The Pro Vice-Chancellor responsible for Academic and Student Affairs (ASA), Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, and the Pro Vice-Chancellor in charge of Research, Innovation, and Development (RID), Prof. Felix Ankomah Asante paid a working visit to some halls of residence on 16th June 2021 ahead of the reopening of school (for the first cohorts) for the second semester of the 2020/2021 modular academic year.
The purpose of the tour was to inspect the University’s Wi-Fi extension project which was initiated to improve internet connectivity on campus. According to Prof. Amfo, the exercise had become necessary to enable University management to have “a firsthand information of the Wi-Fi situation” in the various halls of residence.
A picture of one of the Access Points (APs) fixed on the wall
The team led by the two Pro Vice-Chancellors, visited Legon Hall, Mensah Sarbah Hall, and Jean Nelson Aka Hall. Other members of the team included Mr. Lucas Yikimpa Chigabatia, Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO); Ms. Eccles Adwoba Andoh, Ag. Director of Public Affairs; Mrs. Arhizah Blay-Abiti, Senior Assistant Registrar (Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor, ASA), among others. The team also featured Mr. Nana Kwame Amo Ntow-Fianko and Mr. Abdul Salam MohammedActing President and Head of Academic Affairs Committee of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) respectively, as well as Mr. Adofo Yaw Kwakye, Acting President of Graduate Students’ Association (GRASAG), Legon.
Legon Hall
At Legon Hall, the team was joined by Dr. Charles B. Wiafe-Akenteng and Dr. Francis Aboagye-Otchere, Hall Master and Senior Hall Tutor respectively as well as the Junior Common Room (JCR) President, Mr. Michael Boadi. The inspection team assessed the Wi-Fi situation in the hall has improved, except for a few blocks which still experience challenges with intermittent network signals. Legon Hall has a total of one hundred and fifty (150) access points.
The team at Legon Hall
Mensah Sarbah Hall
The team made a second trip to the Mensah Sarbah Hall. Joining the team, the Hall Master Dr. Innocent Y.D. Lawson bemoaned the practice of some students stealing Wi-Fi access points fixed on the walls. The President of the Junior Common Room (JCR) Mr. Derrick Nii Okai however said internet connection in the hall had improved in recent times but for some few challenges experienced in the annexes of the hall. So far, Sarbah has a total of one hundred and thirteen (113) access points.
A picture of the team in Sarbah Hall being joined by the Hall Master (in white) and the JCR President (standing left to the Hall Master)
Jean Nelson Aka Hall
The team ended the tour at the Jean Nelson Aka Hall. On arrival, the team was briefed on the massive Wi-Fi restructuring project in the hall. At the time of visit, Jean Nelson Aka Hall had a total of sixty-two (62) functioning access points with a capacity of about two thousand (2,000) logins at a goal. Dr. Jemima A. Anderson, Senior Hall Tutor indicated that though the project has not been completed, there has been improvement in the Wi-Fi situation in the hall.
The Team at the Jean Nelson Aka Hall
Upon the successful completion of the visit, the team noted that the Wi-Fi situation in the various halls had improved going by the three halls visited. Assurance was given that management will continue to assess the Wi-Fi extension project on campus to ensure that students have a good internet connection.
Prof. Nana Appiah Amfo speaking to Radio Univers after the exercise