Dili, March 18, 2025 (Média Democracia) – The UNTL Academic Student Association held a press conference to express their regret or complaints regarding the university structure and the UNTL Academic Student Association which has organized the 2025 UNTL new student admissions process.
According to the speaker, Lino Lopes Vaz said that from new UNTL students on January 31, 2025, their names were published as new students by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture.
“Our names as students accepted at UNTL are 5,218, from that number will be collocated to 10 faculties at UNTL and we as students accepted in 2025 have registered from 02/17/2025 to 03/11/2025 and currently the registration calendar has been extended by DNPP until 03/19/2025, from this registration shows around 2955 students who have registered at the University.” Said the speaker
He said that as a new UNTL student in 2025, he wanted to express his frustration with the structure of the University and the UNTL Academic Student Association who has organized the recruitment process at UNTL.
“The admission criteria in our faculty noted that there are several faculties that make criteria according to their wishes and not in accordance with the university’s guidelines and regulations. We all know that academic orientation funds are borne by the university, because new students have paid $ 5.00 to the university, but the reality is that new students are still asked by academics to collect funds for academic orientation.” He said.
He added that the Organizing Committee had treated new students undignified, especially in terms of registration at the faculty. These rules should only apply to academic orientation.
Based on the situation described above, the association has written a letter to the UNTL general senate and met directly, but until now there has been no clear response.
“Therefore, through this press conference we convey to the UNTL general senate to immediately hold a meeting with the faculty senate to re-evaluate the registration process that has been carried out in each faculty, and ask the organizing committee to provide good service to students who register at the faculty.” He added.
The speaker also asked the organizing committee to return the registration fees for new students that were submitted for registration at faculties such as the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Philosophy which asked for $1.00 for orientation cards, the Faculty of Social Sciences which asked for $1.00 for operational funds and $2.00 for orientation cards.
The College of Engineering is asking for $15.00 for faculty shirts, $3.00 for cone hats, $3.00 for Bote, $1.00 for brooms, .50 cents for books and pens, and $2.50 for orientation cards, total $25.00. The College of Agriculture is asking for $11.00 for field orientation. The College of Medicine and Health Sciences is asking for $1.50 for orientation cards, .50 cents for box associations, total $2.00. The College of Tourism, Arts, Creative Industries, and Culture is asking for $5.00 for family bin, $12.00 for faculty shirts, and $1.50 for orientation cards, total $18.50.
The Faculty of Education asked for $8.00 for faculty shirts, $1.00 for certificates, .0.50 cents for association cash, 0.50 cents for circulation activities and $1.00 for orientation cards, total $11.00. The Faculty of Science asked for $12.00 for faculty shirts and $5.00 for family bin, total $17.00. The Faculty of Economics and Management asked for $15.00 for faculty shirts and $5.00 for family bin and $1.50 orientation cards, total $21.50.
Therefore, the representatives of the new students of the 2025 class asked the university officials, especially the UNTL Chancellor, to supervise registration activities at the Faculty, in order to avoid charge illegal fees in the university environment.
If none of these points are responded to, the new students of 2025 will continue their demands until they get a fair decision.
Reported by : Estefania
Picture by : Estefania