is crucial that you have ownership of these rules and commit to the university management system.”
The UPNG is a much more diverse institution than is often realised and Prof Hynes encouraged the students to read, understand and honestly adhere to the rules.
“Clearly you have civil rights which can be explored both inside and outside of campus. However, the consequences of not complying with university rules on campus in terms of your academic performance are so severe concerning the future of your career and life that there is really no advantage in breaking rules, remember, university degrees cannot be awarded to anyone just on a plate. You have to work for them,” he said.
He concluded that with the right attitude the students could all become members of a progressive, enlightened, equitable and a just community of scholars who were committed to vigorous and intelligent democratic nation building.