The Vice-Chancellor of the Accra Technical University (ATU), Professor Samuel Nii Odai, has admonished fresh students and the entire student body of the University to report all forms of harassment to school authorities for appropriate sanctions.

He said the University was ready to offer students the necessary support to grow and develop, including protecting them from all forms of harassment during their time on campus.

Speaking at the matriculation ceremony of some 8,677 fresh students, in Accra, on Saturday, the Vice-Chancellor also cautioned the students to be modest in their dressing and grooming.

He said: “In the University, there are no uniforms, so you have the freedom to choose what to wear to lectures, church service, and other functions.

“Please, just don’t dress like a dressed chicken, and lead yourself into unnecessary challenges. Please, remember that what you wear says a lot about you, so, be modest in your choice of dress and grooming,” he added.

A total of 13,015 applicants applied for admission into various programmes at the University for the 2022/2023 academic year.

Out of this, 12,267 applicants received admission to offer courses under its five faculties.

However, Prof Odai noted that, as of the end of Friday, Feb 24, 2023, only 8,677 applicants had paid fees for one of the University's programs.

That number, he said, included 1,312 students who applied for various programmes under the Faculty for Applied Arts, 2,241 Faculty of Applied Sciences students, and 803 students belonging to the Faculty of Built Environment.

The rest are; the Faculty of Business— 2,529 and Faculty of Engineering — 1,792, while the male-to-female ratio stands at 5,437 and 3,240 respectively.

The Vice-Chancellor also revealed that the University had made significant progress in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) increasing its enrollment by some three percent, to 71 percent in the 2022/2023 academic year from 68 percent in the previous academic year.

Prof Odai said, as a University, the philosophy of “education and training for employment and job creation”, was embedded in all curricula, adding that, its aim was to prepare courses that met the demands of the world of work.

“Your decision to enroll in ATU is one of the best decisions you have made,” he said, assuring them that “the hands-on, practical-oriented training you will receive here will prepare you adequately for the world of work.”

To improve the learning conditions and environment at the University, Prof Odai said, it had invested huge sums of money to procure vehicles, furniture, fixtures, and fittings in lecture rooms, libraries, and hostels.

He added that students' hostels had recently received a facelift, while procurement of more classroom furniture was underway.

“New buses have been provided, while the old ones receive a facelift to enhance your study trips and industrial attachments,” he added.

He urged the students to be responsible by taking good care of the facilities.
The Vice-Chancellor also indicated that the University, through its Governing Council had approved an amount of GH¢400,000 to the ATU Students Financial Support scheme, to provide scholarships for students for the 2022/2023 academic year.

He cautioned students to be wary of the unlimited freedom the University environment offered, urging them to stay away from social vices such as drug addiction, gambling, prostitution, and drunkenness.

Also, he advised them against examination malpractices, warning that the University took serious offense to such practices and would not shade anyone if caught.

“University examinations and assessment systems are serious business. We do not compromise on any form of academic dishonesty,” he said.