A digital platform has been established by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC). The platform is to help expedite the certification process for universities and programs.
The Accelerated Accreditation Approach is the name of the platform that aims to cut the accreditation waiting time in half.
This was disclosed to the Daily Graphic by Professor Ahmed Jinapor, the Director-General of GTEC, during a courtesy call on Vice-Chancellors Ghana (VCG) at their 76th meeting. The meeting was held last Wednesday at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
His first interaction with the VCs was a courtesy call. He listened to them, engaged in conversation, and asked for their cooperation in order to enhance operations between them.
The main topics of discussion between GTEC and the VCG were office holdings, satellite campuses of different universities, and updates on accreditations.
Digital platform
According to Prof. Jinapor, the platform was introduced with the intention of ensuring that the GTEC quickly resolved any outstanding accreditation difficulties, putting all of its programs in good standing.
He pleaded with the VCs to personally see to it that their Quality Assurance personnel expedited their procedures. This would prevent delays, which frequently resulted in numerous difficulties for all parties involved.
The Director General stated that the accreditation culture needs to be adjusted to compliance rather than non-adherence, as it was previously. He also commended the present VCG leadership for their approach to resolving inherited issues and pledged to continue working on them in that area.
Suspension
Through January 1, 2024, the GTEC will no longer be reviewing new applications for academic program accreditation from any public university, including technical universities. This suspension took effect in October.
However, the Eastern Region’s University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in Somanya was unaffected by the ban.
The GTEC claimed that this decision was motivated by the necessity to purify the certification environment due to some institutions’ ongoing disregard for national accreditation standards.
Critical role of VCG
Prof. Ahmed Jinapor, who had earlier addressed the assembly, praised the VCG for the vital roles they have played in assuring the advancement and enhancement of postsecondary education in the nation.
He gave them the assurance that GTEC was ready to work with the VCG and all other national education stakeholders to help improve the country via education.
Prof. Jinapor urged the VCG, during his speech on the satellite campuses, to refrain from using senior high schools, churches, and other similar facilities as their institutions’ satellite campuses.
Prof. Jinapor gave the VCG members credit for their vital contributions to the nation’s tertiary education system’s growth and advancement.
He gave them his word that GTEC was ready to work with the VCG and all other education sector players to use education to help transform the country.
Continuous engagement
Prof. Rita Akosua Dickson, President of the VCG, promised the VCs that they would keep working with GTEC on their activities.
She said on behalf of the VCG that they were prepared to keep strengthening their current partnership with GTEC in order to further the nation’s educational progress.
Prof. Dickson stated that in order to expedite and obtain the greatest training and results for the country, there was a need for increased engagement between the two institutions in their activities.
She expressed her appreciation for the GTEC leadership’s ideas that have sped up university certification procedures.