“I should have a job, but I'm standing there asking for my documents.” Collegium Humanum students' protest

Coffee, tea and donuts – this was what awaited the demonstrators in front of the university, until recently called Collegium Humanum. The students didn't want catering, they just demanded their diplomas. Which – as they emphasize – they honestly earned. They came from different parts of the country. They took banners and a megaphone with them. Together they demand dialogue because it is about their future.

– There are already job offers for teachers in my city, but no one wants to hire me without a diploma – emphasizes Emilia Polak, one of the demonstrators. – I should have a job, but in fact I'm standing and asking for my documents – says Joanna Sikora, another of the demonstrators.

Graduates feel aggrieved because they were lumped in with those who received their diplomas illegally. – We had classes from morning to evening – points out Joanna Sikora.

Students' problems began after the CBA entered the university's Warsaw headquarters at the beginning of this year. The prosecutor introduced compulsory administration at the university.

READ MORE: “Diploma factory”, dozens of accusations and a “vicious circle”. What is the Collegium Humanum scandal about?

After several attempts, the protesters entered the building and the new rector finally met them. – The university cannot issue documents that are not verified – Magdalena Stryja, rector of the Varsovia University of Business and Applied Sciences, told the demonstrating students.

Students care not only about diplomas, but also about study history cards needed to transfer to another university. The Rector assured that the issuance of cards has started, and next week there will be the first defenses and a meeting of the Senate, which will allow for the approval of the diploma template after changing the name of the university. There are no specifics – students answer.

A group of about 400 students already has their own representatives who announce a lawsuit. – When the case became public, the university was paralyzed. Under the guise of implemented procedures, our clients and other students are actually deceived – notes Prof. Krzysztof Koźmiński, representative of the student group.

The Office of the Ombudsman is also dealing with the case of injured students. – The number of people for whom we conduct proceedings is several hundred – says Marek Chochowski from the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights.

SEE ALSO: “This scandal affects all political circles”

Minister of Science and Higher Education Dariusz Wieczorek assures that a draft bill is already ready to ensure that the shameful history of Collegium Humanum will not be repeated.