Capitol Hill Campus, Monrovia – The University of Liberia (UL) has announced it has commenced the clearing of candidates who have met the benchmark for graduation ahead of its 104th Commencement Convocation in September.
According to a release, the exercised commenced last week. Of the 2,290 candidates who applied for graduation, the UL Business and Finance Office (BFO) cleared 2,122 applicants.
Those candidates who are now cleared of financial obligations to the university by the BFO are now being processed in the final phase of the clearing exercise by the Office of Enrollment Services (OES).
According to OES, the first batch of clearances were issued to 310 candidates last Tuesday, August 20, pending the concurrence of the University of Liberia Faculty Senate.
Assistant Professor Aaron Sengbeh, Associate Vice President for OES, said the clearing process will until the list of candidates are exhausted, adding that those who have been cleared are celebrating the process.
He disclosed that candidates from the Class of 2022/2023, who have met the benchmark for graduation, are being cleared for the 104th convocation ceremonies which are due to commence on 16 September 2024.
So far, six of those cleared are set to graduate with cum laude, according to the head of OES.
There are different categories of applicants seeking graduation. Category One candidates are those who earlier completed all their processes and were awaiting the commencement of the clearing process.
According to Asst. Prof. Sengbeh, the majority of the applicants are from the undergraduate programs.
He said, with the exception of the medical school, candidates from the undergraduate, professional, and graduate schools must settle all financial obligations before they are cleared.
After those in Category One are cleared, the OES is now working to clear the remaining candidates once they meet the benchmark, he explained.
Giving a breakdown of the candidates per college, Asst. Prof. Sengbeh disclosed that 817 candidates from the College of Business and Public Administration have applied for graduation.
Of that number, 90 candidates have already met the benchmark and were cleared.
The Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities has presented 348 applicants, 38 of whom were in Category One and were cleared.
The William V.S. Tubman College of Education presented 154 candidates, and 90 of them were cleared as Category One candidates.
Additionally, the Thomas Jefferson Richelieu Faulkner College of Science and Technology presented 267 candidates, 33 of whom have been cleared for graduation.
From the William R. Tolbert College of Agriculture and Forestry, 316 candidates were presented and 59 of them have been cleared for graduation.
The College of Health Sciences presented 80 Category One candidates; 16 of them have been cleared.
David A. Straz-Sinje Technical and Vocational College, in Grand Cape Mount County, presented 27 candidates, four of whom have been cleared for graduation.
The head of OES encouraged all students who have completed the required courses for graduation, based on the updated electronic ledger in the Schoolink portal, to take advantage of the digitized process and apply for the 104th Commencement Convocation directly from within the e-portal.
In a related development, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Agnes Reeves Taylor, has implored all members of the UL family, particularly faculty, staff as well as candidates expected to graduate, to take note of the latest commencement timetable and plan accordingly.
The 104th Commencement Convocation of the University of Liberia is scheduled to run from Monday, September 9, to Saturday, September 21, 2024 at its Fendall Campus in Louisiana, Montserrado County.
