FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Abac students unsettled by row

Abac students unsettled by row

ASSUMPTION University (Abac) students have expressed concern over issues stemming from the university’s prolonged management conflict.

On the first day of the semester on Monday, following a 25-day break, many students returned to classes feeling uneasy and surprised that the university had a stricter security screening policy.
Third-year law student Rachata Khumkaew told The Nation that normally he could enter the campus from five gates, but now there were only three. The limit on access followed an incident last December when self-proclaimed acting rector Sudhiporn Patumtaewapibal was confronted by university guards who barred him from entering.
“The door used to be freely open so anyone could get in, but now three open gates are [manned] by guards and two gates closed,” Rachata said. The third-year student said he also worried on whether [previous] incidents could recur, if the conflict remained unsolved.
Second-year Business Administration student Thanyalak Samaifanony said she was worried about two things: first, her safety, due to the unstable situation; dozens of strangers tried to break into the university last year and attacked the guards, she claimed. Second, she believed the conflict could affect school management and many classes might be postponed, making the situation more untenable.
Thanyalak also said that after the confrontation, security measures were significantly beefed up. These days at least three guards were stationed at every gate – contrary to early last year when one guard would be plenty at an entrance. 
Fourth-year law student Pannada Lucksompot said she had no concern over this issue, because she believed things would end up fine. She said everything was the same as before, students could reach their classes like normal. But, she did not like confrontation – when people tried to break into the campus, guards had sprayed fire extinguishers at them. “Handling a conflict with violence is absolutely not the solution,” she said.
Natcha Archagraisorn, a fourth-year student at Abac’s Faculty of Nursing Science, said she feared the prolonged conflict might stir violence, which might also affect her study, if school was closed. Prior to the graduation ceremony last year a rumour spread that the university would not be able to provide diplomas, which she said was unpleasant – and could recur if the conflict remained unresolved. 
Another female student, who asked not to be named, said she was worried that Abac’s educational management would be affected from instability caused by the conflict. She claimed that a friend – a scholarship recipient who was required to pay tuition from December 30, 2015 to January 6 – was unable to pay the fee because of the clash on December 30. Her friend didn’t show up to pay tuition after the confrontation because of fear for her safety – so, she missed the deadline, which resulted in her registration for courses that required payment to be automatically deleted. She later re-selected courses earlier this week, the student said. 
She said the university system meant she had to wait for a long time for her academic record result last semester. “This conflict might worsen the education management system, which is already going downhill,” she added.
 

 

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