Management of the School of Graduate Studies, University of Cape Coast (UCC) has interacted with postgraduate students of the College of Distance Education (CoDE) study centre in Wa.
The interaction forms part of the School’s strategy to engage all postgraduate students of the University to address concerns regarding their studies.
The team was made up of the Dean, Prof. Sarah Darkwa; Vice-Dean, Prof. Ruphino Zugle; Senior Assistant Registrar, Mr. John Linscell Yen; Accountant, Mrs. Mavis Opoku-Boadu; Assistant Registrar, Mr. Isaac Yeboah Nsaful and the Coordinator for CoDE Postgraduate Programmes, Dr. Felix Kwame Kumedzro.
Giving the opening remark via virtual mode, Prof. Darkwa congratulated the students on their admission to UCC. She told the students to be proud to obtain admission to the number one ranked university in Ghana, West Africa and the 7th in Africa.
Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Prof. Sarah Darkwa
“You have entered into UCC at a time when the University has consistently won accolades both locally and globally. This behooves on you the responsibility to prove your worth as postgraduate students from this highly recognised university” she implored them.
Prof. Darkwa assured the students that UCC would train them to be confident and competent in their chosen areas of studies so they could contribute significantly to the development of the nation.
The Dean of SGS noted that the School coordinates all postgraduate programmes in the University whether regular, distance or sandwich mode. “We are with you when you enter into the University as postgraduate student and also ensure that you exit successfully,” she added.
She urged the students to settle their fees promptly to enable the University to continue to provide excellent services to them.
Postgraduate Students at Wa Study Centre at the programme
In his presentation, Prof. Zugle explained that the engagements with postgraduate students of CoDE was to interact and address issues as well as take suggestions and comments regarding their studies.
Prof. Zugle urged the students to spend time to read the students handbook, academic policies for graduate studies and other regulations of the University to guide them as postgraduate students.
“We want you to familiariase yourselves with the operations of the University and that of the School of Graduate School. Also, this interaction is to expose you to the policies and regulations for postgraduate education to help you succeed in your education” he explained.
Vice-Dean of SGS, Prof. Ruphino Zugle
Touching on assessment, Prof. Zugle said at the postgraduate level, the minimum mark was 60 per cent whilst the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for graduation is 2.0 for non-research programmes and 2.5 for research programmes.
The Coordinator for CoDE Postgraduate programmes, Dr. Kumedzro noted that the quality of postgraduate programmes run via distance were the same as that of the regular and sandwich modes.
Dr. Kumedzro indicated that the CoDE was working hand-in-hand with Management of SGS to provide them with quality academic services to assist them to achieve their goals for enrolling on UCC postgraduate programmes.
Coordinator of CoDE Postgraduate Programmes, Dr. Felix Kumedzro
The Senior Assistant Registrar, SGS, Mr. Yen said students who were admitted to UCC enjoy some rights and privileges adding “whilst enjoying your rights and privileges come with responsibilities”.
He advised the students to work assiduously to complete their programmes of study within the stipulated period. “You need to attend lectures regularly, do all assignments, presentations, quizzes, and any other academic activity as part of your programme of study,” he added.
Senior Assistant Registrar, Mr. John Yen
He mentioned the different types of postgraduate programmes run at the masters and doctoral levels.
On his part, Mr. Nsaful explained the mode of assessment and requirements for graduation. He took students through the duration, registration and structure of non-research and research masters and doctoral programmes.
Assistant Registrar at SGS, Mr. Isaac Yeboah Nsaful
He said the association had made arrangements to involve constituents of CoDE postgraduate students in their activities, especially GRASAG Parliament. He indicated that the association would provide them with souvenirs and also institutionalise the data package to cover CoDE postgraduate students.
President of GRASAG-UCC Chapter, Mr. Kwabena Adjepong
The students were given the opportunity to ask questions which were addressed by the officials of SGS.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
At a special congregation, the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has conferred an honorary doctorate on the Oguaamanhen, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II.
The honorary award was in recognition of his invaluable contributions to the advancement of society, as well as his visionary leadership and distinguished service to the nation, the University, the global community and humanity at large.
The Chancellor of UCC, Dr. Sir Sam Jonah and the Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, together decorated Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, making the Omanhen the 53rd recipient of an honorary degree from the University.
After receiving the honours, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, thanked God, stressing that he was very humbled by the honour done to him by the University. He assured the University of his unalloyed commitment to resolving the longstanding challenges between the University and some of its host communities.
Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II used the occasion to appeal to UCC to adapt and nurture elementary schools in Cape Coast to make them competitive to improve their academic performance.
"It is disheartening when results of BECE are released and the results of Cape Coast schools are horrible. We have to change the situation and the only way we can do that is to get expertise from UCC to assist in that regard," he said.
As a gesture of goodwill, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, who is also a chartered accountant, pledged to present a cash prize of GHS 2,000.00 to the best graduating BSc Accounting student every year.
"Because I am an Accountant, I am close to the accounting students of the University, so I will offer the best graduating BSc Accounting student every year GH¢2, 000.00," he said.
Chancellor of UCC, Dr. Sir Sam Jonah
For his part, the Chancellor of UCC, Dr. Sir Sam Jonah, eulogised the Oguaamanhen describing him as an "extraordinary achiever whose contributions to society were indelible."
He pointed out that the stewardship of the Paramount Chief reflected a profound understanding of the cultural heritage he strived to preserve for future generations.
Sir Jonah hailed Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II for his role in forestalling potential conflicts between the University and surrounding communities.
"Indeed, the honour is long overdue. He is arguably the best landlord that I know on this planet. Osaabarimba's love for Cape Coast, his contributions to the University, his role in promoting regional unity and peace and his advocacy for local development make him an exemplary honouree," he added.
In a remark, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Boampong, praised Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II for his critical role in fostering education and empowering the youth.
"It was particularly through his effort that the 30% Senior High School placement quota was assigned to the Oguaa Traditional Area, facilitating increased access to education for people of Cape Coasters. The polytechnic was also upgraded to a technical university, contributing to the advancement of technical education," he continued.
Vice-Chancellor of UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong
Prof. Boampong recognised the Oguaamanhen’s influence in the city's infrastructure development, including the Kotokoraba Market, the Cape Coast Sports Stadium, and the Atta Mills Presidential Library.
Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II after taking the Alumni oath, which was administered by the President of the UCC Alumni Association, Mr. Samuel Akoto Danso, was presented with a citation of honour from the association as well as another from the Cape Coast District Society of the Association of Chartered Accounts Ghana. The Chancellor, Dr. Sir Sam Jonah with other principal officers of the University also inspected a gallery exhibition mounted in honour of the Oguaamanhen. It documented his accomplishments over the years.
The occasion was also graced by the chairman of the UCC governing council, Prof. Harold Stewart Amonoo-Kuofi; Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene; Registrar, Mr. Jeff Teye Emmanuel Onyame; diplomats; members of the Central Regional House of Chiefs; rulers from the Oguaa Traditional area, and the clergy amongst others.
In attendance were Vivace Symphonials and the Adisadel College Band.
Who is Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II?
•Born on Saturday, 20th January, 1940 in Cape Coast (Oguaa)
•Known in private life as Mr. Joseph Kwamena Sekum Haizel
•Had elementary education at the Government Boys' School, Cape Coast and completed in 1953.
• Attended Adisadel College and completed in 1958.
• Enrolled at the School of Administration (Achimota) from 1960 to 1963 to read an Accountancy Professional Course.
• Awarded Government Scholarship to the College of Commerce and distribution in Glasgow (Scotland) from 1965 to 1969 where he qualified as a Professional Accountant with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and became a member of the Ghana Institute of Taxation.
• Worked as an Investigating Accountant at the Internal Revenue Service from 1970 to 1971.
•Became a Senior Audit Manager at Deloitte and Touche (a firm of Professional Accountants) and later a partner to the firm from 1971 to 1983.
•Rose through the ranks to become the Internal Auditor at Mankoadze Fisheries Limited from 1983 to 1986.
Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II in a shot with Principal Officers of UCC and traditional rulers
• Worked with Wayys & Freytag (a German Civil Engineering and Construction Company in Ghana), where he was in charge of Administration from 1986 to 1988 and subsequently became the General Manager till 2001.
• Served as Commissioner and played a pivotal role at the Ghana Constitution Review Commission in 2012 and also served on numerous boards.
•Installed as Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area and thus became the 9th Occupant of the Nana Birempong Cudjoe Royal Stool of Oguaa and the only one traditionally entitled to ride in a Denke-Denke (palanquin) with three traditional state umbrellas over him.
• His dispute-resolution skills and interventions as Paramount Chief has brought peace between the University and the surrounding communities.
•Enjoys listening to classical and religious music.
