The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof Johnson Nyarko Boampong, has affirmed the commitment of the university to investing in the construction of facilities on campus to address the challenge of space on campus.
The commencement and completion of such facilities, he explained, would help promote effective teaching and learning, enhance research productivity, for the university to maintain its enviable position.
Prof Boampong was speaking at the climax of the 56th congregation of the University held within a two-day period, for graduates who pursued their academic programme through the distance mode at College of Distance Education (CoDE), Institute of College Education and the School of Graduate Studies.
A total of 9,106 graduated with various degrees and diplomas. The number included 19 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D).
Prof Boampong mentioned the construction of the first phase multipurpose College of Allied and Health Sciences (CoHAS) complex which was expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“The completion of this project will not only bring an improvement in facilities and infrastructure but also provide more enabling environment for teaching and learning,” he indicated.
He also stated that a five-storey office complex for academic staff of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies and College of Educational Studies was being constructed and was likely to be completed this year.
The School of Graduate Studies, he indicated, needed to adapt new strategies in its training to promote teaching, learning and research, explaining, “Management would promulgate policies that would ensure relevance of postgraduate programmes to socio-economic development.”
Prof Boampong further stated that, 16 new postgraduate programmes had been added to the existing programmes as against 15 programmes the previous year.
“We continue to create new relevant programmes to bring about modest decentralization in the implementation of the postgraduate policy, increase flexibility in higher in higher degree choices and college based seminars,” he said.
The University management, he said, had decided to turn the Agona Nyarkrom Resource Centre into a satellite campus to run full time programmes, saying, “An ad-hoc committee has been constituted to initiate the accreditation of the centre to run BSc Nursing, and BSc. Information Technology programmes”.
The new directives from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (G-TEC) to the College of Distance Education to move all its learning centres from the senior high schools to tertiary institutions poses a great challenge to the University.
“The College is now saddled with the responsibility of looking out for tertiary institutions nationwide to house the distance learners but it has been very difficult because most institutions are unwilling to accept our students on their campuses,” he said.
The Chairman of the Governing Council of UCC, Prof Harold Steward Amonoo-Koufi, urged the graduates to continue seeking knowledge, challenge assumptions, and adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of their chosen field.
He called on the researchers, faculty and the graduates to use their expertise to impact community around them, and to shape the development of the country.
FROM DAVID O. YARBOI-TETTEH, CAPE COAST