President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at Jubilee House on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, granted presidential charters to three faith-based universities in the country. They are Methodist University College, Presbyterian University College, and Catholic University College.
Through this Charter, these universities have now become autonomous with the capacity to award their own degrees and diplomas. They will also be known as Methodist University Ghana, Presbyterian University Ghana, and Catholic University Ghana.
These three institutions were under the tutelage of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and the University of Ghana, Legon.
They became the first universities to receive their charters under the new Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
The granting of the charter means they have successfully gone through the accreditation and quality assurance processes under Section 5 subsection 2 of the Act and the associated regulations.
PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO
President Akufo-Addo addressed the solemn occasion which occurred at Jubilee House, and was graced by hosts of clergy from these three denominations, before presenting the universities with their charters.
In his address, he referenced the processes that lead to the granting of a presidential charter, while quoting from the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
“Based on the satisfactory recommendation by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, I am pleased to announce that Methodist University College, Presbyterian University College, and Catholic University College have each fulfilled these requirements and are all considered to be in a good position to manage their own affairs as fully fledged tertiary education institution,” President Akufo-Addo declared.
TIMELINE
The President pointed out that the tertiary education system in Ghana, like in other countries, was composed of public and private institutions. Whereas public universities are established by an act of Parliament and given presidential assent to award their own degrees and diplomas, private university colleges have to go through periods of academic mentorship by a public university.
He added that until recently, private universities had to demonstrate competence in governance, finances, academic matters, and infrastructure development for a decade before they could apply to the National Accreditation Board for a Presidential Charter.
However, following the creation of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act 2020 (Act 1023), he said it is no longer mandatory for new tertiary education institutions to go into affiliation arrangements with existing chartered institutions to be accredited.
HIGHER STANDARDS
This sort of respite, the President could only explain as meaning a higher standard of proof for approval, as the institution has to exhibit competence.
He, therefore, urged the Ghana Education Tertiary Commission “to even be more vigilant in applying the new rules in order not to compromise the internationally acknowledged reputation for integrity and quality of Ghana’s higher education system.”
As part of the new transitional arrangements for the granting of a charter, President Akufo-Addo said all existing university colleges have been given up to four years to demonstrate their capability and readiness for a charter by meeting the prescribed conditions.
He added that if an affiliated institution is unable to meet the requirements of the charter within the specified four years, but can demonstrate sufficient cause for preparing for a charter, an additional two years may be given to enable the institution to meet the requirements of the charter.
PARTNERSHIP
President Akufo-Addo used the occasion to reiterate the commitment of the Akufo-Addo government to partnering with faith-based organisations in the growth and development of the country.
He said the contributions of the faith-based organisations to education, healthcare, and others continue to merit the gratitude of the nation, adding that the collaboration has inured to the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
RESPONSE
On behalf of the three universities, the President of the Catholic University College (but now Catholic University Ghana), Prof. Daniel Kwabena Obeng-Ofori, who is now the Acting Vice-Chancellor, thanked President Akufo-Addo for granting the charter.
“We accept the greater responsibility reposed in us as chartered institutions and we make a solemn promise to do everything humanly possible to justify the trust you have in the three institutions towards the training of graduates with global skills to help solve some of the critical challenges confronting Ghana and beyond,” he said.
