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The College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), University of Sierra Leone, has reiterated its attendance policy following what it describes as the “misrepresentation of facts” by students circulating inaccurate information to bloggers and journalists.
In a statement issued by Dr. Tonya Musa, Director of Communication and International Relations, the College reiterated that all students must attain a minimum of 75% class attendance per semester to qualify for semester examinations.
The policy is not new. According to the administration, the attendance requirement has been consistently enforced for years in the Clinical and Dentistry Faculties, leading to “significant improvements in lecture attendance, practical participation, and overall academic engagement.” However, enforcement has been less consistent in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. That is now changing.
Professor James Russell, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, has directed that the attendance regulation be strictly enforced across all departments. Emphasising the non-negotiable nature of the requirement, Professor Russell declared there would be “no sacred cow” in the enforcement of the rules.
The Dean of the Faculty provided attendance figures revealing significant compliance challenges:
Final Part II (5th Year): 24 out of 33 students met the requirement (73%)
Final Part I (4th Year): 70 out of 85 students qualified (82%)
Second Year: 100 out of 143 students met the threshold (70%)
First Year: 85 out of 168 students qualified (51%)
The data shows that first-year students are particularly affected, with nearly half failing to meet the attendance benchmark.
The College said it has established a dedicated WhatsApp platform to monitor attendance and remind students of their obligations. Lecturers have also been instructed to maintain accurate attendance registers throughout the semester.
On the issue of tuition fees, COMAHS reaffirmed that fee payment is mandatory under University of Sierra Leone regulations. Students who fail to settle fees by the end of the academic year will not be permitted to sit second-semester examinations.
The College noted that faculties where both attendance and fee regulations are rigorously enforced have recorded high levels of student compliance. It underscored its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of medical and allied health education.
