UCC to begin distance learning courses in natural sciences/humanities

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice Chancellor of the University Cape Coast (UCC), on Thursday announced that plans were far advanced to introduce distance learning programmes in the natural sciences and humanities.

This she said was necessary following the increasing numbers of students seeking admission coupled with the successful implementation of basic education, commerce and management studies programmes, which the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) was currently running.

Prof. Opoku-Agyeman, who announced this at the 8th matriculation of fresh students to the CCE at Cape Coast said UCC had much potentials and expertise in its faculties to be tapped to achieve such an objective.

A total of 6,522 out of 12,000 applicants were admitted to pursue courses in diploma and post diploma courses in Basic Education, Commerce, Management studies.

Prof. Opoku-Agyeman urged other faculties of the universities to liaise with the centre for preparatory work to begin so that the programme would be more relevant to many learners.

She said 25,000 students have been drawn from all the 10 regions for the distance education programme and urged more women to take advantage of programme.

The Vice Chancellor called for a separate fund for the centre for the provision of infrastructural development of the satellite campuses, employment of personnel and acquisition of learning materials.

She said the UCC had the capacity and was ready to respond to the training and recruitment of youthful and high quality academic staff to run the programme if only it was provided with the necessary funds, facilities and infrastructure.

Prof Opoku-Agyeman said although the centre had chalked some successes, it however, faced some huge challenge to the university in the areas such as educational quality, monitoring, recruitment of tutors, infrastructural facilities, theatres at study centres.

The Vice Chancellor, however, said to sustain the programme the UCC had come out with strategies such as the re-structuring of the programs to allow diploma holders to reach the graduate level, with great emphasis on quality assurance.

She said the centre had also engaged about 800 course tutors throughout the country to facilitate a face-to-face interaction with students as well as module writers as chief examiners.

Prof. Opoku-Agyeman announced that regional offices were being opened in all the regions to meet academic and counselling needs of students, adding that currently the centre had offices in Kumasi, Takoradi, Tema and Sunyani.

She said through an appeal by UCC, the government in 2008 provided funds to the university to support lectures of the distance learning programme.

Prof. Opoku-Agyeman advised the matriculants to focus on their books and always endeavour to manage their time very well.