The University believes in community living as an essential part of student life. It is therefore primarily residential, providing accommodation in Halls of Residence for both post-graduate and undergraduate students as well as flats and guest rooms for senior members and guests. There are six halls of residence:

- Legon Hall (for men and women)

- Akuafo Hall (for men and women)

- Commonwealth Hall (for men)

- Volta Hall (for women)

- Mensah Sarbah Hall (for men and women)

- Juibilee Hall (for men and women)

Each Hall consists of junior members (students) and senior members (staff) and is managed by a Council comprising members elected by persons belonging to the Hall. The Master or Warden in the case of Volta Hall, is the head of the Hall.

Each Hall has Junior and Senior Common Rooms for students and faculty respectively. A tutorial system offers an opportunity for counselling students and ensuring their welfare at both academic and social levels. Students maintain interaction with each other and their wider community through recognised clubs and societies. Each Hall has a kitchen and a dining hall to cater for students' feeding. Chapels and a mosque are also available for use by various religious denominations. A Chaplaincy Board co-ordinates the activities of religious groups.

There are also students hostel for post-graduates, international students and undergraduates:

- Valco Trust Hostel (for graduate students)

- International Students Hostel (for international students)

- Ghana Hostels Limited

Social life on campus is organised mainly by the Students' Representative Council and the Junior Common Room Committees which provide various kinds of entertainment during the week and over the week-ends.

STUDENTS' REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL
The Students' Representative Council serves as the mouthpiece for the entire student body, and seeks the interest of students in academic, social, cultural and scientific activities. It acts as a link between the student body and the University authorities.

It is made up of an executive comprising President, Secretary and Treasurer, elected on a campus-wide basis and six representatives from each of the five halls of residence.

The Council has representation on the Council of the University and on University Boards and Committees which deals with student welfare.

BANK AND POSTAL SERVICES
The Ghana Commercial Bank, the Standard Chartered Bank and the Barclays Bank have branches on the University campus. They offer financial services for students, staff and individuals who live around the University campus.

The University has an Internal Mail Office which facilitates postal services within the University. The national postal service (Ghana Post) has a branch on campus.


BALME LIBRARY
The Balme Library is the main library of the University with a holding of about 300,000 volumes, including a notable section on Africana, and about 5,000 periodicals. Non-members of the University are allowed the use of the Balme Library. They may register as external borrowers. Departmental and Hall libraries supplement facilities available in the Balme Library.

BOTANICAL GARDENS
The Botanical Gardens covering an area of approximately 25 hectares support the scientific research of the Department of Botany. They contain plant species of the tropics and semi-tropics, including a large collection of palms from various tropical areas.

In addition to the sale of plants and wreaths, landscaping and horticultural services, there are facilities in the gardens for picnics by individuals, families and social groups.

UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
The University Hospital in Legon was opened in October, 1959. It is headed by a Director of University Health Services, supported by a team of medical officers, pharmacists, qualified nurses and health superintendents.

It consists of an Out-patient Department, a minor Operation Theatre Department, X-Ray Department, a Laboratory, a pharmacy, a mortuary and a ward section containing 64 beds (including 13 maternity beds). In addition, there are quarters for the nursing staff.

The Hospital provides medical services for students, staff and their dependants and for inhabitants of over 20 villages around the University.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS
The University of Ghana is often labelled the most conservative and "academic" campus in Ghana. However, there is always a lot of to do and see before and after lectures and students enjoy very active social lives. Activities range over a wide area.

There is a wide choice of clubs and societies on campus for students. Old Students Associations are many and still increasing. For those who want to maintain strong tribal ties with their kinsfolk associations exist to serve their needs. Religion is also catered for by a variety of religious bodies and associations.

Students are also able to join in activities organised by their Faculties and a number of international clubs are also active on campus.

Extra Curricular activities of course do not end with clubs and societies. The Students' Representative Council (SRC) itself generate a lot of activity on campus.

Hall Weeks are big events on campus. Students' imagination and innovation are put to the test in a week long celebrations. There are also places/spots to relax and have fun at the end of an active day's work.

All sport activities of the University are conducted by the Executive Committee of the Amalgamated Clubs. The Committee is made up of the captains of the various sporting clubs of the University.

AMALGAMATED SPORTS CLUBS
The Amalgamated Sports Clubs a unit of the Public Affairs Directorate brings together sportsmen and women in the University. The activities of the clubs are co-ordinated by the President, honorary and professional coaches and the student General Secretary and Team Captains. These include Inter-Hall activities in athletics, football, tennis, volleyball, basketball etc.

University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 25, Legon, Accra. Ghana.
Telephone: +233 21 500383
University of Ghana © 2005