Research Methods

This course will focus on research methods and techniques of general bibliography. Students will be equipped with the resources and basic research

material in English literary studies and the skills and tools in presenting the findings of literary research. The course also explores methodological

issues such as sampling, field research, finding and formulating a research topic, writing a research proposal, annotating references,

developing conceptual and theoretical frameworks.

Course Code:

ENG 818

No. of Credits:

Level:

Level 500

Course Semester:

First Semester

Select Programme(s):

English

English Language

Literature-in-English)

Grammar

This course presents different approaches to the grammatical description of English, notably the ‘grammar tradition adopted by Quirk et al.,

transformational–generative grammar and functional grammar. Topics in both morphology and syntax will be explored.

Course Code:

ENG 802

No. of Credits:

Level:

Level 500

Course Semester:

First Semester

Select Programme(s):

English

Phonology

The course begins with an introduction to the major theories of phonology, including classical phonemics, prosodic phonology and generative phonology,

and then focuses on the segmental and non-segmental features of modern English. There will also be a practical phonetics component involving the

use of the Department’s modern language laboratory.

Course Code:

ENG 801

No. of Credits:

Level:

Level 500

Course Semester:

First Semester

Select Programme(s):

English

English Language

COMMUNIQUE ON THE 8TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR AND CONFLICT MANAGEMENT HELD ON 25TH JULY, 2019 AT THE UNIVERSITY MAIN AUDITORIUM

INTRODUCTION
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies has organised this year’s conference on the theme: Paving The Way For A Peaceful, Free And Fair Election 2020: The Role Of The State And Non-State Actors. This conference is organised once every sandwich semester to deliberate on current security issues and contribute to the discourse on peace and security worldwide and in Ghana to be specific. This year marks the 8th edition since the inception of this conference series. This 2019 conference is similar to the previous conferences which bring together practitioners, academics, researchers and relevant stakeholders in the field of peace and security.

Recognizing that peaceful elections are paramount in the development of every nation, concerted efforts from all sectors of society is required to achieve a secure and peaceful society in Ghana whiles contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals especially goal 16 (Peace, Justice and building strong institutions.
Accepting that elections are at the heart of democracy and therefore without elections democracy becomes empty and tracking the history of democratic elections in Ghana brings into focus the following essential points

 The first fourth republican presidential election held on 3rd November, 1992 was fully participated by all the major political parties. However, the 29th December, 1992 parliamentary election was boycotted the opposition parties. This was followed by 1996 elections which witnessed the election of a significant number of candidates from opposition parties to parliament. Furthermore, the 2000 election was considered as one of the most free and fair elections Ghana has ever conducted.

 The problems that confronted the 1992 elections led to the introduction of electoral reforms such as the use of transparent ballot boxes, voter IDs and voters register with pictures of voters, the formation of the inter-party advisory committee, etc.

 The 2008 elections results were close and this generated tension but the loser accepted the outcome. In the case of the 2012 elections, the results were reviewed by the Supreme Court of Ghana which triggered further reforms such as publishing results at the polling station, etc. However, the 2016 election was peaceful but riddled with the phenomenon of vigilantism.

Acknowledging the crucial role of elections in the maintenance of peace and security of every nation and ultimately ensuring national development, the following issues were raised by participants in this year’s conference:

 Peace, security and good governance is a collective responsibility, therefore there is the need for collaboration among academics, researchers, security agencies and other stakeholders in discussing this important topic to ensure a free and fair election in 2020.

 The Electoral Commission should create the legal framework by drawing on its mandate as enshrined in the 1992 constitution to ensure free, fair and peaceful elections in 2020.

 The government must create the needed environment for both state and non-state actors to work for peaceful elections in 2020. This should include embarking on peace education, monitoring and controlling the media, especially social media.

 The political system we practice, i.e. the winner takes all system which generates tension and conflict should be re-examined.

 High voter turnouts during elections in Ghana is a reflection of the effective organisational abilities of our political parties.

