Students of the Bunda College of Agriculture have written President Joyce Banda asking her to intervene in a dispute over the issuance authority of degrees for students graduating from the College.
This follows an announcement last week on Thursday by the new Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, LUANAR, that with effect from 1st July this year all graduates from Bunda College will be issued with LUANAR degrees and not University of Malawi, UNIMA papers.
Parliament agreed to detach Bunda College from UNIMA and placed it under LUANAR, early this year.
The new University encompasses the Bunda College, Natural Resources College, Chitedze Research Station and Agriculture Research and Extention Trust ARET.
In their petition to the president the students say that the transition process from UNIMA to LUANAR is undemocratic and not transparent as expected.
The students argue that as key stakeholders in the matter they expected to be kept abreast of all the developments surrounding the transition process.
Early this week, the students also petitioned the college principal over the same matter arguing the decision it was contrary with what was agreed by parliament.
According to the students parliament resolved that current students of Bunda College will graduate with UNIMA degrees and only new students who will enroll after the official change are the ones to graduate with LUANAR degrees.
