University Of Ghana To Re-Introduce Diploma Programmes

Prof. E. Oduro Owusu

The College of Education of the University of Ghana (UG) has taken the challenge to run selected diploma programmes in some of its Regional Learning Centres including the Tamale Centre.

Few years ago, management of the UG announced their decision to phase out diploma programmes at the end of the 2015/2016 academic year. 

Following that decision, the College of Education which run distance programmes across the country at its learning centres, has decided to introduce some diploma programmes in the 2017/2018 academic year.

The Vice Chancellor of the UG, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu announced this in a speech read for him by Prof. Samuel Kwame Offei, Pro-Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic and Student Affairs at the third matriculation ceremony of Distance Education students in Tamale over the weekends.

“The following diploma programmes will be on offer with effect from the 2017/2018 academic year. Diploma in Accounting, Diploma in Statistics, Diploma in Librarianship, Diploma in Archives Administration and Diploma in Adult in Education.

“The University will also re-introduce admissions for mature candidates seeking to pursue undergraduate programmes through the distance mode with effect from the 2017/2018 academic year”, Prof. Owusu indicated.

He also announced the introduction of eighteen (18) new undergraduate and graduate programmes in the University including programmes such as M.A. Educational Leadership and Management, MPhil Educational Leadership and Management; Bachelor of Arts in Education (Teaching and Non-Teaching) options; and Bachelor of Science in Education (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics) options at the College of Education.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, however, advised students to use their education for the benefit of others. “As you begin your studies at the University of Ghana, I want to encourage you to strive for excellence. I encourage you freshmen and women to take inspiration from those who have gone ahead of you and also work hard to attain laurels for yourselves, for the University and for the nation at large”, he opined.

A matriculant, Miss Sandra Okyerebea Lartey, in a speech read on behalf of her colleagues, appealed to authorities of the UG to reconsider their decision to withdraw the distribution of tablet computers which aided students in their academic work.

While commending authorities of the University for renovation works carried out at the Tamale Learning Centre, she also entreated them to as a matter of urgency, consider the Bolgatanga and Wa Learning Centres which were in deplorable state and affecting academic activities.

Miss. Lartey also expressed concern about dwindling number of students offered admission each year to pursue distance education programmes. “This is because the success of every DE programme depends on numbers but it is becoming very clear that the numbers keep on decreasing over the years especially at the various centres.

She observed that, with such low number of students the kind of brilliant ideas that would have been generated at tutorials and study group discussions would be lacking. She said their colleagues in other universities who did not have academic facilities like them rather had more students pursuing similar programmes and appealed to authorities to do something about it.    

The matriculation ceremony marked the formal admission of students into the UG. Matriculants pledged their allegiance to the authority of the UG and were enjoined by Mrs. Emelia Adjei-Mensah, Secretary of the College of Education, through the administration of the matriculation oath, to be obedient to the Vice Chancellor as well as all other officers of the University.

For the 2016/2017 academic year, the UG admitted students into programmes on the Main Campus, the Korle Bu Campus, the Accra City Campus and Distance Learning Centres and was able to offer admission to a total of 25, 295 applicants, out of which 10,551 have so far registered.

A total of 1,494 new students have so far registered for various programmes under the Distance Education programme of which 43 are admitted at the Tamale Learning Centre.