 Ghana has dropped in the 2019 global peace index implying that the country is not doing well in the global peace map.

 The current challenges facing the political system is that political parties have become electoral machines, elections have been monetized and there is weak regulation of the activities of political parties. The low representation of women, election-related violence and the emergence of vigilantism are also challenges that ought to be dealt with.

 There is undue politicisation of the security services should also be addressed.

QUESTIONS

Participants after the deliberations by speakers raised a number of questions including:
    What is the NPC doing about political discrimination in Ghana?
    How do we tackle the problem of lack of resources for electoral Institutions?
    Why did take long for the NPC to make a statement about the Ayawaso West Wuogon incident?
    How can the police service to devoid of politicisation?
    How well is the National Peace Council funded?
    What is the inter-linkages between the SDG and Ghana’s drop in the global peace index?

RECOMMENDATIONS

Having recognized the relevance of peaceful elections as a sine-qua-non for development speakers and participants at this year’s sandwich conference made the following recommendations:
   Ghana enjoys a certain measure of peace and stability partly due to the way we conduct our elections, therefore these election management practices should be strengthened so that we will continue to enjoy peace and stability.
   The appointment of party activists into the National Security system should be discontinued.
   The media space should be monitored and controlled especially during the run-up to the elections.
   State capture tendencies being exhibited these by religious leaders should closely be monitored and controlled.
   State should collect illegal small arms in circulation in the country.
   The security agencies should prepare adequately for the 2020 elections.
   Encourage patriotism among the citizenry.
   Eschew corruption in all segments of our national life e.g the security services.

Signed
DR. William Boateng

COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF A ONE-DAY COLLOQUIUM ORGANISED BY THE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION (IEPA) ON 2ND JULY, 2019 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAPE COAST

Within its vision of becoming a strategic Centre of Excellence in educational planning, research and training of educational planners, administrators, managers and leaders in Africa, the IEPA held a multi-stakeholder colloquium on the theme: The role of educational planning in enhancing Ghana’s educational system: access, quality and relevance at the University of Cape Coast’s Main Auditorium under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor. The objective of the colloquium was to stimulate stakeholder dialogue on educational planning and IEPA’s role in improving educational planning and management within the West Africa Sub-Region. The keynote speaker, panel discussants, guest speaker and participants were drawn from the various sectors and levels of education across Ghana. During the proceeding, the following observations were made:

1.   Access to education remains a topical issue, particularly at the junior and senior high school levels.
2.   Quality issues in education and schooling remain critical in Sub-Region.
3.   Low learning outcomes, accountability and relevance.
4.   Limited number of UNESCO Category II Institutes with a focus on educational planning.
5.   Strategic planning and policy disconnect among major education stakeholders.
6.   Poor implementation of decentralization of the education structures.
7.   Dwindling attention and resources to basic education provision and staff under-utilization.
8.   Necessity of and the link between management efficiency and planning efficiency.
9.   Low number of educational planners in the Ghanaian education sector at both system and institutional levels.

Recommendations

At the end of the colloquium, the participants agree on the following recommendations:
1.   MoE needs to provide continuous support for IEPA to become a UNESCO Category II Institute to help address the education sector needs of the Sub-Region.
2.   The MoE/GES need to foster new partnership and build on the existing relationship with the IEPA to make educational planning more relevant to the needs of countries within the Sub-Region.
3.   IEPA should work closely with MOE/NCTE/GES and other relevant agencies to develop targeted planning and implementation programmes for policymakers and implementers.
4.   IEPA should be supported to carry out its mandate in the design, implementation and evaluation of educational plans as well as capacity building efforts in education.
5.   IEPA should provide the key strategic agenda and policy directions to improve education
6.   IEPA need to collaborate with relevant ministries and agencies in developing evidence-based policies and programmes to address the realities of education in the Sub-Region.
7.   IEPA should train more educational planners and researchers to support educational institutions at the school, district, regional as well as national levels.