On Thursday, April 11, 2024, he received a degree of Doctor of Laws (LLD), Honoris Causa from the University of Cape Coast.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
A Professor of English at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh, has called for a change in Ghanaian parliamentary discourse.
According to her, discourses in Parliament have been characterised, in recent times, by obscenities, provocative or threatening language, personal attacks, and insults which sometimes cloud the discussion on the floor of Parliament.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh made these remarks while delivering her inaugural lecture on the topic, "Discourses of Our Times: Power, Norms of Language Use, and Identity Formation".
She bemoaned the fact that unparliamentary discourse had degenerated to the extent that the current Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, at a point had to employ unparliamentary language to caution the use of unparliamentary discourse in Parliament.
This was when the Speaker of Parliament was compelled to draw the attention of Parliamentarians to the fact that speaking on the floor of Parliament required some decorum.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh being robed by former VC-UCC, Prof. Ghartey Ampiah (L) and VC-UCC, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong. Looking on is the Director of Public Affairs, Major Kofi Baah Bentum (rtd)
She quoted the Speaker of Parliament, who cautioned parliamentarians by likening their behavior to being "in the market or Chop bar."
"The language employed questioned their intellectual capacity, imputed falsehoods, deception, and even criminality to their personalities," she said.
To investigate how Parliamentarians adhere to language norms, she conducted a comprehensive study in 2020, uncovering approximately 73 instances of unsavory comments, tags, and labels used within the Parliament of Ghana.
According to her, discourse served as a powerful tool for those in positions of power to reflect, reinforce, and perpetuate power dynamics within society.
Within contemporary discourse, she indicated that inordinate power, manipulation, disrespect, a sense of entitlement, and control were prevalent themes.
Further, Prof. Edu-Buandoh urged society to pay meticulous attention to language norms as they play a pivotal role in shaping our collective national identity.
She emphasized the importance of upholding the laws of respect and courtesy, which were vital for proficient engagement in discourse and for nurturing a cohesive national identity.
Members of the Atta-Mills Heritage Group in a photo with Prof. Edu-Buandoh after congratulating her
Drawing upon her expertise in critical discourse analysis, Prof. Edu-Buandoh underscored the significant role that different discourse domains play in our lives.
"There's academic, scientific, business, political, and media discourse," she noted, asserting that each domain possessed its unique set of terms and communication patterns.
Prof. Edu-Buandoh highlighted the contextual nature of discourse and its profound impact on language proficiency.
"One is not a proficient user of the language when he or she does not consider how context-dependent discourse is," she remarked.
Expressing concern about the dangerous impact of discourse on the mind, she stated that "minds are largely controlled by discourse, and as such, the symbolic elites possessed the legitimate power to shape public opinion, control the narrative, and influence identity formation."
Prof. Edu-Buandoh in a shot with some members of the 1993 UCC Alumni Group
She cautioned against the political discourses of our times, which employed propaganda, misinformation, and disinformation to sway emotions and maintain control.
Prof. Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh @ a glance:
•Born on April 1, 1962
•Had her primary education at Essikadu Methodist Nursery, Saltpond Methodist Primary B School and the Tema Padmore Street Primary School.
• Attended Koforidua Methodist Girls School for her middle school education.
• Attended Asanteman Secondary School in Kumasi for a year and moved to Oda Secondary School for her O' Level Certificate.
•Obtained her Teachers' Certificate 'A' (Post Middle) at the Komenda Training College in 1986.
•Earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with English major and a Diploma in Education at UCC 1993.
• Served as a Teaching Assistant and Senior Research Assistant at the Department of English from 1993 to 1997.
•Obtained her Master of Philosophy degree in English Language at UCC in 1999.
• Appointed as Assistant Lecturer in 2000 and became a Lecturer in 2001.
• Awarded a Ph.D in Language, Literacy and Culture from the University of Iowa, USA 2006.
• Appointed as Coordinator for Communicative Skills Unit, UCC (2008-2010).
• Promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2008 and to Associate Professor in 2012.
• Served as Head of the Department of English from 2010 to 2012.
• Appointed as the Coordinator of the J.E. Atta Mills Library Project and also J.E. Atta Mills Commemorative Lectures in 2015.
• Appointed as Dean of Faculty of Arts from 2012 to 2016.
• Served as the first female Provost of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies from 2016 to 2018.
• Served as the Chairperson of the Presidential Committee on Emoluments of Article 71 Office Holders in Ghana in 2016.
•Appointed first female Pro Vice-Chancellor at UCC between 2019 and 2021.
