UTAS appeals for increased staffing, infrastructure and funding during parliamentary visit

The University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), Navrongo, has appealed for increased government support to address staff shortages, inadequate infrastructure and funding constraints affecting its operations and growth.

The appeal was made by Vice-Chancellor Professor Albert Luguterah during a visit by Parliament’s Education Select Committee to the university on Friday, October 30.

Professor Luguterah said the university requires about 300 additional staff to meet its growing academic and administrative needs. He noted that existing staff were overburdened, with some lecturers teaching more than 20 hours a week, compared with the recommended maximum of about 12 hours.

He also highlighted the university’s limited transport capacity, saying it has only five drivers, and called for additional resources to support infrastructure development and daily operations.

The Vice-Chancellor further appealed for increased funding for research and stronger collaboration with industry, saying these would help the university expand its academic work and contribute more effectively to national development.

The infrastructure concerns of the Vice-Chancellor were re-echoed by Jerome Avoka, a Level 400 Actuarial Science student, who described lecture space shortages as a major challenge for students.

He said some lectures are held in departmental offices, including offices at the Public Health Department, while timetable clashes sometimes leave students waiting more than 30 minutes for another class to finish before their lecture can begin.

Avoka said the conditions were not conducive to effective teaching and learning for students or lecturers.

The visit formed part of the Education Select Committee’s oversight responsibilities, according to its Vice-Chairman, Joseph Kwame Kumah, Member of Parliament for Kintampo North.

He said the committee was at the university to assess its achievements and challenges and would report its findings to the Speaker of Parliament and the committee.

The visit could also help inform advocacy for transport and other development projects.

Professor Luguterah said UTAS has about 4,500 students, with female enrolment approaching 40 per cent. He added that 63 of its 72 programmes are accredited, while the remaining nine are awaiting re-accreditation by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission.

The university is also developing a strategic plan and has introduced digital systems developed internally.

The Vice-Chancellor cited the university’s ranking in the AD Scientific Index and student innovation, including a project to produce paint from waste materials that attracted support from Fidelity Bank, as examples of its progress.

Mike 105.3 FM I Navrongo | Samuel Atule Abiiro