KNUST Council in Ghana decides to end elections for deans and pro-vice-chancellors — MyJoyOnline

In Ghana, the Governing Council of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has decided to end the practice of having lecturers elect deans and pro-vice-chancellors. These officials will be appointed in the future, according to an opinion article by MyJoyOnline.

Change in procedure

According to the publication, the decision was made less than a month after the university’s new Vice-Chancellor took office. The author of the article believes that abandoning elections shifts influence over the formation of academic leadership from the university community to central administration.

The author also claims that recognized university workers’ unions — UTAG, GAUA and TEWU-TUC — opposed the change in procedure. According to him, they submitted official petitions against ending the participation of academic staff and senior administrators in selecting academic leaders.

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The author’s position

The publication notes that academic staff and senior administrators had previously participated in determining their academic leaders. In the author’s view, possible shortcomings of the election procedure should be addressed through clearer rules, safeguards and greater transparency, rather than by abandoning community participation.

The author recalled the crisis at KNUST in October 2018. In his assessment, the dispute at that time led to disruptions to the university’s operations, property damage, the closure of the institution and the dissolution of the Governing Council. He called on the council to suspend the changes and hold consultations with the unions to avoid a new confrontation.