On December 14, 2022, an orientation ceremony was held at the Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM), University of Sierra Leone, for around 4000 newly admitted students. The event’s purpose was to familiarize the newcomers with the norms and guidelines they must follow while enrolled in University courses.

The first group of students to join the IPAM family at a time when the institution has its first female Student Union Government President and its first female vice chancellor, Prof. Miriam Conteh-Morgan, IPAM’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, reminded the new students of their significance in IPAM’s history.

She urged the students to cooperate and make IPAM a wonderful experience for everyone. She told students that choosing IPAM meant they had made the decision to become professionals in their fields of study, which meant they had made the decision to become contributing members of society in Sierra Leone. She highlighted that no student will leave IPAM the same person they entered, and she asked them to abide by the school’ norms and regulations. She finished by urging the students to put in hard study and limit their playtime.

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The University of Sierra Leone’s Registrar, Madam Olive Barrie, welcomed the incoming students to the institution and provided an overview of the university’s administrative structures and how they work so that the students would be aware of the channels for contact and reporting. She underlined that the three schools’ leadership, FBC, COMAHS, and IPAM, are always prepared to provide students with the assistance they need.

In her lengthy discussion of several university policies governing student behaviour, Madam Barrie urged the audience to abstain from all sorts of indiscipline.

Munda J. S. Lebbie, IPAM-deputy USL’s registrar, stated that IPAM lecturers enhance their students’ cognitive capacities and that students should maintain an open mind, welcome diversity, and tolerate opposing viewpoints. He said that in addition to accepting responsibility, students must defend their freedom of expression and academic freedom. He recited the university’s mission, which is to demonstrate and disseminate knowledge through excellent instruction and research. He cautioned the students that while success is not always simple to obtain, it is possible with hard effort and determination.

Dr. Ezekiel Duramany-Lakkoh, the Dean of the Faculty of Accountancy and Finance, cautioned students not to allow themselves to be sidetracked by the special syndicate and emphasized to them that at IPAM, lecturers do not produce or sell pamphlets, so they were advised not to allow themselves to be taken advantage of. He concluded by advising the pupils to attend class, pay attention, and do their best to study.

Students must be serious in order to succeed in his department, Dr. Hindowa B. Momoh, dean of the Faculty of Leadership and Governance, noted. He also emphasized to the students the value of his department in helping them develop their managerial and leadership abilities. Additionally, he recommended students to do their work seriously because their department gives students the support and know-how to develop such traits.

According to Dr. Mohamed Sheriff, dean of the Faculty of Information Systems & Technology, students have been evaluated to determine their eligibility for a degree. He also emphasized the difficulty of the admissions process, and he advised students not to let the administration down by squandering this chance the university was giving them. He urged students to take their studies seriously so that they would graduate from their four-year program as educated individuals.

Dr. Ernest Udeh, the faculty’s assistant dean, said that the department’s three divisions—procurement, logistics and supply chain management, human resource management, and entrepreneurship and marketing—offer programs that are specifically designed to satisfy the needs of the nation. He urged the students to pay close attention and treat their task with seriousness.

Additionally, the students received a general overview of all aspects of university life, from academics to extracurricular activities.

The USL’s finance director urged the students to fulfill all financial commitments on time because doing so is essential to their registration procedure.

The President of the Students Union offered the vote of gratitude and urged her colleagues to work hard, respect authority figures, and uphold the law in order to succeed.