VISION
To be a University with a worldwide acclaim that is strongly positioned for innovative teaching, research, outreach and professional development.
MISSION
The University of Cape Coast is an equal opportunity University uniquely placed to provide quality education through the provision of comprehensive, liberal and professional programmes that challenge learners to be creative, innovative and responsible citizens.
CORE VALUES
Excellence: UCC seeks to pursue excellence through the creation of standards in teaching, intellectual inquiry, engagement and professional practice.
Empowerment: UCC offers opportunities to its employees and products in a manner that empowers them to be agents of change.
Equal Opportunities: UCC strives to provide equal opportunity and access to quality education and services to all categories of persons regardless of colour, creed, ethnicity, gender, social status and physical ability.
Ethical behaviour: UCC upholds acts of honesty and responsible behaviour and holds its members accountable for their actions and conduct in a way that promotes integrity of the person and the image of the University.
Cape Coast was founded by the people of Oguaa. It was however controlled by various colonial administrations from the 16th Century. The Swedish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch and the British have all administered the city in the course of its colonial history. It was the seat of the British colonial government in the then Gold Coast until it was moved to Accra in 1877. The land area of Cape Coast is mostly sloppy with many hills and valleys. The temperature is humid with the sea breeze providing a cool ambience. The locals are chiefly involved in fishing and related activities.
Sites & attractions of Cape Coast and its environs
Cape Coast Castle
The Cape Coast Castle, which is a World Heritage Site, is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the city. The Castle was originally built by the Dutch in 1637. It was later expanded by the Swedes and the British, who used it as the seat of their colonial government for about 200 years. The castle, which is an imposing stone structure overlooking the ocean, was built as a defence fortress as well as a holding place for slaves before they embarked on the middle passage. Within the glistening white walls of the castle are haunting dudgeons where the slaves were kept.
During a state visit to Ghana in July 2009, President Barack Obama of the United States toured the castle with his family. In an address after the tour, he said of the castle that, “it reminds us of the capacity of human beings to commit great evil.” Many African Americans who visit the castle find the experience especially moving. The symbolism of standing in front of “The Door of No Return” where their ancestors passed through to be shipped out into slavery is not lost on them. In 1957, after Ghana gained independence from the British colonial government, the castle was turned into a museum and a monument.
Kakum National Park
The Kukum National Park is a rainforest reserve located at about an hour’s drive from Cape Coast. The 350km square park contains a variety of animals and plants; there are about 40 species of mammals, 400 species of butterflies and 200 species of birds. The forest is made up of tall hardwood trees, which can rise up to 65 metres.
A great attraction of the park is a 40m high canopy walkway, which is a series of hanging bridges made up of ropes and wood connected together by the trees. The canopy walkway, which stretches over 330 meters, provides a wonderful opportunity to view the tropical rainforest from above. The walk is indeed not for the faint hearted, but the experience is really thrilling for those who can muster the courage to do it.
Beaches and Resorts
There are many beautiful palm- fringe beaches and resorts located in and around Cape Coast, which offer exciting opportunities for leisure. The Brenu beach located along the Cape Coast/Elmina road is considered as one of the most beautiful beaches in the country. The White Sands Beach Resort located at Gomoa Fetteh, Anomabo Beach Resort and the Coconut Beach Resort are some of the popular destinations for visitors.
Oguaa Fetu Afahye
The Oguaa Fetu Afahye is a festival celebrated by the Oguaa people of Cape Coast every September. It is held to mark a bumper harvest season as well as to thank the 77 gods of the Oguaa Traditional Area. The festival is a very colourful event, which generates a lot of excitement. Activities usually held to mark the festival include a colourful procession of chiefs, grand durbar, a rare display of traditional priests and priestesses, sprinkling of traditional mashed yam offerings to the gods, drumming, dancing, firing of muskets by warrior groups and a host of other activities. The festival attracts thousands of visitors every year some of whom are natives of the area who have resettled elsewhere.
Kotokoraba Market
The Market which predates Ghana’s independence has been rebuilt into an ultra modern market with modern facilities including a modern car park, post office, super markets and open markets.
The market is the main trading post in the Central Region and has thus become the economic hub of the region where brisk business is conducted daily.
The market derives its name from the early settlers of the area who profited from the abundance of crabs in the area. Kotokoraba literally means ‘crab village’.
Panafest
Cape Coast has always been the centre for the Pan African Historical Theatre Festival, which is held every 2 years to bring Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora to engage in a series of activities on the effect of the slave trade on the African. The festival seeks to provide a platform to confront the horrors of the slave trade, help purge the pain of the Diaspora and to stimulate a greater connection and collaboration between Africans on the Continent and in the Diaspora. This is intended to inspire hope, confidence and pride in the African spirit and to strengthen alliances and resolve towards the development of Africa.
The Coat of Arms of the University of Cape Coast consist of a shield, upon which is emblazoned in Red, an Adinkra symbol signifying God's ominipotence. This symbol is superimposed in the lower half of the Shield on a background of Wavy Blue and White Lines signifying the Sea, and in the upper half, a Golden Eagle with outstretched Wings, signifying Strength, Determination and Excellence.
“Veritas Nobis Lumen” - (Truth, Our Guide)
The University of Cape Coast was established in October, 1962 as a University College and placed in a special relationship with the University of Ghana, Legon. On October 1, 1971, the College attained the status of a full and independent University, with the authority to confer its own degrees, diplomas and certificates by an Act of Parliament - The University of Cape Coast Act, 1971 [Act 390] and subsequently the University of Cape Coast Law, 1992 [PNDC Law 278].
There is currently a draft Bill to amend the University of Cape Coast Law, 1992 (PNDCL 278) which repealed the University of Cape Coast, Act 1971 (Act 390), the University of Cape Coast (Amendment) Law, 1990 (P.D.C.L. 241) and the University of Cape Coast (Interim Administration Committee) Law, 1990 (P.N.D.C.L. 243) which established the University as an institution of higher learning.
It is expected that, when the Bill is subsequently passed into law, the original mandate of the University would be reviewed to make room for training of personnel in other disciplines to ensure that the focus of the University is widened.
Besides the need to give legal backings to current practices in the University as well as ensuring consistency with Constitution of Ghana, the passage of the Bill would also position the University to meet new challenges and demands of the Ghanaian Society and beyond and to keep pace with the developments in the higher education environment.
ORIGINAL MANDATE
The University was established out of a dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in education. Its original mandate was therefore to train graduate professional teachers for Ghana’s second cycle institutions and the Ministry of Education in order to meet the manpower needs of the country’s accelerated education programme at the time. Today, with the expansion of some of its Faculties/Schools and the diversification of programmes, the University has the capacity to meet the manpower needs of other ministries and industries in the country, besides that of the Ministry of Education.
STUDENT POPULATION
From an initial student enrolment of 155 in 1963, the University of Cape Coast now has a total student population of 74, 720 The breakdown is as follows: 18949 regular undergraduate students, 1445 sandwich undergraduate students, 1014 regular postgraduate students, 2773 sandwich postgraduate students 48989 distance undergraduate students and 1540 postgraduate distance students. The University admitted a total of 24723 students into its various programmes for the 2016/2017 academic year.
PIONEERING DEPARTMENTS
The University started with two departments, namely: Arts and Science. These departments developed into Faculties in 1963. In order to achieve the set objectives, in 1964, the University created two more Faculties, namely: Education and Economics & Social Studies [now Faculty of Social Sciences].
The fifth faculty [School of Agriculture] was established in 1975. The Faculty of Science was split into the Schools of Physical and Biological Sciences during the 2002/2003 academic year while the Department of Business Studies was also elevated to the School of Business with effect from the 2003/2004 academic year.