"The society stands to benefit from the higher knowledge you have acquired; be readily available to contribute to the growth of our economy", Dr. Nicodemus Osei Owusu, a lecturer, said this at Finalist Dinner 2017. The undergraduate final year students of School of Business were treated to a dinner on Thursday, 20th April, 2017 at New Examination Centre (NEC), University of Cape Coast. About 850 people attended the event including the finalists, lecturers and administrative staff of the School. Inducting the finalists into the School of Business Alumni Association, Dr. Siaw Frimpong, the Vice-Dean, urged the students to build strong networks and also to keep in touch with the School. Professor Edward Marfo-Yiadom, the Dean of the School, thanked the students for choosing and completing University of Cape Coast and their studies respectively. He urged them to maintain high standards and be useful citizens to the society.

The Institute for Educational Planning and Administration has as its mandate to conduct research, provide innovative and quality professional training and consultancy aimed at improving educational practitioners’ capabilities and levels of competence and involvement in their areas of operations for sustainable development in both the public and private sectors. Through seminars, workshops and university teaching, the IEPA is expected to train leaders, planners and administrators, as well as experts and generalists in the field of education.   In particular, IEPA primarily aims to: 1.    Undertake research in educational leadership and management 2.    Provide training and facilitation  to improve the leadership and managerial  capabilities of educational administrators and planners 3.    Provide technical assistance and policy advice on issues related to educational planning  and administration   4.    Develop links with various agencies in education and other sectors, particularly the IIEP, for mutual engagements on educational issues 5.    Promote professional standards among  educational managers and planners through the establishment of a professional body/association and collaborations  with other  national and international bodies It is in this light of the above, that a workshop on the Education 2030 Agenda was held at the IEPA Conference Room on 4th May 2017. The Theme for the Workshop was “Global Development Goals and Education.” ▪    The purpose of the workshop was to equip senior members and research assistants with the understandings on issues of the Education 2030 Agenda and its implications for IEPA to be able to play its role in its implementation.  Other lecturers from the College of Education Studies were also invited.  The resource person for the workshop was Prof. Yaw Afari Ankomah, an expert in the area and who also happens to be with Institute.  Topics discussed at the workshop included the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Education for All (EFA), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with emphasis on SDG 4 and the Education 2030 Agenda. At the end of the presentation, Prof. Ankomah stated that there is the need for a deliberate effort at doing many things. He made the following recommendations  for education to be transformative in support of the new sustainable development agenda :  ▪    Articulation of clear and shared understandings of what ‘relevant and effective learning outcomes’ are  ▪    More rigorous approach towards monitoring the content of education, what is taught in classrooms, as well as the contents of teacher education programmes ▪    Curricula and textbooks to feature adequately in what is meant as education  quality and not just a focus on learning outcomes ▪    Deliberate provision and monitoring of a fuller range of lifelong learning opportunities, including adult education; ▪    Putting in place effective strategies to directly monitor adult literacy skills ▪    Engaging community leadership in educational provision and  school governance ▪    Producing appropriate learning materials and preparing teachers to teach in mother languages and ▪    Providing political and financial support for planning and implementation of education in all forms.

There were eleven participants in all including the Director of IEPA, Dr. (Mrs.) Rosemary Bosu who officially opened the workshop. At the end of the workshop, participants expressed the view that the content of the  workshop would be beneficial to the entire University Community and therefore recommended  that a similar workshop should be organised  both at the level of the College of Education Studies and at the University  level as a  whole .  

The University of Cape Coast has graduated the first batch of postgraduate students of the CIPS accredited Procurement and Supply Chain Management programme during the 51st Congregation held on Wednesday 25th September, 2018 at the University of Cape Coast. The Master of Science and Master of Commerce(Procurement and Supply Chain Management) programmes are the first in Sub-Saharan Africa to be accredited by the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS). The graduants were made up of 22 males and 11 females.   Speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, Professor Joseph Ampiah Ghartey commended all the graduates and admonished them to work hard and eschew any form of unprofessionalism. He added that mistakes are raw materials for success and implored graduates to accept them and move on to accomplish their goals.   Prices were awarded to deserving students. The overall best graduating student in the MSc Procurement and Supply Chain Management programme, Mr. Kolan Abdulai received award from CIPS. The award was presented by Mrs Stella Addo, Country Manager of CIPS.   The MSc/MCom Procurement and Supply Chain Management programmes, offered by the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management in the School of Business, is aimed at developing skills and competencies of individuals in the procurement and supply chain profession and those aspiring to earn a career in the area. The programme is well placed to churn out graduates who will pursue responsible public and private sector procurement and supply activities.  

The Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Koawo Edjah, has called on student leaders to build good relationship with management of the University to promote a congenial environment for academic work.

Prof. Edjah noted that as key stakeholders, student leaders play important roles in achieving the mission and vision of the University.

Prof. Edjah made these statements at the opening of a three-day orientation for the 2017/2018 executives of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Local National Union of Ghana Students (LNUGS) and Junior Common Room (JCR) of the various halls on campus.  The Dean of Student Affairs entreated the student leaders to resort to dialogue when seeking redress on any issue affecting the welfare of their colleagues. “Students should not be seen as fighting with management but we must use the laid down structures to address all grievances”, he stressed.

The Assistant Registrar, Training and Development Section, Mr. Emmanuel Afreh Owusu, advised the student leaders to be mindful of the trust and confidence the entire student body of the University had entrusted in them and deliver on their expectation. He admonished them to live exemplary lifestyles and also discharge their duties without display of corruption, arrogance and disrespect whilst in office. 

Speaking on “Developing Annual Action Plan based on a Strategic Plan,” Mr. Kwamina Minta Nyarku of the School of Business, explained that all activities or projects to be executed within their tenure of office should fall within their strategic plan. He advised the students to also carry out their duties to reflect the core values which had been captured in the SRC 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. “You need to be guided by excellence, transparency and accountability, solidarity, discipline and integrity as stated in your own document”, he added.

Touching on the strength and weakness of a Strategic Plan, Mr. Nyarku implored the student leaders to take advantage of their strength and transform the students’ union as one of the best in the country and beyond. “Under no circumstances should you allow your strength to turn into weakness, but rather, you need to transform your weakness into strength”, he emphasised. He urged them to initiate projects that would make them stand out in the history of student leadership in the University.

Mr. Daniel Quainoo from the Directorate of Internal Audit who spoke on “Public Fund Management, Risk Register and Execution” noted that as a public institution, the University of Cape Coast financial activities were being regulated by public legislative instruments. He indicated that all financial activities undertaken by the University including students and non-students’ activities should follow the guidelines in accordance with the Financial Administrative Act 2003 (Act 654), Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663) and Internal Audit Act 2003 (Act 658).  Mr. Quainoo said the Directorate has been conducting both pre and post audit on the financial activities of students’ association each year. He advised the student leaders to ensure that they follow the laid down procedure in obtaining funds for projects or activities.

Other topics  treated at the orientation are Daily Checks & Inspection, Grooming and Leadership in Tertiary Institutions, Management of a Value Book Register, Payment Voucher(Imprest), Special Advance, Journal Voucher, Cheques, Preparation of a Cashbook, Bank Reconciliation Statement and Ledgers and Final Accounts.

Others include Pre-Audit Procedures, Assets Management in UCC, Time Management and Student Leaders, Dispute and Disciplinary issues among Student Leaders, Student Governance in the SRC/Halls-Collective Accountability Issues, Preparation of a Procurement Process for Contracts and Channels of Communication and How to Obtain Permission for Groups to travel.