UG Pro Vice-Chancellor pays working visit to Korle-Bu campus

The University of Ghana Pro Vice-Chancellor (Academic and Student Affairs), Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo has visited the Korle-Bu Campus of the University to interact with Management of the College of Health Sciences.

The visit afforded her the opportunity to assess the state of academic and residential facilities for students of the College.

Welcoming the Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASA) and her entourage, the Provost of the College, Reverend Professor Patrick F. Ayeh-Kumi mentioned that the College was happy to receive the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (ASA) and her team on the Korle-Bu Campus of the University.

He stated that the College was different from the Colleges on the Legon Campus in several respects.

For example, with respect to the College’s academic calendar, the College runs a 20-week academic calendar for a semester instead of the standard 16 weeks calendar per semester.

Reverend Professor Patrick Ayeh-Kumi, Provost of College of Health Sciences The Deans of the constituent institutions of the College were present to meet the Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASA). They outlined the challenges they face in the running of their schools.

All the Deans mentioned inadequate funding, lecture theatres, laboratories, hostel facilities among others as some of the problems their schools were facing.

They also mentioned challenges with office space for lecturers, in addition to the challenges associated with ageing faculty.

For some of the schools, for example in the case of the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) and the University of Ghana Dental School (UGDS), there were variations in their salaries as compared to their counterparts at the Ghana Health Service, a situation which they indicated has made it difficult to attract young faculty.

An appeal was therefore made to the Pro- Vice-Chancellor (ASA) to take interest in how the gap could be bridged to make those schools attractive to prospective faculty.

Further, the Deans made an appeal for the release of the portion of student fees to enable them run their academic programmes as expected.

The College hinted that from the beginning of the 2020/2021 academic year, all academic programmes of the College will be full fee-paying.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASA) stated that she visited the Korle-Bu Campus to have a firsthand impression of the state of academic and residential facilities which she said was necessary to understand more of what happens on the Korle-Bu Campus.

She indicated that after the interaction, the issue of funding appears to be the running theme. She gave assurance of taking the necessary steps to present the challenges to management with a view to working on them.

She was, however full of praise for the Provost, Deans, Senior Administrative/Professional Staff, Junior and Senior Staff for all the good work they have been doing even in the face of all the challenges mentioned

She later toured some academic and residential facilities on the Campus. She promised to inform Senior Management about what she had seen.

She was accompanied by the Ag. Director of Academic Affairs, Mrs. Christy Badu, Mrs. Lydia Anowa-Danquah, Senior Assistant Registrar, Teaching and Examinations Unit, Academic Affairs Directorate and Mrs. Arhizah Abiti, Assistant Registrar at the Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASA).

Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASA) Present at the interaction were the College Secretary, Mr. Michael Opare Atuah and some of the constituent Deans, namely, Professor Margaret Lartey, Dean of University of Ghana Medical School, Professor Ebenezer Anno-Nyako, Ag. Dean of University of Ghana Dental School, Professor Julius Fobil, Dean of School of Public Health, Professor Lydia Aziato, Dean of School of Nursing and Midwifery and Professor Isaac Julius Asiedu-Gyekye, Dean of School of Pharmacy. The Deans were accompanied by their School Administrators and Accountants.