In accordance with Covid-19 Safety Protocols, the University of Ghana, on 7th February 2022, organised college-based matriculation ceremonies virtually for the 2021/2022 cohort of fresh students.
The College Secretaries on behalf of the Registrar, Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, thanked all colleagues at all levels for the roles they played in the process of admitting students, working on registration, orientation, matriculation and putting the systems in place for the online delivery method that is being used this academic year. These, according to the Registrar, “were all done in the midst of ongoing pandemic with much work going on over the Christmas break”.
The Registrar encouraged the matriculating class of 2022 to engage positively and actively in all the University’s activities and embrace the new normal associated with the pandemic. She wished all the students a wonderful stay in the University of Ghana.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, in an address delivered on her behalf by Provosts of the four Colleges, provided the following enrolment statistics: for the 2021/2022 academic year, the University enrolled 16,387 undergraduate students, of which 48% are female and 52% are male. This breaks down into College of Health Sciences, 650; College of Humanities, 8,518; College of Basic and Applied Sciences, 2,841 and College of Education, 4,318.
Prof. Amfo, in her speech, warmly welcomed the international students and wished them a pleasant stay in Ghana. She was delighted in the socio-cultural experiences that the presence of international students bring to the University. “We fully value the diversity and experiences our International Students bring to our Campuses. We are honored to have you here’’, she stated.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that for the 2021/2022 academic year, a total of 454 International Students from North and South America, Asia, and Europe have enrolled. This enrollment, according to the Vice-Chancellor, is an improvement in the number of International Students enrolled in the 2020/2021 academic year because of the travel restrictions due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.
The Vice-Chancellor also disclosed that the University, once again, continued with offering admission to particular classes of students, thereby granting them the opportunity for university education through the Affirmative Action Policies for Women, Concession for Applicants from less Endowed Schools, the admission of Student-Athletes and the admission of Students with Special Needs.
Prof. Appiah Amfo also reported that during the 2020/2021 academic year, the University of Ghana received donations totaling GH¢2,660,358.46 from twenty-two (22) individual and corporate donors. She added that GH¢ 2,257,679 worth of partial and full scholarships were disbursed to 868 students. She expressed sincere appreciation to all donors for their continuous support and generosity.
The Vice-Chancellor finally encouraged the students to constantly adhere to the rules and regulations of the University, and strike the right balance between their academic work, co-curriculum activities and their social lives.
The Matriculation Oath was administered to representatives of the students by the College Secretaries on behalf of the Registrar. In turn, the student representatives, Eyram Akosua Cobblah, College of Humanities; Michelle DaseAgborli, College of Health Sciences; Nicole Obiribea Addo, College of Basic and Applied Sciences and Freda Ofori Brakowah, College of Education, delivered expectation speeches and symbolically signed the Matricula on behalf of their cohorts.
All the four representatives of the students, in their speeches, were confident in the University’s ability to fully train and adequately equip them with the needed knowledge in their various fields of study. They expressed concern over the ongoing strike and hoped for a fruitful deliberation between the University Teachers’ Association of Ghana (UTAG) and the Government of Ghana, to enable fresh students to experience academic activities fully.
They further urged their colleagues to stay focused and observe all laid down protocols by the University authorities in order to enhance their stay on campus.
All freshers were also encouraged to sign the online Matricula, which is a statutory requirement for all newly admitted students.
