COMAHS Clarifies Attendance Policy, Reaffirms 75% Requirement for eligibility to write exams

12th July 2026

The Administration of the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS), University of Sierra Leone, has issued a statement to clarify what it describes as the misrepresentation of facts by some students who have circulated inaccurate information to bloggers and journalists regarding the enforcement of the College's attendance policy.

The College reiterated that, in line with its academic regulations, every student must attain a minimum of 75% class attendance each semester to qualify for the semester examinations.

According to the administration, the policy has been consistently implemented in the Clinical and Dentistry Faculties for several years, leading to significant improvements in lecture attendance, practical participation, and overall academic engagement. However, implementation has not been as consistent in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC), Professor James Russell has therefore directed that the policy be strictly enforced across all departments.

The DVC emphasized that competence, professional skills, and academic excellence cannot be achieved without regular classroom participation, stressing that there would be "no sacred cow" in the enforcement of the attendance regulations.

Providing an update on compliance, the Dean of the Faculty disclosed the following statistics:

Final Part II (5th Year): 24 out of 33 students met the 75% attendance requirement.

Final Part I (4th Year): 70 out of 85 students qualified.

First Year: 85 out of 168 students qualified.

Second Year: 100 out of 143 students qualified.

The Dean further explained that a dedicated WhatsApp platform has been established to monitor attendance and regularly remind students of their obligations. Lecturers have also been instructed to maintain accurate attendance registers throughout the semester.

COMAHS reaffirmed that payment of tuition fees is a mandatory requirement under University of Sierra Leone regulations. Students who fail to settle their fees by the end of the academic year will not be permitted to sit the second-semester examinations.

The College concluded by noting that faculties where attendance and fee regulations are rigorously enforced have recorded high levels of student compliance, underscoring its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of medical and allied health education.

© Dr Tonya Musa 
Director of Communication and International Relations University of Sierra Leone