Dear Legon Freshmen,
Hope you are settling in well. You may still be in celebratory mode, basking in joy for gaining admission into the University of Ghana. Sharing pictures every now and then on your social media to announce your arrival at the university to your peers.
However, the last three weeks of academic activities have shaken you out of your slumber, giving you a rude awakening to the realities of a university student. The expectations of lecturers, course materials you need to read, assignments, and group work, all while juggling relationships and extra-curricular activities.
And you are wondering, “where is all the fun that was promised?!”.
This is where the matriculation ceremony comes in.
WHAT IS MATRICULATION?
Matriculation is a formal process of becoming a student or enrolling in the University. This event marks the moment when all new students officially become a part of the University of Ghana.
WHO QUALIFIES TO PARTICIPATE IN MATRICULATION?
All first-year students, Post-graduate and Post-First-Degree LLB students who have enrolled in the University of Ghana for the first time are expected to matriculate.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
It is obligatory for every student enrolled in the University of Ghana for the first time to go through the rites of Matriculation and sign the Matriculation Oath; failure of which the studentship shall be canceled.
Per the Statutes of the University of Ghana:
- A student admitted to the University shall take the Matriculation Oath and sign the Matriculation
- A student who fails to sign the Matriculation Register may be prevented from graduating from the University.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
All freshmen/women are required to endorse their matriculation oath online. The matriculation oath is available on the University of Ghana Student/Staff Services https://sts.ug.edu.gh/
WHEN IS THE 2023 MATRICULATION?
The Matriculation Ceremony for the 2022/2023 academic year will be held virtually at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday, February 11, 2023. Matriculation will be organized at the College level.
The schedule and links for each College’s live-streamed ceremony as well as on issuance of matriculation gowns is yet to be communicated.
PREPARATION FOR THE DAY
All matriculants would be expected to present copies of their admission letters to collect their gowns at no cost.
Below is a trend of collection points for gowns
- Resident students – Offices of Senior Tutors – Halls of residence
- Non-resident students – College Academic Offices.
- City Campus Freshmen – Accra City Campus
- Graduate Freshmen – School of Graduate Studies
Gowns would have to be returned to the collection points after the Ceremony. Failure to return the gown shall invoke a penalty.
Get yourself a formal dress for the day.
THREE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT MISS MATRICULATION
- Rite of passage: cast your mind back to your early days as a form one student in Senior High School. All the long nights you had to stay awake rehearsing for “NINO’S NIGHT” or “HOMO’S NIGHT”. A night where freshers are introduced to Seniors and the greenhorns are initiated into campus life. Only in this case, there is no need for rehearsals, singing “puerile” songs, and dressing like clowns.
For matriculation, you get to wear a formal dress with your matriculation gown over it. Halls of Residence such as Akuafo Hall, Mensah Sarbah Hall, and CommonWealth hall have a unique custom known as the “procession”; for escorting matriculants to the ceremonial grounds when the event was held in person.
AKUAFO TRADITIONAL COUNCIL PROCESSION
MENSAH SARBAH HALL, OKPO MATRISCOT
COMMONWEALTH HALL PROCESSION
- Opportunity to know university management: the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellors, Dean of Student Affairs, Provost of Colleges, Hall Tutors/Masters, Heads of Department, etc. are key management figures you should know as a student of any tertiary institution. This may be your only opportunity to get up close with them. Don’t miss out on this opportunity.
- Making memories: memories are special moments that tell your story. Your first year in the university marks a new chapter in your life and you need to make the most out of it. Get your cameras ready or book a photographer, and take pictures to capture the happiness of the moment. In the next four years, you can reflect on these pictures and tell how far you have come, the friends you started with, the people who have stayed to date, how much you have grown, etc.