• Promoted to professor of English in 2021.
• Launched the Dora Edu-Buandoh Foundation to support equitable access to higher education and the advancement of young women in Ghana on 15th November 2022.
• Blessed with a son - Dr. Fiifi Edu-Afful
• A staunch member of the Evangelical Methodist Church of Christ, Ghana.
• Delivered inaugural lecture on the topic: " Discourses of our Times: Power, Norms of Language Use, and Identity Formation," on Tuesday, 9 April, 2024.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
Ghanata Senior High School has emerged winner of the maiden Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ideathon Challenge on Air Pollution organised for Senior High Schools by the Breathe Accra Project.
Bole SHS took the 1st runner-up position, whilst Twene-Amanfo SHS and the Ghana National College grabbed the second and third runner-up positions respectively with Kpasenkye STEM placing fourth in the contest.
The participants from Bole SHS focused on converting waste papers into ethanol, aiming to tackle waste disposal challenges within their school. They argued that the common practice of disposing of or burning student waste papers releases toxic gases into the atmosphere, which in turn adds to air pollution. They advocated the sustainable alternative of turning paper waste into alcohol to lessen this.
Students of Ghanata SHS proposed to build wearable monitors that will alert people sensitive to air pollution, including asthmatics and individuals with cardiovascular diseases in polluted environments. This innovative device, they noted, is designed to trigger alerts when air pollution levels surpass a certain threshold, benefiting vulnerable populations such as the hearing-impaired.
Ghanata SHS further outlined plans to mitigate air pollution through the construction of Biochar and the development of electrostatic exhaust filters for vehicles. Their multifaceted approach underscores their commitment to addressing air quality issues and improving environmental health in their communities.
One of the SHS groups at the Challenge pitching their concept to enhance air quality
Twene-Amanfo SHS developed a concept of equipping billboards embedded with electrostatic precipitators to battle air pollution. According to them, the strategic placement of such billboards along roadsides, where vulnerable populations, particularly women and children were often exposed to high levels of air pollution would effectively reduce air pollution.
The students of Ghana National College indicated that their proposal focused on developing wearable and portable sensors using waste materials assembled from e-waste. Their approach aims to reduce costs by repurposing discarded electronic components thereby promoting sustainability in sensor production. Also, they outlined plans to construct do-it-yourself (DIY) sensors, further emphasizing their commitment to affordability and accessibility in addressing air quality monitoring challenges. Ghana National College's inventive solution demonstrates a proactive approach to environmental stewardship and technological innovation.
After rigorous evaluation and thorough questioning by the judges, GHANATA SHS emerged as the victors with an impressive score of 84.4 points. Bole SHS and Twene Amanfo SHS shared the second position with equal scores of 77 points. Ghana National College and Kpasenkpe STEM SHS secured the fourth and fifth positions with scores of 73.2 and 72.6 points, respectively. To break the tie between Bole SHS and Twene Amanfo SHS, both schools participated in a quiz focused on community engagement. Bole SHS secured the first runner-up position by earning an additional 9 points, while Twene Amanfo SHS became the second runner-up with an additional 7 points.
The competition showcased the innovative ideas and dedication of all participating schools to addressing air quality challenges, with GHANATA SHS ultimately crowned winner. Following the competition, each participating school was honoured with a certificate of participation, recognising their contribution to the event. Additionally, the first and second runners-up were awarded plaques along with a cash prize of GHS 1000 each.
GHANATA SHS, the winners of the competition, received a plaque and a cash prize of GHS 2000 in recognition of their outstanding performance and innovative solution. These awards served to celebrate the achievements of all participants and encourage continued dedication to addressing environmental challenges.
After the contest, an Associate Professor of Environmental and Nutritional Epidemiology at the University of Cape Coast, Prof. Kofi Amegah, who is also the Project lead for the Breathe Accra Project, said the brain behind the challenge was innovative, timely, thoughtful, and required adequate funding.
He said the competition was designed to inspire students to devise innovative solutions using low-cost sensor data to address air pollution within their communities.
Prof. Kofi Amegah speaking at the Challenge
According to him, the proposals demonstrated the commitment of all the schools towards addressing air quality issues and improving environmental health in their communities.
For her part, Miss Emily Fertik, the Head of Public Diplomacy at the US Embassy in Ghana, while highlighting the importance of engaging young people through STEM, said the US was committed to supporting air quality work in Africa.
The event brought together scientists and students.
