UG Management Engages Student Leaders at Interactive Reception
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, hosted student leaders to an interactive reception at the Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge. The student leaders present included executives of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Junior Common Room (JCR), Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG) and Distance Education Students’ Association. The rest were student leaders from the Korle Bu Campus, student leaders for students with special needs and various faculty and departmental associations.
Opening the session, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Gordon Awandare, emphasised that the annual gathering was designed to foster direct dialogue on the University’s vision and to address areas of concern to students. He underscored the critical role of student leaders as partners in ensuring a transformative student experience, in line with the University’s 2024–2029 Strategic Plan.
Prof. Rosina Kyerematen, Dean of Student Affairs, commended the SRC for its recent donation to the Dean’s Foodbank and encouraged open discussion, highlighting the Vice-Chancellor’s open-door policy.
Student leaders raised key concerns, including high private hostel fees and limited accommodation, unreliable transportation and shuttle services among others.
Prof. Awandare responded extensively to these concerns, emphasising that the University has to operate within a severely constrained government budget. On high private hostel fees, he noted that Management was concerned about the issue and was engaging the hostel owners in a manner that will not discourage investors from dealing with the university.
Prof. Awandare further revealed that the University has lost over 1,000 academic and non-academic staff in recent years, with only about 102 replacements, significantly overloading faculty and staff, which sometimes contributes to delays in release of examination results as well as other administrative duties.
He urged student leaders to use their collective influence to lobby relevant government officials on systemic challenges such as inadequate government funding and the need for financial clearance to recruit staff, noting that students often command greater attention from policymakers than Management does.
In her address, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Amfo expressed gratitude to the student leaders for their commitment and highlighted Management’s ongoing efforts to improve the student experience. She urged students to make full use of course advisors, deans and heads of department to raise issues promptly, warning that delays in reporting problems often make resolution difficult.
She committed to following up with the Information Technology Directorate (ITD) on reported student email access issues, stressing that official UG emails are essential for university communication.
On accommodation and fees, she reinforced that academic user fees are heavily subsidised while university accommodation fees reflect real costs.
The Registrar, Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, confirmed the shuttle service agreement was nearing renewal with an additional provider being considered to expand and improve the service.
Management assured constructive follow-up on concerns expressed by the student leaders.
Also present were the Director of Academic Affairs, Mrs. Lydia Anowa Nyako-Danquah and other senior officials and patrons.
