The University has held a day’s orientation for students admitted to pursue various programmes at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels for the 2018/2019 academic year through sandwich mode.                       

The programme was aimed at helping the students to familiarise themselves with the University Campus and also expose them to the structures of the university as well as their academic work. It also afforded the fresh students the opportunity to meet the University management and the heads of the Department for their respective programmes of study.

UCC's Core Values

Addressing the students, the Director of Academic Affairs, Mr. Jeff Onyame, congratulated the students on their admission to the University and informed them that the core values of UCC are excellence, empowerment, equal opportunities and ethical behaviour. He, therefore, urged the students to uphold these virtues as they embark on their academic journey.

On academic work, he said that the Sandwich programmes would demand a lot of efforts from them, hence the need to be determined and focused on their studies in order to make good grades. He advised the students to make use of the various facilities and support services available to them. “The University has various facilities like the library to help you get various materials to support your studies” he noted.

Mr. Onyame again advised the students to adhere to the policies and regulations governing students’ activities which have been codified in the Students’ Handbook and Academic Policies for undergraduate and postgraduate students. “The University will not tolerate any act of indiscipline on the part of students” he cautioned. He told them that there might be some challenges right from the beginning of their studies; however, they should be determined to overcome them.

Office of the Dean of Students

On his part, the Vice Dean of Students’ Affairs, Dr. Edward Kofi Ntim, said his outfit was responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing a variety of programmes and services which are designed to assist and support students in achieving their academic and personal successes. “The office is there to promote the welfare of all junior members and to ensure that they carry their academic work without any hindrance,” he added.

Dr. Ntim said the office worked with the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) and Graduate Students Association (GRASAG). He said the Office was also responsible for various students groups and regulation of their activities on campus. He advised the students to channel their grievances through the appropriate authorities for redress.  “There are regulations on demonstrations, rallies, assemblies and processions which students should strictly adhere to” he noted.

There were presentations from the Director of Health Services, Head of Security, representatives from the Library, Centre for Gender, Research and Documentation (CEGRAD) and the Counselling Services.

The programme was chaired by the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof. Eugene K. M. Darteh.

Faculty members of the University have been sensitised on the Intellectual Property Policy (IPP) and Addendum to Conference Travel Grants at a seminar organised by the Directorate of Research, Innovation, and Consultancy (DRIC).                                 

Opening the three-day programme, the Acting Director of DRIC, Prof. Frederick Ato Armah, said it had become necessary to take faculty members through the two documents because they were expected to conduct research, spearhead innovations and also attend conferences to contribute to knowledge.

IPP & Addendum to Conference Travel Grants

On the IPP, Prof. Armah said it was to regulate research and research projects in the University whether funded through internal, external means or by faculty members themselves. He said the policy had become necessary because faculty members needed to derive returns from their efforts at generating as well as contributing to knowledge. He explained that the Addendum to Conference Travel Grants was supplementary to the Guidelines for Accessing Travel Grants for Research and Conferences. He added that the Addendum spells out new modalities for the disbursement of funds to faculty members who would be traveling to attend conferences.

A principal Research Assistant at DRIC, Mr. Isaac Nketsiah took participants through IPP whiles Prof. Armah presented on the Addendum to Conference Travel Grants.

Schedule of the Seminar

Faculty members from the College of Humanities and Legal Studies, and the College of Education Studies attended the seminar for the first day whiles the second day was dedicated to the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and College of Health and Allied Sciences. Faculty members from the College of Distance Education, Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance and the Sam Jonah Library participated on the third day.