The Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, has inaugurated a 13-member Governing Council for the University of Cape Coast at a ceremony at the Ministry of Education, Accra.
The reconstituted Council is chaired by Justice William Anaam Atuguba, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana. Members of the Council are: Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong; Dr. Abdul Nasser Alidu and Ms. Shika Acolatse (Government Nominees).
Others are Prof. Eric Anane-representative of Convocation (Professorial); Anastasia Asante (Esq); representative of Convocation (Non-Professorial); Dr. Jerry Opoku-Ansah- UTAG, UCC Branch; Abraham Norman Nortey-undergraduate student; Mr. Robert Ipiin Gnankob- Post-Graduate Students, Mr. Samuel Danso Akoto -Alumni Association.
The rest are Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai- Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Mr. Mohammed A. Quantson-Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS); and Mr. Benjamin Mensah-Gorman-Teachers and Education Workers Union (TEWU).
The Registrar, Gideon Enoch Abbeyquaye (Esq) is secretary to Council.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Minister of Education charged Council to ensure that UCC focused on its mandate and vision of teacher education in the areas of Science Technology, Engineering and Technology (STEM).
“While we ensure the diversification of programmes, Council will have to ensure that the University remains focused on its mandate to support the government’s STEM education agenda and particularly foundational learning agenda”, he emphasized.
He called on the University to make recommendations on the government’s plan to incorporate teacher professionalism in the curriculum of education students while scrapping the teacher licensure examination.
The Minister of Education urged UCC to maintain its academic discipline and rigid assessment of students adding “In fact those days, UCC’s second class was equivalent to some first class somewhere, I’m not sure it is the same as it used to be. We therefore task Council to bring the glory back to the University of Cape Coast”
He said the government would establish ICT Innovation Hub to support UCC’s distance education.
He entreated the Chairman to work with Council to preserve the sanctity of leadership at UCC in order to prevent the turmoil that happened under the previous Council
On his part, the Chairman of UCC Governing Council promised to ensure academic freedom was guaranteed.
“I will resist any attempt by government to unduly interfere with academic freedom in UCC”, he assured.
Justice Atuguba pledged to work with the new Council to sustain and improve on the current academic stature of UCC.
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Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