Conclusion

With relevant support from and collaborations with government and non-governmental organisations and agencies, IEPA is well positioned and resourced to contribute meaningfully to the planning and management of education sectors within the Sub-Region for improved equitable access, quality and relevance of lifelong learning.

UCC beats KNUST, UG & 8 others to win Ghana Universities Debate Championship

28 Jul, 2019 By louis Mensah

The University of Cape Coast has emerged as the winner of the 6th annual edition of the Ghana Universities Debate Championship held at All Nations University College, Koforidua.
The competition spanned from 18th to 27th July 2019.

UCC defeated the defending champions, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and one-time champion, the University of Ghana (UG) to clinch the victory. The win is the first for the University of Cape Coast since the inception of the competition ending their six-year’s drought.

UCC Team

UCC presented only four teams unlike their counterparts who presented more than seven teams. The UCC teams comprised;
1. Emmanuel Mylo Dadzie and Samuel Kojo Pinkrah ( Winners)
2. Latif Lawrence Jorhowie and Emmanuel Nwanwa Mensah (Semi-Finalists)
3. Ellen Eyiram Cofie & Ernestina Siaw Amoako ( Quarter Finalists)
4. Grace Adubea Dartey & Elizabeth Nketiah (Quarter-Finalists)

The team which was coached by Mr Eric Asamoah Awuah and Caleb Otabil also had Eugene David Dzagley, Josephine Addobea Newton, Obed Frempong Aboagye and Jessica Afful Tuleassi as adjudicators.

Competing Universities

The competition featured ten (10) universities; University of Cape Coast, University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University for Development Studies, University for Health and Allied Sciences, University of Energy and Natural Resources, University of Education Winneba-Kumasi, All Nations University College, Islamic University College, and Perez University College.
The competition which is modelled in the British Parliamentary style of debating had in total 52 teams from all participating universities with KNUST, UG, UDS and UENR presenting eleven(11) ten(10), eight (8) and seven (7) teams respectively, the highest during the tournament.

Credit: Latif Lawrence Jorhowie, Head of UCC delegation

The retirees with the Pro Vice-Chancellor

UCC Holds Send-Off Ceremony for 87 Retired Staff

26 Jul, 2019 By louis Mensah

The University has held a Send-Off and Long Service Awards Ceremony for 87 members of staff who retired from active service this year.

The 2019 retirees comprise 24 Senior Members, 34 Senior Staff and 29 Junior staff. Each staff was presented with certificates, household items and an undisclosed amount of cash.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora Edu-Buandoh, noted that the University had made impressive strides in many exciting directions. She added that the achievements were made possible through the collective efforts of students, faculty, and staff as well as major key players in the field of tertiary education in and outside the country. “Our senior colleagues whose names were mentioned today have contributed significantly, and good portions of the most productive parts of their lives have been spent in this institution,” she noted.

Prof. Edu-Buandoh assured the retirees that management would continue to appreciate and show commitment to the wellbeing of senior colleagues by strengthening and providing the required resources to the Welfare Section to enable them to reach out to more retired staff under the retiree’s outreach programme. “Since the inception of the programme, 140 of our senior colleagues including three former Registrars, Pro Vice-Chancellors and two former Vice-Chancellors have been visited in their homes at various parts of the country,” she reported. She also indicated that the Welfare Outreach programme was extended to five former Council Members for their contributions in the past years to the development of the University.

The Pro Vice-Chancellor noted that the major criteria for determining the value of the award given to retirees had been the length of service but assured that Management of the University would continue to access other avenues to improve the package to retirees. She entreated unions on campus to invest in their members and help them to plan towards retirement. She congratulated Mr. Moses Prah and Ms Agnes Arhin Buabeng for serving the University for 42 and 41 years respectively.

