The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has held a Matriculation Ceremony to officially admit 7,014 fresh students into the University as junior members to commence the 2010/2011 academic year. It was during this ceremony that matriculants were officially accepted into the University community through the Matriculation Oath swearing.
Addressing the ceremony, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. William Otoo Ellis, congratulated the fresh students on their admission into the KNUST, Ghana's leading tertiary institution of science and technology. Also present at the brief ceremony were the Registrar, Provosts, Deans, Deputy Registrars, Hall Masters, the Catholic Chaplain and the Protestant Chaplain.
Prof. Ellis underscored that, during this year's admissions exercise, the cut-off for degree programmes such as Human Biology, Pharmacy, Telecommunication Engineering, Petrochemical Engineering, Dental Surgery and Optometry fell below aggregate 09 in a sitting at the WASSCE. He reiterated that, it is gradually becoming more competitive to gain admission into KNUST as a result of stringent admissions criteria.
Prof. Ellis disclosed that the College of Art and Social Sciences admitted the highest number of students this year, representing 31%; the College of Science admitted 22% and the College of Engineering 16%. The rest are the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources with 13%; College of Health Sciences 10% and the College of Architecture and Planning 8%.
The Vice-Chancellor reminded the first year students of their ultimate preoccupation, which is to obtain respectable degrees from the University. He stressed the need for students to acquire the prescribed skill, knowledge and attitude so as to solve societal problems. Prof. Ellis further advised the matriculants to observe all the rules and regulations governing the student body, particularly on University examinations.
Of the 7,014 fresh students (matriculants), 5,004 are males and the remaining 2,010 are females. Meanwhile, 241 students are products from less endowed senior high schools with an additional 390 being foreign students. This therefore, projects the overall student population of KNUST at about 28,000 as of the 2010/2011 academic year.
