The vice-chancellor of the Catholic University of Ghana (CUG), professor Daniels Obeng-Ofori, has revealed that private universities in the nation are planning to increasing the base pay of teachers by twenty percent (20%) this year.
He said that universities wanted to increase book and research allowances to make it more appealing to professors, particularly PhD holders. Prof. Obeng-Ofori stated that the increase in the base wage as well as book and research allowances for academics was intended to recruit and retain teachers at private universities.
He stated this to the Daily Graphic during an interview in Fiapre, Sunyani West Municipality, Bono Region. Prof Obeng-Ofori shed further insight on the decision, explaining that he and other VCs had been meeting even though they were not members of any group.
He said that it was via those talks that they planned to make the raise to prevent teachers, particularly senior lecturers, from rejecting to teach at private universities.
Bemoan
Prof. Obeng-Ofori lamented professors’ unwillingness to stay and teach at private universities despite being financed by the institutions to get a PhD.
He noted that the academics’ unwillingness to teach in universities remained a significant obstacle. Prof. Obeng-Ofori ascribed the problem to inadequate basic salary, book and research allowances, or the bad service provided by private universities.
“Sometimes, we sponsor the training of lecturers to obtain PhDs and they later abandon us to join public universities for better conditions of services,” according to him.
He stated that more funds will be required to provide a steady rise in the basic income, and that universities must work hard to promote student enrollment.
Publications
Prof. Obeng-Ofori pushed lectures to write more so that they may be promoted to senior lecturers and professors. He indicated that the only way they could advance to senior lecturers and professors was to produce more papers.
Prof. Obeng-Ofori stated that institutions will continue to offer incentives and push them to publish more research work. “You will soon be unable to teach at any academic institution unless you have a PhD. We highly encourage professors with Master’s degrees to enroll in PhD studies.
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“Currently, CUG has about 16 lecturers with Master’s degrees, who have been enrolled in PhD programmes at the various stages of communication,” he told me.
Prof. Obeng-Ofori stated that lecturers with Master’s degrees have just two years to enroll in PhD programs after being appointed. He warned them that their appointments would be revoked if they did not enhance themselves within two years of their appointment.
On hostels, Prof. Obeng-Ofori stated that the CUG need more hostel facilities to handle the growing number of students. He stated that the present university hostel facilities were grossly inadequate to accommodate the students.
Prof. Obeng-Ofori said that the majority of the students stayed in individual hostels, which were expensive and added to the students’ financial burden.
Prof. Obeng-Ofori urged commercial developers to collaborate with the institution to complete certain ongoing hostel facilities and minimize the accommodation gap.
