Zimpapers Logo

Millicent Mtombeni

Herald reporter

Students of two sets of courses at Midlands State University (MSU) are complaining about the proposal to move them from Gweru to the Zvishavane campus and what they say is totally inadequate notice.

Three bachelor degree courses in science, politics and public management, science media and cultural studies, and science media and society studies will be taught in Zvishavane when the first semester lectures begin on May 17.

But students say they were only told above the move on Wednesday.

They said they needed more than two weeks to look for accommodation in Zvishavane.

A newsletter distributed to the students over their e-learning facility noted that relocation of campuses was effective May 17 2021.

Students Representative Council member Muzodziwawashe Chivaviro said there was a breach of contract by the university because when the students enrolled for their programmes they agreed to finish their four years of studying in Gweru and not in Zvishavane, hence the university needed their agreement.

“There was need for communication between the university officials and the stakeholders as there are a lot of factors that needed to be considered before coming to a conclusion such as this,” he said.

Media and Society Studies department chairperson Professor Nhamo Mhiripiri said the decision to relocate was purely academic.

“This was an academic decision and there is merit to it as it has more to do with the restructuring of faculties,” he said.

Prof Mhiripiri said the move would enable responds to the Education 5.0 model centred on the heritage based philosophy in shaping future technology through innovation and industrialisation to sustain competitive passion among higher and tertiary education systems.

He said the unit would now be called Arts and Humanity under the Department of Media, Film and Theatre Arts and it would be an added advantage to the students as the university radio station will be based in Zvishavane.