The University of Ghana Council has granted approval for the establishment of the Academic Quality Assurance Directorate (AQAD) which will ensure programs run by the University are properly approved on time.
According to information available to UniversNews, in a document signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Council, Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah:
“The Directorate builds upon the existing structures of the Academic Quality Assurance Unit will ensure conformity by the University to standards of quality assurance in higher education by ensuring the quality of all programs run in the University thereby enhancing the University’s reputation and academic excellence.”
“The Directorate will ensure alignment with the University’s collegiate governance and management structures, ensure the harmonization of quality assurance roles to prevent duplication, and contribute to the University’s advancement towards a world-class institution.”
Henceforth, the Academic Quality Assurance Directorate will play a pivotal role in ensuring that all courses offered by the University are accredited.
“The Directorate will directly oversee the University’s accreditation processes and will ensure that all programs run in the University are properly accredited at all times.”
In recent years, the University faced challenges in obtaining accreditation for all its programs from the Ghana Tertiary Education Committee (GTEC).
On July 18, 2023, during a meeting of the Ministry of Education’s Public Accounts Committee chaired by Hon. James Klutse, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Amfo, affirmed that processes were being put in place to ensure that programs were accredited swiftly.
“If there is a program that is not fully accredited, we have started the process. If we offered the program, then we will be obliged to examine the student. Given the processes and systems we’ve put in place now, if there is any program like that, by the time students are graduating we would have accreditation.”
It’s worth noting that the Auditor-General’s report in 2021 had revealed that 374 academic programs at the University of Ghana lacked accreditation.
These included 14 Diploma programs, 80 Undergraduate courses, 213 Post-Graduate unaccredited courses, and 67 PhD courses.
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Story by: Frimpong Collins | univers.ug.edu.gh
