The Executive body of the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has unveiled a 3D plan of a proposed 556-bed capacity hostel project (Phase II of the Graduate Students’ Hostel) to the management of the University at the Council Chamber.
According to the GRASAG President, Wofa Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, the project is in line with their mandate to support management’s effort to alleviate accommodation challenges in the University. He noted that the proposed hostel facility would reduce the problems of student accommodation challenges, thereby allowing graduate students, especially students that work and travel from far distances to attend weekend classes have a place to stay for a short period.
He further disclosed that his Administration, through the Directorate of Students’ Affairs (DoSA) has committed One million Ghana Cedis to the commencement of the project. He added that an amount of Two million Ghana Cedis would be allocated yearly from the students’ dues to support the project. To this end, he called on philanthropists, individuals, and corporate organisations to come to their aid and support the worthy cause.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor (Mrs) Rita Akosua Dickson emphasised that KNUST believes in constructive collaborations and partnerships to find solutions to problems, thus lauding the leadership for taking up such a project to leave an impressive legacy. She was hopeful that this would serve as a challenge to the leaders of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) to also set in motion, plans for the second phase of the SRC hostel.
She, therefore, seized the opportunity to appeal to private organisations to partner with the University to provide accommodation for both staff and students on campus.
The proposed hostel facility which would be linked to the existing Graduate Students’ Hostel would comprise a 50-capacity parking lot, a courtyard, 3-in-1 room apartments, 2-in-1 room apartments, and family apartments (for graduate students with families) among other features.
The Association as part of activities to commemorate their 29th GRASAG-KNUST Week Celebrations, also unveiled the KNUST Off-Campus Students’ Accommodation Support System (KOSASS), a platform designed to assist students in their search for hostels with the needed information, including prices, directions and has a feature that allows students to interact directly with hostel owners.
Present at the event were the Registrar, Mr. Andrew Kwasi Boateng; the Director of DoSA, Professor Wilson Agyei Agyare; the Dean of Quality Assurance and Planning Office, Professor Jerry John Kponyo; the Director of Works, Dr. Jimmy Nkrumah; the Dean of International Programmes Office (IPO), Professor Daniel Duah, among others.
