The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has escalated its dispute over the appointment of Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deans to the University Council.
The move follows what the Association described as a “deeply disappointing” decision by the Academic Board at its meeting on September 9, 2026.
In a letter to UTAG-KNUST members dated September 10, the Association’s President, Prof. Eric Kwabena Kyeh Abavare, and Secretary, Prof. Akwasi Afrifa Acheampong, said the Academic Board had failed to support UTAG’s position that the existing appointment process should remain in place until a mutually acceptable framework is agreed.
UTAG-KNUST said it would therefore formally engage the University Council and seek an urgent reconsideration of the decision.
“Leadership considers this outcome deeply disappointing, and believes it warrants a firm but measured response from the Association,” the letter stated.
The Association said its demand for meaningful participation in decisions concerning the leadership of academic staff is supported by Act 1157, Clause 5(f).
According to UTAG-KNUST, the disagreement is not simply about the appointment procedure but about the broader principle of collegial governance at the university.
“This is more than a procedural disagreement,” UTAG-KNUST said.
The Association warned that sidelining the views of academic staff in the appointment of Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deans could set a precedent for other areas of university governance.
It also rejected any suggestion that the university’s strategic plan could take precedence over its statutory framework.
“A strategic plan, however important it is, and with an expected life span of about ten years, cannot properly override a statute whose life span is measured in decades,” the Association said.
UTAG-KNUST said it would ask the University Council to reconsider four key issues.
First, it wants the Council to clarify the statutory basis of its membership under Act 1157, Clause 5(f), and the democratic rights it believes arise from that provision.
Second, the Association is seeking recognition of academic staff members’ right to have a genuine vote in the appointment of Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deans.
Third, it wants clarity on the relationship between the university’s statutes and its strategic plan, arguing that the strategic plan should not override the statutes.
Finally, UTAG-KNUST wants the university to preserve collegial governance as a defining feature of KNUST.
Despite escalating the matter to the Council, UTAG-KNUST said it remains committed to dialogue and will approach the engagement in good faith.
“We will continue to prefer dialogue, and approach these engagements in good faith and with the respect due to sister stakeholders,” the letter stated.
The Association said any appointment process introduced by Management should give key stakeholders a meaningful role, particularly those who will work with and be led by the officers appointed.
It described such participation as consistent with the university’s established practice.
UTAG-KNUST has also urged its members to remain united, discuss the matter within their departments and faculties, and exercise patience while staying prepared to take further action if necessary.
Members were further advised to refer any individual approaches from Management concerning the dispute to the Association’s executives to ensure that UTAG-KNUST maintains a consistent position.
The letter was copied to the Chairman of the University Council, the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and the National UTAG Executive.
The University Council is now expected to consider UTAG-KNUST’s request for reconsideration as the dispute over the appointment process continues.