On behalf of the retirees, a former Senior Assistant Registrar at the Institute of Education, Mr. Prosper K. Nyatuame, thanked the University for the opportunity to serve in various capacities. He said they have had varied experiences which he described as “good, bad and ugly”. “These experiences will energise us to face the reality of life after active service”

Mr, Nyatuame advised the 2019 retirees to take good care of themselves whiles they depart from the services of the University. “Though we have retired but not retarded let us make good use of the time and contribute our quota to advance society,” he advised.

Mr. Nyatuame appealed to the University not to neglect them adding that “The University should not forget us but see us as part of the system”.

The University Pensioners Association, University Teachers Association (UTAG), Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA), Senior Staff Association (SSAUCC) and Junior Staff Association (JSAUCC) in their goodwill message commended the retirees and wished them well in their future endeavours.

Presentation of UCC souvenir to Dr. Wubah

UCC Signs MoU with Millersville University

26 Jul, 2019 By louis Mensah

The University has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Millersville University (MU) in Pennsylvania State, United States of America (USA).

The MoU is geared towards training, mobility of staff and students, research grants and joint programmes.

Signing of MoU

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the President of MU, Dr. Daniel A. Wubah, who signed the MoU on behalf of his University, was accompanied by a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Hon. Jordan A. Harris. Dr. Wubah said he felt proud to be back to his alma mater to perform this important function. He was grateful to UCC for adequately preparing him to rise to an enviable level in academia. He thanked Prof. Kobina Yankson for contributing significantly towards his academic upbringing both in Ghana and the USA.

The President of MU noted that his University and UCC shared similar mandate adding that “We were both established to train teachers and for Millersville education has been aligned in our DNA”. He said MU inculcates in its students four C’s namely Communication, Collaboration, Critical thinking and Creativity to guide them in all their endeavours.

On the collaboration, Dr. Wubah noted that MU was interested in partnering with UCC to provide quality education to students. According to Dr. Wubah said MU boasts of excellent education background that would complement the collaboration. He said MU had four colleges namely, College of Education, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Distance Education.

Dr. Wubah mentioned that MU has a student population of 8, 000 with 7, 000 undergraduate and 1,000 postgraduate students respectively. “We are ranked among the top 10 and currently the second-best when it comes to higher education in Pennsylvania State.”

UCC is Proud of Dr. Wubah

For her part, the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dora F. Edu-Buandoh, was grateful to Dr. Wubah for making UCC proud by rising to the highest position in his University. She noted that international education exposed students to new experiences and ways of doing things and for that matter, UCC students would benefit substantially from the collaboration. She said as part of the Internationalisation agenda, UCC would ensure that the collaboration yielded fruit to advance the academic credentials of both institutions.

Present at the meeting were the Registrar, Mr. John Kofi Nyan; Dean of the Centre for International Education (CIE), Prof. Rosemond Boohene; Dean, School of Educational Development and Outreach, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davis and Director of Public Affairs, Major Kofi Baah-Bentum(Rtd).

Prof. Botchway Puts Azumah Nelson on the Spotlight in his Book

25 Jul, 2019 By louis Mensah

The African Humanities Programme (AHP) has launched a book authored by Prof. De-Valera N. Y. M. Botchway, of the Department of History, University of Cape Coast, on the social history of boxing in Ghana with a spotlight on the three-time boxing champion, Azumah Nelson.

The book titled Boxing is No Cakewalk! Azumah ‘Ring Professor’ Nelson in the Social History of Ghanaian Boxing explores the social history of boxing in Ghana and its connection with Azumah Nelson who is a celebrated boxer in the country and beyond. The book explains how boxing has contributed to shaping identities and positive socioeconomic transformations in Ghana through the life, work and experiences of Azumah Nelson. Prof. Botchway is the first Ghanaian to have his book published in the African Humanities Series which is under the auspices of the AHP and the American Council of Learned Societies.

