“Academic Excellence Goes With Character Development” -CU President Urges Freshmen and senior students

As an established tradition, Cuttington University on Sunday, November 21, 2021, matriculated a number of freshmen and senior students at her Undergraduate program on the main campus in Suakoko, Bong County with the President of the University Dr. Romelle A. Horton urging the students not only to excel in their academic works, but to develop the attitude to be useful citizens “because academic excellence goes with character development”.

Speaking to the senior students whom she said have gotten accustomed to the culture of the university where their academic and personal lives have been impacted, Dr. Horton reminded them of the challenges ahead and urged them to take every step in achieving the objective for which they were at the university and also those that lie ahead after graduation.

She said CU over the years has lived up to the expectation of producing men and women who are not only contributing their quota to the development of this country, but also to the outside world.

“When the time comes to leave this institution, you will be joining others who have gone through this university and are contributing not only to their quota to the development of this country but also to the outside world. This should remind you of the unique and quality education we are providing here. I therefore urge you to be good ambassadors of CU as it has been a good environment that paved your future, she said.

Dr. Horton also urged the senior students whom she said have gotten accustomed to the culture of the university and the institution has also impacted on both their academic and personal lives and reminded them of the challenges ahead and to take every step in achieving the objective for which they were at the university and also those that lie ahead after graduation.

Dr. Horton who had earlier welcomed parents, guardians, sponsors and well-wishers who had come from far and near, also welcomed the freshmen students to the university community and assured them that their studies at the institution will be an exciting experience for them and urged them to make full use of it.

“I trust that you have chosen this university as your choice because of the quality education it provides and I hope you are ready to withstand the challenges the rigor of learning presents. I urge you to take your studies seriously and devote more time to worthy things while on the campus”, Dr. Horton told the incoming students.

She spoke about the unique learning environment of the university which does not only look at the knowledge acquired from there but the character development which it also emphasizes.

“Present yourself well, know yourself, respect yourself and encourage yourself. I urge you to strive for good character because character takes you where you want to go. Academic excellence goes with character development” She said.

The CU President, in her second Matriculation Address at the University’s main campus, situated in Suakoko, Bong County, was seen in an exuberant mood as she praised her staff and faculty members for their level of work and commitment displayed in making the University a great place. Dr. Horton also thanked the audience for showing up at the event.

At the Matriculation, however, both the President and the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University administered the oath of affirmation in admittance of the incoming freshmen students at the CU Main Campus, Suakoko, Bong County as a way of formally welcoming them to Cuttington and admonishing them that societal events hope on positively challenging school-goers.

The Matriculation event is normally held during the course of every first semester of each academic school year at the University and usually brings together incoming freshmen and outgoing senior students, as well as parents, guardians, well-wishers, and friends of the students, alongside the President of the University, Vice and Associate Vice Presidents, staff, deans and faculty members of various colleges at the University.

The academic ceremony is often purposely intended to formally welcome new students at the institution as well as wave farewell to the outgoing seniors who have successfully gone through the ranks and files of the University’s academic norms, pending their final activities for graduation.

In addition to that, the incoming freshmen students, accompanied by the outgoing seniors, were told to perform “The lighting of candles,” a unique aspect of the Matriculation which normally symbolizes the removal of darkness from their eyes that they may now drink deeply from the fountain of knowledge at Cuttington University and that their light shine to the rest of the world.

Historically, Cuttington University was established on February 22, 1889 by the Episcopal Church as an institution of higher learning in Liberia. It is the oldest private University in Liberia and one of the oldest universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The institution has over the years accommodated and continues to accommodate students from different parts of Africa and other regions of the world. The University runs three (3) campuses, including her main campus in Suakoko, Bong County, Junior College in Kakata, Margibi County, and Graduate School in Montserrado County.