How public universities reacted to Akufo-Addo’s call to return to lecture rooms
Not all final years are expected back to the campus of public universities across the country as online studies come to stay.
The country’s major universities have relaxed rules compelling final years to return to campus to complete academic work, despite the easing of restrictions by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
President Akufo-Addo announced on May 31 that final year students can return to the lecture halls by June 15 after staying home close to three months following the coronavirus outbreak.
Students and lecturers are to be in face masks at all times and observe all anti-coronavirus protocols, including regular hand washing, sanitising and social distancing at least one metre apart.
However, some universities are reluctant to alter plans to have all final years converge on their campuses. Instead, online lecture delivery and exams are now the new normal as the COVID-19 cases soar.
Ghana’s case count is almost 10,000 with 42 deaths.
The universities have, however, expressed readiness to accommodate students who wish to return.
Theghanareport.com contacted universities for their plans towards a return to the classrooms as disinfection exercises commence.
University of Ghana (UG)
The University of Ghana plans to continue its online teaching and learning programme rolled out for students at all levels when schools were shut.
All students, including final years, are expected to have their examinations from June 8 to July 3.
Only final year students with challenges are required to be on campus on June 15 to continue their academic work.
Such students will have the opportunity to benefit from additional lectures put in place by the university from June 22, July 10.
Students in this group will take their final examinations from July 18 to August 1, 2020.
“Arrangements are being made to receive registered final year students who may wish to relocate to the campuses of the University to make use of on-campus resources from June 15, 2020, till July 3, 2020, which is the end of the examination period,” Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, has told the university community.
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)
Stakeholders of KNUST completed consultations on Thursday, June 4.
The University Relations Officer (URO) of KNUST, Dr Daniel Norris Bekoe, told the theghanareport.com that: “80% of assignments and project work which would be used as an assessment for the End of Second Semester Examinations, have already been completed and submitted for marking”.
Therefore, the university decided that an existing arrangement which factored issues of the Student Representative Council (SRC) should be stayed for lessons to be held online.
This implies that the rest of the semester for the 2019/2020 academic year will be completed via online teaching and assessment.
Students, however, have a June 30 deadline to submit online assignments and tests.
Students who have challenges in assessing online resources can return to campus from June 15 to June 30 to complete the semester.
Final year students who are to defend their thesis will do so via video conference app Zoom.
University of Cape Coast (UCC)
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of UCC, Mr Kwabena Antwi-Konadu, said the university was prepared to receive students.
UCC has scheduled June 15 for the school to resume.
Unlike other universities, UCC’s accommodation policy requires final years to be housed outside the campus. The final years were living in hostels and private homes prior to the closure of the school due to COVID-19.
However, according to the university’s plan, final year students will be in the halls of residence, a maximum of two students to a room. Students who have special cases justifying their stay in rented hostels would be considered on the merit of each case.
Mr Antwi-Konadu assured that management would implement all measures to protect every member of the university.
“We will work to safeguard the students even as they come back because we need to protect everybody,” he noted.
In view of that, the halls would provide two masks to each student. There will be a provision of veronica buckets, soaps and hand sanitisers at all entry points,
The temperature of students will be taken before entry at all facilities and 10 special rooms in each hall will be reserved for quarantine.
Additionally, UCC will use “only large lecture theatres for revision, tutorial and examinations to ensure strict observance of the social distancing protocol.”
There will be “no movement” from one hall to the other.
Below is the schedule for the rest of the semester :
Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ)
In an arrangement similar to some other public academic institutions, GIJ has informed its students that online lectures will proceed till the end of the second semester for the 2019/2020 academic year and “examination shall be conducted online as previously arranged”.
Examinations are already scheduled to begin on June 8 and management has made arrangements for students who have problems participating in online lectures.
In view of that all students with peculiar difficulties “should inform their lecturers and copy may-2020exams@gij.edu.gh for necessary arrangements to be put in place to ensure that they take part in the end-of-semester examination.”
University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG)
With lecturers already engaged with students online, UTAG National President, Professor Charles Marfo told theghanareport.com that they would “work with what the management of the universities decides”.
The lecturers are not opposed to the decision to resume classroom lectures.
They are ready to assist students to finish the semester and offer guidance and supervision to undergraduate and postgraduate students who are to submit dissertations for their final work.
Great. I think the various universities have taken the right decisions. How about the payment of fees for this semester? Are they taking full fees or there is a discount for students. Kindly do a report on that for us, especially the private universities. Thank you.
UCC smh
So UMaT was not considered as a University