Azumah Nelson was A Source of Unity for Ghana

Speaking at the launch, Prof Botchway described Prof. Azumah Nelson as a professional who wanted to get something for himself but at the same time was thinking about Ghana whenever he fought at the international stage. He noted that Azumah Nelson was a source of unity for Ghana at a time when the country was going through lots of troubles in the 1980s. According to him, Azumah Nelson won the World Boxing Title when Ghana was going through food crisis and at the same time Ghanaians were being repatriated from Nigeria”

The professor of History noted that Azumah Nelson harnessed boxing as a tool of social mobility adding that he did not only use boxing to make himself a millionaire but to project the image of Ghana. “This is a legend who is alive and I feel that we need to celebrate him,” he elaborated.

Prof Botchway who is a fellow of AHP noted that as a boxer, Azumah Nelson intellectually understood the dynamics of Pan Africanism. “He understood the struggles of the people of African descent and he used this uncommon platform [the boxing ring and his status as a champion] to articulate the aspirations of the so-called black people to the world,” he said.

Rationale behind the Book

Explaining why he wrote on boxing, Prof. Botchway said most [Ghanaian professional] historians were interested in producing works about economic and political history neglecting the social and cultural aspect of history. He stated that “It is so because it has been a legacy of colonialism; colonial historians basically focus on kings, queens, presidents and wars” and, therefore, his decision to break the monotony from the trend and enter into social and cultural history.

According to Prof. Botchway, Ghana has a strong history of boxing which he said was a popular sport among the Ga ethnic group where Azumah Nelson hailed from. He indicated that boxing was part of the imperial agenda of the British which they wanted to use to control the people of the Gold Coast. However, he noted that the British did not realise that the indigenous people had combat sports. “The Ga have what they call Asafo atwele, an indigenous fisticuff sports” which facilitated their easy participation and adoption of the foreign style of boxing”. He said that although the British banned the indigenous fisticuff sport among the Ga and imposed boxing on them, the local people employed urgency, by using local agency and inventiveness to assimilate this sport. “In effect, they created markers of ethnic and cultural identity so boxing is not just a sport that the Ga people engaged in, it has become part of their ethnic identity,” he pointed out.

Youth Should be Inspired by the Book

Commenting on the honour done him, the celebrated boxer, Prof. Azumah Nelson, thanked Prof. Botchway for acknowledging his contributions to the nation and to humanity. “I am honoured by this gesture and I can only thank the author for finding me fit to write about in his bid to motivate the youth in society,” he said. Azumah Nelson was optimistic that the book would inspire the younger generation to work hard to be great personalities in future.

The Book Gives Hope to People in Inner Cities

The Minister of Inner Cities and Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, who was the chairman for the event said he was proud to be part of the book launch adding that “The bastion of boxing in Ghana comes under the purview of the Ministry of Inner Cities and Zongo Development, so I am happy to have had the opportunity to be associated with the book launch”.

Dr. Abdul-Hamid said Inner City people were considered as underclass and, therefore, for a person from this background like Azumah Nelson to rise to become a global icon was a motivational story for people in these communities who aspire to get out of their social circumstances in which they were born. “The human being is made up of nature and nurture, for most times we allow the nurture bit to trap us into not been able to progress. I can go to the inner cities and brandish this story for every young child in these communities to aspire not only to become boxers but whatever sport or profession it is, whether you’ve been to school or not, you can aspire for great things” he noted.

Copies of the book and further information about the document can be obtained from the African Books Collective and African Humanities Series.

https://www.nisc.co.za/products/95/books/boxing-is-no-cakewalk-azumah-ring-professor-nelson-in-the-social-history-of-ghanaian-boxing

http://www.africanbookscollective.com/books/boxing-is-no-cakewalk

https://www.nisc.co.za/ahs

Presentation of a citation to Prof Boohene

Auburn University Honours Prof. Rosemond Boohene

25 Jul, 2019 By louis Mensah

Auburn University (AU), United States of America (USA) has honoured the outgoing Dean of the Centre for International Education (CIE) for her significant contributions towards strengthening the collaboration between the University of Cape Coast (UCC) and AU.

