FOR those who work in universities, 2016 will go down as the year of compromises. University leaders speak openly about compromising for the sake of the peace, to ensure that end-of-year examinations can be completed for the vast majority of non-protesting students. Agreements are being signed with violent minorities that would be inconceivable in peace times. The stakes are high for the vice-chancellors. If final examinations are disrupted, tens of thousands of students will not complete the year, many will drop out, and few will return for the gamble of non-disrupted examinations in January. There is another risk — the uncertainty and chaos that seem inevitable for new enrolments as matriculants wait to hear about their admission. It is extremely difficult for administration staff to manage all three classes of students — the graduating students, the continuing students and the new, incoming students — simultaneously when campuses are shut for weeks at a time. Think about some of ...
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