Catholic University takes off at Sunyani

Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 03 April 2003- The Catholic University of Ghana (CUG) to be sited at Fiapre, in the Brong Ahafo Region began serious academic work last month in makeshift facilities at Sunyani with five professors, teaching assistants and a first intake of 50 students.

Reverend Dr. Michael J. Schultheis, the American President/Vice Chancellor, who has worked in Africa for more than 20 years, told the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani on Tuesday that all the lecturers are Ghanaians.

He said the students are studying basic computer science, mathematics, study skills, social ethics, language and communication skills and social analysis of Ghana. "The ground has not yet been broken for the commencement of construction work on accommodation at Fiapre, but a lot of planning is being done to ensure that the buildings will be ready for use at the beginning of the fourth academic year in mid-2005."

The University is using facilities at the Sunyani Catholic Diocesan Pastoral Centre, a few kilometres away from Sunyani. Dr Schultheis expressed the hope that the University would complete its first academic session in October this year and begin the second academic year in November 2003, to be completed before the end of July 2004.

The third academic year would commence in September 2004, he added and explained that the arrangement was to enable the institution to catch up with and fit into the mainstream academic calendar of other Universities in the country.

The Vice-Chancellor said despite the challenges that the University faced in the development of the Fiapre site, the institution was on course as academic work for instance was progressing steadily.

In another interview, the Very Reverend Father Samuel Batsa, Head of Public Relations and Development (PRD) Office of the University indicated that the 50 students were part of 90 candidates who were offered admission, adding that 70 per cent of the 50 students were Catholic by faith, whilst 40 of them were residential with only ten as non-resident students.

Rev. Batsa explained that the Catholic dominance was not due to preferential treatment in the admission process, but that the advertisement for candidates to apply for admission was made mostly in Catholic communities.

The announcement to the general public in that regard through media organizations went out late because of some delays prior to the commencement of the operations of the university, he added.

Rev. Batsa stressed: "The University is open to all qualified persons notwithstanding one's religious inclination or nationality, as two male students are nationals of Nigeria and La Cote D'Ivoire."

He said there were 19 females, forming 38 percent of the total student population. The first two faculties of Information and Communication, Science and Technology (ICST), Economics and Business Administration, have equal number of students, excluding two reverend ministers who are reading Religious Studies.

Rev. Batsa said although it is a church-established institution, Religious Studies and the course structure of the University were not designed for those preparing for priesthood in particular.

He explained that Religious Studies was being taught from a holistic point of view and the University administration had intended to add Education as soon as possible since there was the need for more teachers to teach religious and moral education in secondary schools.

The Head of the PRD Office gave the assurance that the church would not renege on its effort to ensure the rapid progress of the University, saying effective planning and organization was being pursued to develop the Fiapre site to befit a tertiary institutional campus of international standard.

Rev. Batsa indicated that the University had acquired 10 SSNIT bungalows, at Kato, near Berekum, for the staff. The University, he said, had no problem with academic staff, as there were a lot of applications from qualified persons including Catholic priests.

Master Joseph Abban, an ICST student and Ms. Azekyun Abisa, who is pursuing a course in Banking and Finance, expressed satisfaction about studying at the University "because besides being Catholics, we are pursuing courses of our choice, which otherwise would not have been possible in other Universities in the country." They indicated that facilities at the University were "exceptional" while students receive a lot of attention from the lecturers.