The second year undergraduate students registered in programs of the College of Business and Economics (CBE) at Nyagatare Campus, arrived in Huye Campus on June 9, 2023 after the relocation decision taken on June 2.
It was about 16:50, when the buses delivered students from Nyagatare campus to Huye Campus; Eastern to Southern province of Rwanda. To emerge at Huye campus’ main gate, it was found to have many students picking up their luggage. Even though night was approaching, Most of them were about to struggle looking for shelters, while others who applied were admitted to live in campus hostels.
UR buses delivered those students from Nyagatare to Huye Campus
On June 4, 2023, University of Rwanda, via its Twitter account, announced the reasons for this decision. Starting with this academic year 2023, they are relocated to UR Huye Campus since they are the only CBE class remaining at Nyagatare Campus.
“This relocation comes as a way of ensuring the rationalization, efficiency and effective management of resources and time, and more so, for the quality of education”, UR Management added.
The relocated students confirm this relocation to affect them in enormous ways.
Jean Claude Hategekimana, a student in faculty of Finance declares how he received this decision.
”In facts, in may we heard that continuing students will stay on their campuses. However, after it was changed, while we had already arrived at our campus. It was interesting story to listen, because it was a severe burden to spend a long time waiting for lecturers because they were teaching at other campuses”, he revealed.
Relocation has also affected students’ economic statuses, as they did not expect being relocated to Huye Campus.
”In regard to economy, to be informed out late, impacted us negatively. For instance, rent paid for apartments, ticket to reach there Specifically for me, at the time when this decision published I have already bought food. While it is difficult to get money for students”, Hategekimana added.
While students claim negative effects, on other hand they are celebrating due to the campus nature, infrastructure, and favorable climate of Huye district.
”We saw Huye campus nicely, it favors a student to learn, and there is a perfect climate, worthy and equipped classes. I am going to use this environment properly by applying proper waste management, sitting in right seats for revision Nyagatare has harsh dry season and when it is too sunny, is not good for student, but I found here a wonderful atmosphere,” Joseline Uyisabye from faculty of accounting emphasized.
Console Niyonsenga, a student from faculty of Finance, also mentions some positives about accommodation along with market prices.
”Differences between Nyagatare and here, is water availability; in Nyagatare we could last a whole week without water. It could be difficult to cook, wash, and bath, but here we have not yet experienced lack of water since we arrived,” she mentioned.
”There is higher prices in Nyagatare compared to other places, we turned around in the market and we identified Huye to have lower prices than that of Nyagatare. The life should be better than there”, she added.
They enjoy Huye Campus environment
Furthermore, UR Spokesperson, Ignatius R. Kabagambe clarified that, students were relocated to help them learn well and cut off pressure on lecturers, as they encountered long distance.
“Lecturers in those programs are concentrated at Huye. To move from Huye to Nyagatare for one class makes irrelevant expenses. To learn while students are separated, resulted to poor learning, due to lecturer used to give them a lot of stuff in short time so, it was difficult for students to find lecturer for further clarification, if there is something not well understood”, he explained.
The relocation has applied on 128 students from CBE in faculties of Accounting and Finance registered at Nyagatare campus. The announcement got out in few days, since University of Rwanda has also published that students in College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), School of Journalism and Communication in faculty of Creative Design, are no longer in CASS, but shifted in College of Science and Technology (CST), and they were relocated in Kigali.
Relocation was not only done on above mentioned faculties, but also on students in faculty of Nursing year 1 from Rwamagana to Huye campus.
By Aimable Ishimwe