The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson, has embarked on a tour of second cycle schools in the Yilo and Manya Municipality.
This was to enable him to familirise and bond with the staff and students of the schools, introduce the UESD to them, let them know it is within their domain as well as the programmes on offer.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson was accompanied by the Deans of the Schools of Sustainable Development, (SSD), Prof. Anthony Amoah, the Dean of School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, (SNES), Prof. Edward Wiafe Debrah and some Unit Heads.
The schools he visited included Krobo Girls Presbyterian Senior High School, Yilo Krobo Senior High, Somanya Secondary Technical School, Manya Krobo Senior High School, Akro Secondary School and King David SHS. At all the Schools the VC and his team visited, they made a PowerPoint presentation on the programmes on offer, the facilities and the job prospects to give the audience a better picture of the University.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson and his team, made their first stop at the Yilo Krobo Senior High School, where a durbar of staff and students was held in his honour at the school’s assembly hall. The team was met on arrival by the Assistant Headmaster, Rev. Kodwo Mensah and the Board Chairman of the school, Commissioner of Police (COP) Francis Ebenezer Doku, who acted as the spokesperson in the absence of the headmaster of the school.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson told the gathering that students in the Region and the Municipality in particularly topped the admissions list in the first and second batches of the University.
It is therefore imperative to come to their doorstep and to let the students make the UESD their preferred choice. He stated that the institution is a public university whose programmes are science-based and it offers a combined major.
He said, the university must have a link with the schools within its vicinity to help it to develop. The team’s interactions will also serve as a source of inspiration to staff and students. He also talked about the core values of the University; HOPE which represents; Honesty, Opportunity, Perseverance and Enterprising. He said, it is expected that students who graduate from this University will exude these qualities, given the training they will receive.
In a PowerPoint presentation, Prof. Nyarko-Sampson took his audience through slides showing the facilities on campus. He also mentioned the additional programmes approved by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, GTEC,bringing the total number of programmes to twenty (20).
Under the School of Sustainable Development, the programmes are, BSc. Sustainable Development, BSc. Energy and Resources Economics, BSc. Energy Sustainability, BSc. Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), BSc. Environmental Economics and Policy, BSc. Aquaculture Management and BSc. Water Resource Management.
In the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences (SNES), the programmes are: BSc. Environmental and Sustainability Science, BSc. Geography and Earth Science, BSc. Environment and Public Health, BSc. Nature Conservation and Management, BSc. Biological and Mathematical Sciences, BSc. Physics and Biological Sciences, BSc. Chemistry and Biological Science, BSc. Chemistry and Mathematical Sciences, BSc. Physics and Mathematical Sciences, BSc. Chemistry and Physics, BSc. Mathematics, BSc. Geoscience and BSc. Environmental Management. Under the School of Built Environment, to be introduced in the 2022/23.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampsonalso briefed them about the job prospects in the programmes. The Deans of the two schools, Prof. Wiafe Debrah and Prof. Anthony Amoah, joined the Vice-Chancellor to answer questions ranging from the entry requirements, top-ups or short courses for teachers, sponsorship and accommodation.
In his response, the board chairman, COP Doku, expressed excitement about the VC’s visit. He said the school holds dear the UESD and stated that Management already has plans for discussions on a collaboration with the university on issues of mutual interest.
The most vital of them was the possibility of the UESD adopting the Yilo Krobo Senior High School as a model school within the Somanya enclave. He was hopeful that this would help boost the image of the school and also improve teaching and learning there.
The Vice-Chancellor’s next stop was at the Somanya Technical Senior High School, located at Sawer. The team was met by the Assistant Headmaster, Mr. Joshua Eghan. Prof. Nyarko-Sampson made a similar presentation on the programmes to the staff and students.
He revealed that the School of Built Environment, the third School of the University, is scheduled to be in full operation in the next academic year. He hinted to students particularly the final year students interested in pursuing careers in Sustainable Architecture, Engineering, Urban Design and other programmes to gear up to study at the university when the time comes.
At the Krobo Girls Presbyterian Senior High School, the Vice-Chancellor and his team were met by the headmistress, Mrs Betty Aduhene-Chinebuah and her Management team where Prof. Nyarko Sampson made his presentation at the school’s assembly hall. The Headmistress was happy about the visit and called for a collaboration between her school and the UESD in the area of science practical lessons.
From Krobo Girls, the team stopped over at the King David College of Commerce, at Akuse Junction. They were welcomed by the administrator, Mr Richard Amoatey This time Prof. Anthony Amoah made the PowerPoint presentation about the University and its programmes. From there, the team visited Manya Krobo SHS at odumase.
Prof. Nyarko-Sampson and the Deans took turns to answer questions, from the entry qualifications, job prospects, accommodation and the Lecturers’ level of commitment to teaching and training students. Prof. Anthony Amoah stated that with a minimum of grade C6 in three (3) core subjects including English, Maths and Integrated Science/Social Studies, and three (3) relevant elective subjects, prospective candidates are eligible to apply. He indicated that there is also an opportunity for diploma holders and mature students aged 25 years and above to pursue programmes at the University when they write an entrance examination and pass an interview.
Prof. Amoah revealed to the students that the UESD is by far one of the few universities where Lecturers are required to sign attendance sheets to confirm their commitment. At the UESD, there is an enviable Lecturer/student relationship where students have easy access to Lecturers at all times. Prof. Amoah stated that in order to provide students holistic education, the University is partnering with some industry players in related fields of study to enable the students to undertake their practical lessons and internship at those places.
The Dean of SNES, Prof. Edward Wiafe Debrah in answering some of the questions on job prospects said, the UESD is the most unique university in Ghana which has woven into its programme curricula the four important values required for self and national development. He explained that Honesty, Opportunity, Perseverance and Enterprising which are the core values of the university to ensure that by the time students complete their four-year programme, they exude these qualities.
He further said that programmes on offer in the university expose students to make pains taking efforts to identify the shortfalls and challenges facing the environment regarding environmental protection, natural resources management and sustainability. He said graduates of UESD would therefore, be needed by industries and agencies dotted across the globe whose activities are directly within areas of environmental development, sustainability and resource management. The Vice-Chancellor and his team are scheduled to visit the rest of the schools in the next few days.
Other members of the VC’s delegation were: Madam Grace Ampong, the Assistant Registrar in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor; the head of admissions, Mr Akwasi Afram Adjekum, the Head of the Community Engagement, Projects and Innovation Unit, Mr Daniel Ofori Mintah and the Head of University Relations Unit.