The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, has inaugurated a seven-member College of Distance Education Restructuring Implementation Committee at a ceremony at the College’s Conference Room.
The Committee will oversee the implementation of the restructuring of the College of Distance Education (CoDE) to effectively provide quality Distance Education to its students. The members of the committee is made up of Prof. Stephen B. Kendie (Chairman), Prof. Edward Marfo-Yiadom, Prof. Francis Amedahe, Prof. J. K. Mintah, Mr. Jeff T. Onyame, Rev. Isaac Baafi Sarbeng and Mr. Emmanuel Aidoo (Secretary).
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor said the committee would work with management of CoDE to strengthen its activities. He said a committee was earlier set-up to make recommendations which was modified and approved by the Academic Board and the University Council.
Prof. Ampiah said his vision for the University included the restructuring of CoDE and the Institute of Education to deliver quality Distance Education to students. He said Distance Education was gradually changing to Open Learning, so there was the need to improve upon the old ways of doing things.
Prof Ampiah said the University would ensure the integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the delivery of quality Distance Education to its students. “Students should take the university along with them wherever they go, and not the university going to them,” he said.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that the restructuring of CoDE and the Institute of Education was one of the four key pillars of his vision for the University. “My vision for UCC is enshrined in four jackets and they include digitizing the University, strengthening research capacity by resourcing the Directorate of Research Innovation and Consultancy; intensify internationalization agenda of the University and Restructuring CoDE and Institute of Education” he explained. He, therefore, called on management and staff of CoDE to cooperate with the committee to carry out its mandate.
The Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Stephen Kendie, said change always come with some form of resistance and challenges however, the committee would work closely with the management of CoDE to ensure that the University provided the best service to its students. “Change is universal and the world revolves around change. In business, there are new trends and new ways of doing things and in the area of education new things keep coming up”.
Prof. Kendie said “change breeds conflict as everybody is happy with the status quo” noting that “there is the need to resolve our difference to achieve the efficiency we want”. He thanked the Vice-Chancellor and assured him that they would work to successfully accomplish the task given them.
On his part, the Provost of the CoDE, Prof. Isaac K. Galyuon, said management and staff of the College would work with the committee to ensure that it carries its mandate to the improve upon the work of CoDE in particular and the University in general.