UDS Holds 22nd Matriculation, Admits 6,334 Fresh Students

Vice Chancellor of UDS

The University for Development Studies (UDS) has in line with its mandate, admitted 6,334 fresh applicants to pursue various diploma, undergraduate and graduate programmes for the 2014/2015 academic year, Vice Chancellor Professor Haruna Yakubu has announced.

“Out of a total number of 18,961 applications received, the university admitted 6,334 applicants out of which 60% are males and 40% are females”, he said, in a statement during the 22^nd matriculation ceremony of the UDS in Tamale.

It is a normal practice by universities and other tertiary institutions across the world to conduct matriculation ceremonies, bringing together the highest authority of such institutions, students, parents and guardians as well as other stakeholders in education. Matriculations mark the formal admission of fresh students into such institutions and the UDS has since its establishment honoured this requirement as a promising world class university. 

As a university which runs a multi-campus system, about 1,737 students gained admission into the Tamale Campus, Nyankpala Campus 638, Navrongo Campus 1,278 and Wa Campus 2,681. “Also, 274 graduate students have been admitted this year representing a 72% increase over last year’s figure”, Prof Haruna emphasised.

Prof. Haruna also stated that, the UDS was undergoing tremendous transformation and growth through the construction of projects across the various campuses, which are intended to modernize and improve the capacities of lecture rooms, laboratories, teaching and learning facilities in order to keep pace with the growth that the university is experiencing. 

He also reassured parents and guardians that the university and its management have put in place measures to prevent the occurrence of the dreadful Ebola disease. “We have put in place the protocols for the early detection and possible isolation of suspected Ebola patients. I therefore would like to urge students, parents and guardians not to be scared of this epidemic”, Prof. Haruna assured.

Meanwhile, in his usual fatherly gesture, Prof. Haruna Yakubu admonished students to desist from forming and/or engaging in activities of unregistered student clubs or associations. “We however, totally reject and will not countenance the activities of unregistered clubs and associations and occultism on all our campuses. We shall revoke the rules and regulations drastically and mercilessly on any student or groups of students who engage in occultism and other antisocial or nonconformist activities,” he stressed. 

Established in May 1992 by the Government of Ghana, the UDS exist to blend the academic world with that of the community in order to provide constructive interaction between the two for the total development of Northern Ghana, in particular, and the country as a whole. 

The University was borne out of the new thinking in higher education which emphasizes the need for universities to play a more active role in addressing problems of the society, particularly in the rural areas. The UDS by its mandate and constituency has a pro-poor focus. This is reflected in its methodology of teaching, research and outreach services. The specific emphasis on practically-oriented research and field-based training is aimed at contributing towards poverty reduction in order to accelerate national development. 

It began academic work in September 1993 with the admission of thirty-nine (39) students into the Faculty of Agriculture, (FOA), Nyankpala campus. The Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, (FIDS), Faculty of Planning and Land Management (FPLM) and School of Business, Wa, School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), Tamale, Faculty of Education (FOE), Tamale, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources (FRNR), Nyankpala, Faculty of Applied Sciences (FAS), Faculty of Mathematical Sciences (FMS), Navrongo and the Graduate School now in Tamale were phased in from 1994 to date.

UDS is unique compared to other public universities considering its location and multi campuses which are spread out in rural Northern Ghana where the incidence and depth of poverty is high. Its vision is pro-poor aimed at addressing the conditions and structural causes of poverty. The UDS has four (4) campuses, seven (7) Faculties, a Business School, one Medical School, one Graduate School and three (3) centers. Several programs are run at these places. 

The UDS also runs a community-technical interface programme. This is a combination of the academic and community-based field practical work known as the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP).