College of Education Launches Strategic Plan for 2016 – 2021 | University of Ghana

The first Strategic Plan of the College of Education, University of Ghana has been launched at a colourful ceremony. The Strategic Plan, which is for the period 2016 -2021 is to guide the College as it works to meet the objectives for which it was set up, and embodies the core values of the College: Innovation, Responsiveness, Inclusion, Integrity, Commitment, Respect and Loyalty. The Plan was the result of an extensive consultative process, involving various stakeholders of the College. Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ernest Aryeetey, noted that as the newest of the four Colleges established when the University adopted the collegiate system, it was a good signal that the College of Education had developed a strategic plan to guide it in meeting its goals. He commended distinguished educationist and member of the College Advisory Board, Professor Jerome Siau Djangmah, for his contributions towards the establishment of the College. The Vice-Chancellor explained that the College was expected to train the core of a new breed of educators in the country, equipping them with the skills to significantly improve pedagogy in schools at various levels, change the educational landscape in the country, and thereby train young people better equipped to meet the development needs of Ghana.

Professor Aryeetey speaking at the launch

Professor Aryeetey commended the College for initiating training in assessment for academic staff in the wider University, and urged that this training should be extended to other areas. He also called on the College to keep up with technological advancements in the field, and continue to champion the use of ICT in teaching, learning and research throughout the University. The Provost of the College of Education, Reverend Professor Cephas Omenyo, presented highlights of the Strategic Plan, noting that it had been developed through a consultative process with stakeholders within the College, across the university and other external stakeholders. He said “the plan acknowledges the dynamic and competitive higher education landscape in Ghana today, the Colleges’ unique characteristics and circumstances and the need to effectively meet current and future challenges by being focused, strategic and tactical with our core competences and resources”. He highlighted the 10 priority areas of the Strategic Plan: Priority 1: Research We will establish a congenial environment for the development and promotion of research. Priority 2: Teaching and Learning We will promote academic excellence using state of the art technology in teaching and learning. Priority 3: Internal Stakeholders We will promote innovation, effective collaboration and participation among internal stakeholders. Priority 4: Student/Faculty/Staff Recruitment and Retention We will identify ways of increasing student’s enrolment and improve faculty/staff recruitment as well as their development and retention across all the departments of the college. Priority 5: Gender and Diversity Promote diversity and gender equity in the College in an environment of respect, inclusiveness and support. Priority 6: Financial Planning and Process management Enhance governance arrangements, mobilization and management of resources at all units and the College central administration to achieve greater effectiveness and efficiency. Priority 7: Asset Acquisition and Management We will ensure continuous effective management of all college assets and facilities. Priority 8: Leveraging Information and Communications Technology We will fully exploit College ICT Resources for Efficiency, Effectiveness and Competitive Advantage in the delivery of teaching, research and knowledge transfer. Priority 9: Monitoring and Evaluation We will strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems as we seek to inculcate a culture of continuous improvement our strategic planning efforts. Priority 10: External Linkages We will build stakeholder confidence in the capabilities of the College and forge strategic partnerships.

Provost of the College of Education, Reverend Professor Cephas Omenyo

The Provost emphasized the goal of the College to become a World-Class ICT-driven research-intensive College over the five year period of the plan. He reiterated that the College was fully committed to implementing the goals of the Plan, and had undertaken to work with management, the university and all stakeholders to meet its goals, of becoming a World-Class ICT-driven research-intensive College by 2021, while also contributing to the broader vision of the University. The Strategic Plan was officially launched by Mr. Felix Nyarko-Pong, Chairman of the College’s Advisory Board, and Chief Executive Officer of uniBank Ghana Limited. He noted that the Strategic Plan gives the Advisory Board a much clearer picture of where the College wants to go, and the goals that the College has set for itself, and pledged that the Advisory Board would continue to work with College management to meet these, and guide the College in attaining set goals and benchmarks.

Mr. Felix Nyarko-Pong, Chairman of the College Advisory Board

Mr. Nyarko-Pong called on management of the University to facilitate the work of the College by making available the resources needed for the realization of the College’s set goals and targets. Earlier in her welcome remarks, the College Secretary, Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, spoke about the process that led to the establishment of the College, noting that the College of Education was set up in August 2014 as part of the University’s adoption of the collegiate system of governance. She said that the system was meant to decentralize academic and management functions, as well as decision making processes, in order to make these processes less bureaucratic and more structured, to enable prompt and efficient service to all stakeholders.

Mrs. Emelia Agyei-Mensah, College Secretary

She emphasized that each Unit within the University of Ghana is expected to draw up its own strategic plan and objectives to fit into the vision of the University and to guide it to attain the purpose for which it was set up. The College Secretary was hopeful that with each Unit focusing on its strategic priorities, the University of Ghana would be well placed to meet its mission and vision. The College took advantage of the ceremony to launch its first official cloth, which was designed to give the College a distinct identity, while at the same time emphasizing its status as a constituent unit of the University of Ghana. Reverend Joyce Aryee, Executive Officer of the Salt and Light Ministry, and a member of the College Advisory Board, performed the official launch, and explained that the College cloth is based on the University’s logo, with its design incorporating traditional adinkra symbols: - three aya or straight ferns which grow straight up in the forest, and represent endurance, resourcefulness, truthfulness and integrity. - two interlocking ram horns dweninmentoaso. These are symbols of humility, strength and cooperation. The cloth also incorporates the University’s motto Integri Procedamus: progress with integrity, and the founding date of the College; August 2014.