Reverend Professor Charles Ansah, Pro Vice-Chancellor, has asked the general public and some sections of the student body who protest management’s decision to convert all male halls of residence into mixed halls whether the University does not have the mandate to do so.  Reverend Professor Charles Ansah threw the challenge at the maiden Joint Halls’ Week Celebration on the theme” Higher Education in the 21st Century: Opportunities and Challenges.”

The celebration brought together students and faculty from the Africa, Unity, Queen Elizabeth II, Independence, Republic Hall and University Halls. The launch also saw a parade by 260 cadet men and women made up of the Navy, Military and Air force cadets drawn from all the Halls of residence.

He said due to the increasing female population on campus, spaces for their accommodation in the halls have become necessary. He added that there have also been security challenges for some female students in the form of exposure to rape and abuse. So, accommodating them on campus has become imperative. The Pro Vice-Chancellor announced plans by management to engage investors to help build more hostels to avert accommodation challenges.

He added that clashes, noise making and acts of vandalism should cease. He said some occupants of the Male Halls of residence are gradually graduating from throwing stones to stabbing each other with knives and the usage of other weapons and cautioned such students that the security apparatus will deal with them. He also admonished alumni who fuel such violent acts to stop and called on all stakeholders to support management’s efforts to make campus peaceful and conducive for learning.

Reverend Professor Charles Ansah, stated that the decision to celebrate a joint Hall week celebration stem from the excesses associated with individual Hall celebrations. He cautioned them against the use and abuse of hard drugs and said the regulations have not changed and management would apply them on students accordingly. He also revealed that 4 new neoplan buses have been procured to enhance the transportation system on campus.

Rev. Professor Ansah stated that Students Representative Council (SRC) and management have a good relationship and management still continue to open its door to student leadership in its bid to be responsive to student matters.

In his address, former Vice-Chancellor, Professor William Otoo Ellis, a Special Guest for the occasion, said education is a universal right and citizens and government in addition to global bodies are working on improving access and enhancing it at all levels. Government initiatives on education are mostly centred at the basic level in Ghana with initiatives such as FCUBE, Girl-Child education, Free Senior High School (SHS), among others.

He however, cautioned that implemented at the basic levels, attention should not be lost on the effects at the tertiary level regarding commensurate infrastructure and facilities.

Professor Ellis said higher education has challenges of continuous reviewing of curriculum for the changing times, provision of necessary facilities especially logistics. He therefore called for the incorporation of ICT in teaching and learning, climate smart agriculture, building an efficient ICT infrastructure, effective institutional networking and funding for higher education.

In conclusion, he also called for critical thinking on how hall week celebrations have evolved over the years and to question whether it has impacted positively.

In launching the Halls Week Celebration, Dr. Marian Asantewaa Nkansah, Africa Hall Warden, said the attention of the University Council to review students Associations week celebrations and Hall week activities and the excesses associated with it took into consideration the serenity and sanitation of the environment.  She said the decision to celebrate together would help foster unity among all halls and students.

She noted that all halls of residence are fifty years and above and we cannot therefore continue to operate in the same old way but review policies in response to changing times. She further called on all students to participate fully to make it successful.