A group shot of participants after the Challenge
About the Breathe Accra Project
This is a community-driven project which aims at enhancing the air quality in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA). In addition, the project seeks to address the worsening air pollution problem in GAMA and its impact on public health, and also identify the vulnerable populations for targeted intervention.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has relocated a taxi rank operating at Science to a temporary place on the “School Bus” road.
This will pave the way for a more congenial atmosphere to ensure teaching and learning at the newly-built School of Sustainable Engineering.
The Assemblymember for the UCC Oldsite Apewosika electoral area, Mr. Jake Kakra Ewusie, appealed to the management of the University to ensure that all agreements regarding the relocation are enacted to the letter. This, he noted, will ensure that the members of the various driver unions operating on the University’s campus will not be disgruntled.
Assemblymember for UCC Oldsite Apewosika electoral area, Mr. Jake Kakra Ewusie
The representative of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Coordinating Director, Mr. Joel Opare Asare, called on the leadership of the taxi rank to prevail on their members to relocate to the new place. He further asked the leadership to bring a master plan to carry out their activities.
Mr. Asare expressed gratitude to UCC for complementing the effort of the Assembly.
Representative of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Coordinating Director, Mr. Joel Opare Asare
Inaugurating the new taxi rank, the Director of Human Resource-UCC, Rev Isaac Baafi Sarbeng, said the temporary taxi rank was well situated and spacious enough to host additional ranks and also had some mobile washrooms to serve the drivers to go about their operations.
He urged them to observe road traffic regulations on campus.
Chairman of the GPRTU at UCC, Mr Arhin, said drivers on campus played an integral role in the University.
He said drivers would comply with directives and asked the University to put in place measures to curb floating drivers who do not belong to any of the driver unions.
Director of Consular and General Services, Mrs. Alberta Yaa Graham
The Director of Consular and General Services, Mrs. Alberta Yaa Graham, in a short remark, expressed gratitude to the taxi drivers for accepting to relocate to the new taxi rank.
Present at the ceremony were the Director of Public Affairs-UCC, Major (rtd) Kofi Baah Bentum, members of staff of the Directorate of Physical Development and Estate Development (DPDEM) and other Senior Members of the University.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC
A professor of Mathematics Education at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis, has stressed the need for social and cultural issues, including values in mathematics to be considered seriously in mathematics curriculum development and delivery in the country.
That, according to him, would make the teaching and learning of the subject relevant to students.
To him, mathematics was often taught out of context to students using foreign concepts, making it difficult for them to link those abstract concepts to their everyday realities, culminating in poor performances.
Prof. Davis made these suggestions at his inaugural lecture which was on the theme, “Sociocultural Issues: A Missing Ingredient in Mathematics Curriculum Development and Delivery in Ghana.”
Prof. Davis being robed by former VC-UCC, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah (L) and Prof. Johnsonson Nyarko Boampong, Vice-Chancellor (R)
He maintained that while the literature suggests that every culture generates its mathematics that may not be the same as the “Western” or “international mathematics”, curriculum development and delivery in mathematics appears to adopt the culture-blind approach.
Prof. Davis, also the Provost of the College of Education Studies-UCC, stated that students’ mathematical competence should be built on what they already know.
“If we want to train students who are relevant to the current demands of our 21st century, then the students will require adequate mathematical skills otherwise they cannot survive the 21st century demand”, he noted.
“To make the teaching and learning of Mathematics relevant to students from indigenous communities and sub-Saharan African countries that were once colonised, there is the need to appreciate the local aspect of mathematical knowledge, values and the local aspect of Mathematics pedagogy, and their implications for curriculum development and implementation”, Prof. Davis continued.
The Oguaamanhen, Osabarima Kwesi Atta II (in green) flanked by some traditional leaders
Prof Davis said stakeholders paid very little attention to the social and cultural factors as well as the cognitive mode of students in the development and implementation of Mathematics curricula. That approach, he noted, disabled the students’ abilities to develop the ideal mathematical proficiency.
“I argue that students who are labelled as weak and eventually excluded from formal education may be so labelled not because they are weak in Mathematics but because curriculum development and delivery systems continue to ignore and deny the existence of students’ everyday mathematical representations and practices,” he stressed.
Staff members of the College of Education Studies-UCC presenting a citation to Prof. Davis
Prof Davis added that the government’s agenda to modernise classrooms at the basic school level should transcend political generations for the classroom environment to be modelled to support modern approaches in teaching.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC