Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Prof Gabriel Ayum Teye, has reiterated management’s commitment to introduce demand-driven programmes to meet the current needs of employers.
In view of that, management of the university has commenced enhancement of infrastructure on the various campuses to accommodate students and train them for a better future, he said at the 28th matriculation ceremony held at the multipurpose auditorium at UDS central Administration.
He said the university, as part of its development, has restructured and created a number of new faculties and schools, with new academic programmes. The faculties are Communication and Cultural studies, Faculty of applied Economics and Management Sciences, and Faculty of Agriculture.
The rest are School of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Public Health, Faculty of Bioscience and Faculty of Sustainable Development Studies and the school of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical as well school of Dentistry, of which documents are being finalized for accreditation by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).
He stressed the university has also established an institute of Distance and Continuing Education with 19 learning centers of which 3,685 distance education students have been enrolled adding to the already 2,671 students enrolled at the various learning centers.
The University in the 2020/2021 academic year received 23,548 applications of which undergraduate recorded 22,609 and post graduate was 939. But it was able to admit 16,763 for the undergraduate programmes and 512 for post-graduate programmes.
COVID-19
To fight the coronavirus pandemic, the university has set up a COVID-19 committee led by the Director of Health services. The committee has put in place measures such as compulsory wearing of nose masks, use of hand sanitizers, ensuring social and physical distancing and the washing of hands with soap.
According to Prof. Ayum, management in collaboration with Director of Health Services has taken steps to address the health needs of staff and students, adding that despite the COVID-19 fever on campus, management has also provided orientation programmes to help safeguard the welfare of students and staff.
He noted management has also directed that a class should not exceed 100 students, saying, measures are being enforced with the support of the security officers on campus and therefore urged the students to give them the needed support.
He also assured that management has made security on all campuses of the university a top priority and logistics provided to meet challenges to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Advice to fresh students
The Vice Chancellor further advised the students to take their studies seriously to achieve the purpose of being in schools saying: “your level of commitment to your academic work would be determined by your performance in the examination and as future leaders, the sky will be your limit if you work hard towards achieving your academic goals”.
He stressed that failure by any student to adhere to the rules and regulation of the university would come with the appropriate sanctions.
