6,319 graduate from Cape Coast University

The Management of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has affirmed its commitment to promoting quality postgraduate education in the country.

It explained that graduate education remains a strong focus of the university over the years so the university has promoted quality postgraduate education.

The Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boapong, said this in a speech read on his behalf by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh at the 54th congregation of the University at Cape Coast.

A total of 6,319 students, completed their programmes of study in the 2020/2021 academic year.

They were made up of 5,074 undergraduate and 1,245 postgraduate students which comprised of 14 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

The congregation was held within a period of two days which witnessed four sessions.

Prof.Boampong said, the number of postgraduate students in the University, had been increasing steadily, saying, “We project that the increase will continually be sustained.”

“The increase in numbers also means that the School of Graduate Studies will have to continue to adopt new strategies to deepen our postgraduate training to promote research and promulgate policies that will ensure the relevance of postgraduate programmes to socio-economic development,” he said.

He explained that, the University of Cape Coast was taking advantage of cutting-edge technology to revolutionize thesis and dissertation processes.

According to him, the School of Graduate Studies had put in place a system that would allow electronic submission of thesis/dissertation to replace the traditional system which mostly requires submission of hardbound copies by students.

That, he said, would speed up the process of thesis/dissertation supervision, examination and submission and improve the graduation rate in the University,

“It is envisaged that this system will bring a major improvement in our thesis/dissertation process,” he said.

Prof.Boampong further said that, the new School of Graduate Studies Building Complex was near completion, explaining that, it would be ready for occupancy early next year.

He stated that, the university introduced 15 postgraduate programmes to the existing programmes.

“These programmes were designed to meet contemporary needs for development and also the job marketplace,” he said.

Touching on challenges, Prof.Boampong mentioned inadequate physical space for office accommodation and lecture theatres, particularly for postgraduate students as some of the problems confronting the institution.

In the other session which was devoted to students from the College of Education, Prof Boampong stated that, the School of Educational Development and Outreach had been accredited by the National Teaching Council (NTC) to run Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programmes for in-service teachers and other educational practitioners.

He indicated that, Faculties and Departments within the College of Education Studies were involved in a number of collaborations with local and international institutions.

The Chairman of the Governing Council of UCC, Prof.Obeng Mireku, in his address, expressed concern about the rate of encroachment of land belonging to the University.

He indicated that, the encroachment threatens the future expansion of the University.

Management of the institution, he said, would be embarking on an exercise to demolish all illegal structures found to have been erected on the land.

Prof.Mireku, therefore, appealed to the Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II and chiefs of the satellite communities to support the agenda of halting encroachment on the University lands.

Residents of the communities, he said, should desist from selling lands belonging to the University to the public.

Additionally, he urged staff of the institution to put a stop to any form of encroachment.

Prof.Mireku stated that management had taken a decision to erect walls on some of the boundaries of the university as a way of checking encroachment.

He also announced the decision by the management to install five electronic security gates at the entrances of the university.

The electronic security gates, he said, would be installed at the entrances close to Akotokyir, Kakumdo and Cape Coast Sports Stadium.

“The installation of these security gates are meant to stem the security threat on lives and property within the university and the adjoining communities”, he said.