Students of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over the relocation of the anatomy and physiology departments to pure and applied sciences.

The protest followed an internal memorandum issued by the university’s Directorate of Academic Affairs, approving the movement of the departments from basic medical sciences.

The students expressed anxiety and claimed that management was noting their names; hence, they spoke as anonymous respondents.

However, a protesting student, who identified as Tee-Daniel, said they had yet to receive an official response from university management regarding the concerns raised about the relocation decision.

He said that anatomy and human physiology were core branches of the basic medical sciences and thus described their transfer to pure and applied sciences as unreasonable and academically unjustified.

According to him, the relocation alters the academic identity of students who applied under a medical framework and expected recognition consistent with professional medical training pathways nationwide.

Mr Tee-Daniel stated that students feared graduating as science students, rather than medical students, as it could affect professional recognition, access to medical practical facilities, and future career opportunities.

He further said the restructuring should have been transparent, academically justified, properly communicated, and phased, rather than imposed abruptly without adequate consultation with affected students.

Mr Tee-Daniel noted that students applied based on an existing academic structure and tuition bracket, alleging that significant fee differences between faculties further heightened concerns about fairness.

The protesters rejected the Pure and Applied Science Students Association (PASSA) and called for the reinstatement of the LAUTECH Students’ Union to restore representation.

The peaceful protest, which marched across major faculty buildings, is expected to continue until management addresses their demands and publicly clarifies the reasons for the decision.

However, efforts to secure the management’s response through the institution’s public relations officer were unsuccessful.

(NAN)