We won't compromise on admission malpractices - UCC & affiliates

The Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has urged its affiliates to prioritise admitting qualified applicants onto their academic programs to improve the standards of graduates they churn out.

At the launch of a two-day training workshop which was on the theme: 'Ensuring Academic Quality in Higher Education Institutions', the Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor George Kweku Oduro challenged officials from 35 affiliates to empower internal educational policies implemented to award certificates to graduates.

The training workshop for quality assurance officers of institutions affiliated to UCC was organised by the Institutional Affiliation Office and the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance of the University.

It was to systematically review educational programs to be certain that acceptable standards of education, scholarship, finance and infrastructure are being upheld by the affiliate institutions while ensuring that they (affiliates) operate in accordance with the criteria and standards set by the National Accreditation Board (NAB).

Professor Oduro said the workshop also sort to equip participants to understand and differentiate concepts of quality, quality assurance and enhancement on the basis of their own experiences within the context of higher educational institutions.

He also highlighted the essence of quality assurance in governance, finance and infrastructural development of tertiary institutions emphasizing their impacts on higher education and national development.

While urging lecturers to use the required contents and outlines that would be relevant to the betterment of the society, the professor also challenged managements of the institutions not to underestimate the creation of conducive environments for teaching and learning.

According to Professor Edward Marfo-Yiadom, the chairman of the Committee for Institutional Affiliation of UCC, tertiary institutions are operating in a highly competitive style which makes it imperative for UCC to check on and ignite its affiliates.

Briefing the media, the Director of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance of the university, Professor Kofi Awusa - Asare emphasized that ethical standards of employees, admission requirements, and clean examination is at the center of the directorate as a means of holding in high esteem the successes of UCC and its affiliates.

"...then the standard for which you bring in your students, because if applicants come in with false certificates, how then do you assure that you have good students; and if there is cheating within the system how then do you assure that you have good products?..." He questioned.

Technological advancement, human and material resources, admission policies and academic programmes were key-noted along with the establishment of effective audit teams to assess their progress.