A two-day Registrar's Management Seminar, centered on incorporating technology into university administration, has been held at the Great Hall of the University on the theme, “The Administrative/Professional in Higher Education: Breaking the Status Quo Post-Covid-19.’’
The seminar was organised by the Office of the Registrar under the leadership of Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah and brought together over 300 participants, including senior administrative and professional staff who form the membership of the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), UG Chapter.
In welcoming participants to the seminar during the opening ceremony, the host, Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, addressed the difficulties administrators encountered during the pandemic and how they used technology to solve some of the challenges encountered.
Registrar, Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah
“We adapted to new ways of doing things, and many of these have stayed with us, even now that the worst of the pandemic is behind us. There is no doubt that the pandemic has taught us very useful lessons, especially about the use of technology to improve upon the things we do and to enable us to cater for the needs of our stakeholders” she recounted.
Mrs. Agyei-Mensah described the progress the University has made in adopting online meeting platforms for meetings and the significant strides made in adopting automated systems for operations and business processes.
She also acknowledged that the use of technology had extended hours of work and contributed to burnout.
‘‘How have other institutions tackled this to ensure stakeholder satisfaction and, at the same time, the wellbeing of employees?” she quizzed while drawing attention to the situation.
She acknowledged her predecessors Mr. Joseph Budu and Mrs. Mercy Haizel Ashia, who initiated the seminar, with the first one held in 2010.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, who also delivered brief remarks at the opening ceremony, expressed her excitement about the 2023 Annual Registrar’s Management Seminar, which she believed offers a learning platform that seeks to equip and sharpen the skills of administrators and other professionals with contemporary competences to promote productivity and efficiency.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo
She articulated the need to focus on adopting technology in administrative practices, a key element of her vision as Vice-Chancellor of the University to “create a culture that promotes research, teaching and learning, administrative processes and extension activities driven by technology and anchored in humanism”.
She commended the Registrar and her Office for reigniting the annual strategic seminar programme after a break, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A cross-section of participants at the Seminar
The Vice-Chancellor also lauded the efforts of the administrators in ensuring the vision and mission of the university are achieved.
“On the occasion of the University of Ghana’s 75th anniversary, we salute the gallant men and women of the administrative cadre for your selflessness, getting results under pressure and with limited resources; UG is proud of your commitment and dedication to service”, she added.
Addressing the participants in his keynote address, Ing. Dr. Ken Ashigbey, CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, said the role of the administrative professionals led by the Chief Operating Officer of the University, the Registrar, in handling all the administrative workings of the University, and in providing leadership in this era cannot be overemphasised.
CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications, Ing. Dr. Ken Ashigbey
He mentioned that “setting eyes on systems and processes that can help in transforming this great institution into one that stays true to its mission of creating an enabling environment that makes it increasingly relevant to national and global development through cutting-edge research as well as high-quality teaching and learning, especially in a post COVID-19 era” remains relevant.
He commended the Registrar for her efforts at championing the adoption of technology in delivering services offered by the University and administrative processes since assuming office.
In adding his voice to calls for the adoption of emerging technologies to ensure all the key publics of the University, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, and other stakeholders, are satisfied, and urging the university to integrate technology in the delivery of education as a service, Ing. Dr. Ashigbey explored possible solutions that Administrative Professionals can look into to deliver better value in a post-COVID-19 era.
Key among his recommended technology and solutions was the adoption of the education Customer Relationship Management system (CRM), which he noted “manages all your institution’s interactions with prospective and current students. It also supports managing communications with alumni, employees, donors, and other members of the education sector in your institution.”
Participants making notes from the Seminar
Ing. Dr. Ashigbey was of the view that in the effective management of the University, and as part of attempts to curb troubling incidents witnessed by the University, which required a call for external security agencies, the University can deploy more robust identification mechanisms to enhance security on campus not just for students, but also for staff, faculty, and visitors among others. He added that as a measure, more enhanced CCTV cameras could be installed in all halls and other places of gathering, with considerations for singular ID access facilities.
He, however, underscored the risks associated with technology, innovation adoption, and digitalisation. “Despite the benefits of the introduction of digital and innovative solutions to transform an institution like the University of Ghana, the risks associated with same need not be overlooked. Cyber-attacks and cybercrimes, and hacking of management systems are real.”
To mitigate the associated risks with technology adoption, Ing. Dr. Ashigbey emphasised the importance of effective cybersecurity solutions and strategies, highlighting the risks of cyber threats in the current digital era. “It is critical that effective and resilient cybersecurity strategies and other risk mitigation schemes need to be developed and implemented. We better train them to be ethical hackers or be prepared for them when they come calling.”
A participant making a submission at the Seminar
Activities for the seminar included presentations from seasoned Technology Professionals, among others. Some of the presentations were ; Unearthing Tools for Smart Working by Mr. Francis Boachie Chief Information Technology Officer, University of Ghana; Re-inventing to Create Value in a Rapidly Changing Academic World, by Mr. Carl Sackey Former Deputy General Manager, GCNet; A Technology-Driven Customer Service Management Agenda-The Case of Enterprise Life Assurance Ghana by Mr. Emmanuel Frempong Senior Manager, Business Technology Enterprise Life Assurance Ghana; and Meeting the academic needs of students during the Covid-19 Pandemic-The Story of York University, Ontario, Canada by Ms. Collette Murray Graduate Program Assistant (Critical Disability Studies & Health MA/PhD) York University, Ontario, Canada.
There was also a panel discussion on “Current and Future Trends on Remote Working”, which had as panelists, Mr. Eric Nsarkoh, CEO Street Streams Limited, Ms. Serwaa Akoto, Head of Payments, Ecobank and Dr. Yvonne Lamptey, Ag. Director of the Human Resource and Organisational Development Directorate (HRODD), University of Ghana.
Dignitaries and participants at the Seminar
The Registrar's Management Seminar is an annual event that brings together all Senior Administrative and Professional employees of the University of Ghana to deliberate on key emerging issues in Higher Education (HE) administration and lessons for impacting their work output. The key goal of this year's seminar is to explore lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, specifically the use of technology to transform the experiences of our key stakeholders.
