THE SPEECH OF THE
PRESIDENT OF DARUSO-DUCE TO FIRST
YEAR STUDENTS
ORIENTATION WEEK, 15th
October 2014
Hon .Principal, Prof David Mfinanga
Hon .Deputy Principal (Administration), Prof J. Buchweishaija
Hon. Deputy Principal (Academic) Prof G. Mtui;
Designate Deans;
Heads of different departments;
First year students;
Ladies and gentlemen;
It gives me great
pleasure today, on behalf of my fellow students, to officially welcome you to
Dar es salaam University College of Education (DUCE). I would like to extend a
special word of welcome to those of you who are coming outside Tanzania, and to
those of you who are coming here under the student loan scheme and as private
candidates. To you all I say, welcome to Tanzania and to the Dar es salaam
University College of Education and please feel at home.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I would also like
to take this opportunity to congratulate Tanzanian students most sincerely for
having been greatly honored to be part of the intellectual cream of this
country and it is to my hope that you will make maximum use of this very
special opportunity that you have been given. This is especially relevant for
the vast majority of you who have received the privileged honor of being sponsored
through the Government of Tanzania loan scheme, a country classified by the
United Nations as being one of the 20 poorest countries in the World.
Let me remind you of the words of the late Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere,
the founding chancellor of the University of East Africa and the University of
Dar es salaam, and the first president of the United Republic of Tanzania:
‘Those who have received this privilege
therefore, have a duty to repay the sacrifice which others have made. They are
like the man who has been given all the food available in a starving village in
order that he might have strength to bring supplies back from a distant place.
If he takes this food and does not bring help to his brothers, he is a traitor.
Similarly, if any of the young men and women who are given an education by the
people of this republic adopt attitudes of superiority, or fail to use their
knowledge to help the development of this country, then they are betraying our
union’.
It is to my hope
that you will always remember these words during your entire academic career at
this college.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
That this privilege
is that much special is expressly inferred from the relatively small number of
you who have joined various colleges and universities this academic year, as
compared to the total number of those who sat with you for the final advanced
level national examinations aspiring for this very same opportunity. I will
therefore not do it justice without recognizing and appreciating, on behalf of
the Dar es salaam University College of Education students, the efforts made by
our government, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania through the
ministry of Education and Vocational training for making this chance available
to us by establishing our college and the support it continues to give on its
operation.
I would also like
to congratulate the University of Dar es salaam management and the whole Dar es
salaam University College of Education management in particular, members of the
staff and students on their efforts and struggle to ensure that our college
attains its goals, vision and mission.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
My main task this
morning is to shine some light for you on DARUSO-DUCE issues. But on the way, I
will also address you on how you are expected to conduct yourselves in the
university community in relation to the DARUSO-DUCE objectives, vision and
mission. I will then digress for awhile sometimes later to address you a few
words about academics, accommodation, sports, health affairs and gender issues.
DARUSO-DUCE means; Dar es Salaam University Students
Organization for Dar es salaam University College of Education. The
Organization came into existence for the purpose of representing students in
different affairs and circumstances as defined under section 2 of the University
of Dar es Salaam Act 12 of 1970 where we have adopted.
As an Organization,
the DARUSO-DUCE has a constitution-and according to this constitution, each and
every student admitted to the college as a degree candidate is a rightful
member of the organization. In order to run its office duties efficiently, the
organization no doubt needs fund. Recognizing this, the organization’s
constitution states that every member of DARUSO-DUCE shall pay an annual
subscription fee as shall be determined by rule by the UCSRC and in accordance
with article 3.2 of the University of Dar es salaam students by laws of 2007 as
amended from time to time. For you, this annual subscription fee has been
determined to be Tshs. 5,000 for Tanzanians and 5USD for foreigners.
The organization is
comprised of the Executive committee under DARUSO-DUCE President and the UCSRC
under the Speaker. These two organs work jointly for the betterment of the
students of DUCE.
DARUSO-DUCE has the
following objectives:
v
To protect and promote students interests in all aspects of their lives
during their
Stay at the college
v To establish proper organizational basis for
communication between the administration and the students as well as creating
an atmosphere of peace and harmony within the campus
v To promote love and respect for learning the
pursuit of truth and ensure that every student understands his/her
responsibilities
v To stimulate and promote all desirable
aspects of cultural development and inculcate the spirit and love for sports
v To promote fraternal relations with students
of other higher learning institutions within our country, Africa and the World
at large
v To organize debates, seminars, workshops,
conferences, study tours and symposia so as to enhance individual intelligence,
political and social awareness of the students at DUCE
v
To create a good connection between Students and Administration.
In a nutshell, our
main activities are clearly specified in DARUSO-DUCE constitution and in the
provided brochures. Please take time to read the brochures so that you may well
acquaint yourself with all the functions of the organization.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
There is a handful
but important things that you will need to know for a comfortable stay at the
college. To this end DARUSO-DUCE insists on an effective and intensive reading
of the University prospectus (from books or online) and the student’s by laws,
there in you will find a great deal of information pertaining to
administration, residence, students activities and sports, religious activities,
the library, examination regulations etc. whose knowledge will greatly improve
your awareness on the expected lifestyle when you are in and perhaps outside
the college compounds.
Each of you shall
be given your own students By laws, We insist that each and every one of you
diligently reads those by laws, for
avoidance of unnecessary misconducts .Please follow and observe rules and
Regulations as your first defensive mode for better stay at DUCE.
download by law here
download by law here
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me
now talk something about academics. This area is particularly important, for it
is no doubt the sole reason just why we all are here. I therefore take this
important time to argue you all to note the important difference between the
primary and secondary education levels and the university education level,
please work diligently on that difference and see to it that it doesn’t
compromise your studies.
You
might have noticed, or will do that somewhat later, that university students
have a kind of freedom unavailable to primary and secondary school students.
University students are free to engage and be engaged, marry and divorce, give
birth to kids and the like—but I tell you once again, try hard that this
doesn’t compromise your studies.
At
universities we have no bells nor parades to assemble, please make sure you
attend notice boards every day to gain appropriate information about what you
are supposed to do on a particular day and where. Do not dismiss as unimportant
a responsibility however small assigned you by an appropriate authority—this
will warrant you a happy, peaceful and successful college life.
To be
sure, DARUSO-DUCE is much like a bridge between the students and the college
administration. Therefore any problem that might arise to a student or
students, be it academic or social, should be directed to DARUSO-DUCE office
adjacent the main
Lecture
hall for action or e1se, under special urgent cases, the office of the Dean of
students situated beside Hall 2 along Kijichi House with white gate for solution or an advice.
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Our
college does not have enough halls of residence to accommodate all DUCE
students. Neither can accommodate even all of you first years, as such; some of
you might have been allocated rooms in the college hostels and some of you NOT.
Those of you who have not been accommodated a place by the college, please do
not feel as humiliated or segregated—accept the situation and please bear with
it. There is no way each of you could be allocated a place in such a few number
of beds available.
People
with accommodation problems are advised to visit our offices for further
assistance. We can help them secure a place in private hostels near the college
at somewhat affordable prices. Do not be fooled to enter contracts with people
you don’t know, it might happen you see them once and for all—dismissing for
good with your money or belongings. This is Dar es Salaam, do not ever trust a
person you don’t know.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Not one
of you is unaware of the devastating pandemic that threatens every community in
the world, the HI V/AIDS pandemic—and DUCE as a community is no exception. I
argue you all to take heed on your sexual behavior, for as I said earlier, many
of you will get boyfriends and girlfriends here.. .the old slogan ‘think before
acting’ is rather appropriate here, I argue you not to make your life at the
college a ‘mradi’. Avoid the shame and confusion of graduating with HI V/AIDS
or worse of being discontinued.
DARUSO-DUCE however
shall continue to work jointly, as it has always been, with ant-AIDS movements to make sure that a proper
and appropriate education to the students of DUCE on this dreadful disease is
provided in every possible circumstance. You are argued therefore to join these
several social clubs available in our college and be an active member in the
fight against HIV/AIDS.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
As a community of
both men and women, DUCE cannot be free from problems related to gender. To
fight against this problem at the college level, gender mainstreaming is highly
addressed in almost all aspects of life.
The intellectual
and cultural atmosphere of some students and even of some lecturers you find
here today needs rehabilitation. Do not think, as incoming students, that you
have no right to espouse the true life and culture of the college to your peers
and even to some of your lecturers. I challenge you to learn the true spirit of
the college arid to assist in imparting it to the rest of the college
community. To all students gathered here today I therefore issue a special
challenge. Raise your sensitivity of gender issues and help in ensuring that
female students enjoy every right enjoyed by male students and be active
fighters against gender inequalities and oppose and expose every form of sexual
harassment.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
DARUSO-DUCE
recognizes that there a people among you with varied talents and interests. I
argue you all to participate in different sports activities. Sports like
football, netball, volleyball basketball and a few others are available at our
college. People with talents are advised to register to the minister of sports
and recreational affairs and to attend game fields regularly for exercises. The
college shall need these people in various competitions both within and outside
our country.
Before I end my
address, I would also like to advise you to open bank accounts as early as
possible, preferably CRDB, NBC or NMB accounts for avoidance of inconveniences,
and submit the same to accountants office—this is because not one of you will
receive his/her share of the meals and accommodation allowances from the loan
board without submitting his/her account. I am afraid to say that the later you
submit your accounts to the loan officer the later you will have your meals and
accommodation allowances deposited in the same and vice versa.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me now end my
speech by again welcoming you to the Dar es salaam University
College of
Education and wish you every possible enjoyment and success in your life at
this college as per your future concern.
‘LONG LIVE DUCE, AGREEABLE TO REASON’
Thank you very much
for your attention.
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