A citation presented to Prof. Boohene by the Director of Outreach Global, Dr. Elizabeth Ivy Essamuah-Quansah, acknowledged her extraordinary support and commitment towards AU Outreach-UCC Capacity Development and Community Outreach Programme in Ghana.

AU Collaboration with UCC

Dr. Essamuah-Quansah said AU deemed it prudent to appreciate her dedication to the collaboration as she exits office as the Dean of CIE. She said AU formalised its relationship with UCC in 2016 and since then, there had been several activities between the two institutions of which Prof. Boohene had played a pivotal role in ensuring its success. She said AU students came to Apewosika community for service learning and a reciprocal visit by two students and a lecturer from UCC to AU to learn about the poverty situation in the Alabama Blackbelt community.

Activities of AU-UCC Collaboration

In addition, she said AU Nursing students collaborated with UCC School of Nursing to embark on a healthcare programme in Sekondi and also donated some medical items to the UCC Hospital. She further said some books had been donated to the Department of Basic Education, UCC as well as a tuition waiver for a staff of the Department to do his PhD at AU.
“All these activities will not have been accomplished without the dynamic leadership of Prof. Boohene,” she stressed.

Appreciation

Responding, Prof. Boohene, thanked AU especially, the Vice President of Outreach Dr. Royrickers Cook and Dr. Essamuah-Quansah for the excellent working relationship. “I thought I was discharging my duties but didn’t expect this surprise honour from Auburn University,” she said. She indicated that “When you build networks and relationship, you go beyond that to ensure that things work the way it is supposed to be”. She was confident that her successor would also deepen the bond of friendship between UCC and AU.

Strengthening the Collaboration

Prof. Kwaku Boakye who will be taking over from Prof. Boohene on August 1, 2019, assured that he would not depart from the good works of his predecessor but work towards enhancing the collaboration between UCC and AU. “I take consolation from the fact that my sister will be there to offer the needed direction to help me succeed in raising the status of this flagship collaboration, “he noted.

UCC Must Give Recognition to Past Office Holders

The immediate past Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George K. T. Oduro, who chaired the ceremony said he was overwhelmed by the gesture of AU. “For a collaborator to think about the transition of a partner is very laudable,” he noted.

Prof. Oduro urged the University to work towards appreciating office holders whose term of office expires through such gestures. “People complete their term or tenure of office and there’s no significant thing to show that he/she once occupied that office,” he added. He urged the Office of the Registrar to institute a reward scheme in recognition of office holders in the University “ When people know that their services will be recognised after their term of office, they will go the extra mile to contribute towards the development of the University,” he stressed..

The former Pro Vice-Chancellor commended Prof. Boohene for identifying a potential person to succeed him. “There should be a conscious effort to have a succession plan to prepare an equally competent individual to take over from us,” he recommended

Prof. Oduro thanked AU for staying committed to the collaboration and indicating its willingness to extend the scope to cover other departments in the University. “I am aware Auburn is making effort to embark on joint projects by the Campus Broadcasting Services, Centre for Africa and International Studies and the Centre for Gender Research, Advocacy and Documentation. AU will also offer advisory services on the KIA Assembling Plant Project in UCC” he indicated.

UCC-AU Collaboration is a Blessing

The outgoing Head of Basic Education Department, Dr. Dickson Hippolyt Angbing, said the Department had benefitted tremendously from the UCC-AU collaboration. He was hopeful that his successor would continue to offer the necessary support to strengthen the collaboration. He appealed to Dr. Essamuah-Quansah to assist the only female lecturer in the Department scholarship to pursue a PhD programme in AU.

Summer Camp Programme

A Research Fellow at the Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), Dr. Michael Boakye-Yiadom, said the Institute was part of the initial engagement. He said students and faculty who witnessed the summer camp in AU were impressed about the programme and assured that plans were in place to organise a similar one in Cape Coast.

Research Methods

Grammar

Phonology

UCC beats KNUST, UG & 8 others to win Ghana Universities Debate Championship