The University of Goroka is currently working to address the issue of student overcrowding.
UOG Vice Chancellor, Professor Musawe Sinebare, said the overcrowding is due to the high demand of student intake this year.
Sinebare explained that 656 school leavers were selected, an increase of 256 from the traditional figure of 400 students.
The increase in school leavers was the result of endorsement of eight new academic programs in 2016 by the Department of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology.
Sinebare said the university management has come up with a strategy to ease the problem.
Lecture and tutorial groups with larger numbers are allocated bigger rooms to conduct their sessions and lectures are conducted into the late hours for those residing on campus; from 8am to 8pm.
The student mess is being petitioned to conduct classes when not in use to ease the overcrowding and the UOG Farm lecture rooms are also freed up to cater for use.
Sinebare confirmed that the university is now working to acquire state land to build more lecture rooms and other facilities to address the growing number of students every year.
UOG has enrolled a total of 4100 students this year while the facilities can only cater for 1500 students.