The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has led the One-Student-One Laptop (1S1L) Implementation Committee to disburse the first batch of 120 laptops to brilliant but needy students.
Prof. Amfo congratulated all the beneficiaries and applauded the Committee for doing thorough work in identifying the targeted recipients of the initiative. Prof. Amfo presented the background to the 1S1L initiative and reiterated her vision of creating a culture that promotes research, teaching and learning, administrative processes and by extension, activities driven by technology and anchored in humanism. She explained that her vision hinges on the University’s aspiration to become a “world-class research-intensive University” and a mission to “create an enabling environment that makes the University increasingly relevant to national and global development through cutting-edge research as well as high-quality teaching and learning”.
Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo
Prof. Amfo added that her goal as Vice-Chancellor will be for the University to train students who are critical thinkers, technologically adept, humane, culturally sensitive and ready to provide leadership for the country and the continent. “I will focus on developing 21st century citizenry skills of our students. It shouldn’t matter whether you are an Engineering, Mathematics, Nursing, Political Science or Theatre Arts Student. Through our programme and content delivery, our students and graduates ought to be ready for the fourth industrialization revolution”, she said.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed appreciation to all the corporate bodies and individuals who have supported the project. She was confident in the smooth running of the other projects and elicited the support of the entire University community.
Prof. Peter Quartey, Chair, 1S1L Committee, in his remarks appreciated the Vice-Chancellor for the initiative and the confidence reposed in the Committee.
Prof. Quartey indicated that the Committee, with the help of the Student Financial Aid Office, went through a stringent process to identify the brilliant but needy students.
Prof. Peter Quartey
He disclosed that the Committee has developed a policy to guide the smooth delivery of the project so that its benefits are not negated. “We don’t want people taking advantage of the project, someone making a business out of it; to get the laptops and resell them”, he said. Prof. Quartey noted that components of the policy has been extracted into an undertaking for the beneficiaries.
He also gave the assurance that students from other campuses of the University will equally benefit from the initiative. He was hopeful that the Committee will continue to work together and deliver according to its mandate.
Mr. Francis Boachie, Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO), took all present through the ownership and management issues and added that the University will use an endpoint device management, to help manage the gadgets. Mr. Boachie noted that though beneficiaries would be required to return the laptops after graduating, that might change in the future. He encouraged the beneficiaries to keep the laptops in good form to make it sustainable so that other cohorts of students can use them.
A student receiving her laptop from the Vice-Chancellor
Mr. Prince Asumadu, President of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the 1S1L initiative aimed at enhancing the UG student experience. “This meets the educational need of bridging the gap between effective teaching and learning”, he stated. He urged all students to take advantage of the initiative and pledged the SRC's support to the initiative.
“We’ve passed a bill at the General Assembly to make a contribution to all the projects you are embarking on”, he stated. He expressed hope in the permanence of the initiative so that it benefits the next generation of students.
Mrs. Christina Adu, President, Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG)-Legon, in her remarks expressed appreciation to Prof. Amfo for the initiative. “This is novel and visionary”, she said. She appreciated all who have contributed to the initiative and stated that her leadership is poised to donate to the programme in the coming days. She urged all beneficiaries to use the gadgets for its intended purpose.
Delivering the closing remarks, Mrs. Emelia Agyei Mensah, Registrar, congratulated all the beneficiaries and urged them to use the laptops efficiently and effectively. She encouraged all internal stakeholders to also put their best foot forward in supporting the project. “When our external partners see that internally, we are doing a good job of supporting our students, I’m sure that they would rise up and also support us”, she said.
Mr. Henricks Asare, a Level 300 BA English and Psychology student, moved the vote of thanks.
Present at the ceremony were Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development; Prof. Julius Fobil, Provost, College of Health Sciences; Prof. Samuel Nii Arday Codjoe, Provost, College of Education; Prof. Justice Bawole, Dean University of Ghana Business School (UGBS); Prof. Samuel Kwasi Dartey-Baah Director, Office of Institutional Advancement; Prof. Albert Ahenkan, Senior Hall Tutor, Jean Nelson Aka Hall and Head of Public Administration & Health Services Management Department, UGBS; Mrs. Elizier T. Ameyaw-Buronyah, Director, Public Affairs Directorate; Dr. Samuel Nkubaam President, UTAG-UG Chapter and Mr. Joseph Oduro Nkansah, College Secretary, College of Education.
Other attendees of the event were members of the 1S1L Committee, beneficiaries, students and a cross-section of members from the University community.
