The Department of Ghanaian Languages and Linguistics, on Monday, 23rd November, 2015, held a Departmental Durbar at the Faculty of Arts Conference room for its staff and students. The Departmental Durbar is a semester-based program organized to bring all lecturers, research assistants, demonstrators and students together to share ideas on the way forward for the Department. This semester's durbar created a forum where students voiced their grievances, and responses and advice were given accordingly. This platform also offered lecturers the opportunity to remind students of course registration and examination related issues. The Head of Department, Dr. Moses K. Kambou, who welcomed the students to the gathering outlined some programs the department was putting in place to help students achieve their objective in the university. He explained that the department is liaising with some media outlets in the country to make it possible for students to have internships with those institutions. He also indicated that the department has started its outreach programs that enable students to study language phenomena and also collect data for various researches. He, however, advised that students make it a point to visit the department regularly in order to have first-hand information on programs being undertaken. On his part, Mr. Emmanuel Asubonteng, Department Examination Officer doubled as the Registration Officer when he read the rules governing registration and examination to students. On registration, he indicated that he was surprised some students managed to register courses that were not mount. He, therefore, advised that students should always check from the department’s noticeboard for courses to be registered in a particular semester before going ahead to register. With examination related issues, he audibly read and explained the rules governing examination in the university. He was, however, expressed worry that Level 100 students who were to be fed with the rigorous nature of going contrary to the examination rules were virtually absent at the meeting. On advice, the Head of Department, Dr. Kambou, gave senior members the opportunity to offer words of wisdom to the students. Mr. Peter Alexander Hope, on his part quoted Matthew 6:33 as the basis of his advice. He asked students to focus on their books and shun the frequent use of whatsapp, facebook and all unscrupulous relationships. He added by quoting the famous saying “there is more sleep after death.” Dr. (Mrs.) Cecilia Kotey advised that students should show concern to each other’s academic progress. She pointed out that the continuous assessment of students as of this time that the semester was ending was nothing good to write home about, and this is because students fail to seek assistance from colleagues or lecturers when they do not understand what was taught. She ended by emphasizing that they “wish for all students to get grade A and not D.” Dr. Kambou reiterated that “it is those who do not know who are in the University to learn and hence pay school fees, and not those who know.” He also tasked students to seek assistance from lecturers, research assistants and demonstrator in order to fulfill the confidence the university repose in them during admission. Miss. Comfort Asante, the research coordinator of the Department, on her part asked level 400 students who could not modify their project topics to do so with their respective supervisors. The Head of Department also added that all students who are to write terms papers are to submit them at the examination centres at the time for which that paper is written.Students were then given the platform to ask any question that bothered them. Senior Members addressed all questions and wished the students well in their impending examination.
