GTEC and Academic Integrity: The Case of Dr. Ayensu

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The recent directive by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to the Chief of Staff regarding the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu Danquah, has reignited debate about the use of academic titles in Ghana. At the center of the matter is the use of the title “Professor,” which GTEC insists cannot be used loosely or by courtesy if it has not been formally conferred by a competent academic authority. I fully agree with GTEC’s position. Academic titles must reflect real achievement within recognized structures of higher education, not be borrowed from honorary roles, adjunct designations, or foreign academic customs.

In Ghana, the academic ladder is clearly defined: Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, and Professor. To rise to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor, one must satisfy rigorous requirements in teaching, research, publication, and service, as evaluated by established academic promotion processes. This structure ensures that the title “Professor” carries a specific meaning and authority. It is not an honorific, but the culmination of years of demonstrable academic work and peer recognition. To allow individuals to adopt the title based on honorary appointments or adjunct roles would dilute this meaning, devalue the work of those who earned it, and create confusion in the academic community.

GTEC’s authority to regulate these matters is not arbitrary. The Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), mandates GTEC to supervise academic standards and enforce compliance in the use of academic titles. In this case, GTEC requested evidence to justify the use of “Professor.” The documents provided by Dr Ayensu Danquah’s legal team showed that she held the role of Adjunct Assistant Professor in the United States, a non tenure track, part time teaching position. In the Ghanaian system, this is equivalent to a lecturer, not a professor. Omitting the word “Adjunct” and presenting oneself simply as “Professor” is misleading. By reciprocity, if one is not officially promoted to Associate Professor or Professor in the United States, one cannot claim that title in Ghana.

This issue goes beyond one individual. The misuse of academic titles has become a recurring problem in Ghana, with several public figures styling themselves as “Professor” without meeting the academic requirements. GTEC has on multiple occasions intervened, warned, and even threatened legal action against such misuse. These interventions are necessary to protect the sanctity of academic ranks and to preserve public trust in the nation’s education system. If the title “Professor” is cheapened, then the entire structure of academic credibility is at risk.

GTEC’s position also aligns with global practice. In the United States, adjunct professors are never addressed as full professors in the academic sense; they are understood to hold temporary or part time teaching roles without tenure or the research requirements attached to professorship. In Canada and the United Kingdom, too, the use of “Professor” is strictly tied to academic promotion and not courtesy. Ghana is right to insist on the same clarity and discipline.

The misuse of titles reflects a deeper problem in our political and social culture, where titles are often treated as symbols of prestige rather than as markers of genuine achievement. But prestige divorced from merit breeds mistrust. If Ghana is to build a credible academic system, it must enforce integrity in titles as rigorously as it does in certificates and degrees.