Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams’ University College is expected to kick off this year as it opens its doors to potential students who look forward to pursuing further education.

Dominion University College (DUC), founded by Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams of the Christian Action Faith Ministries International (CAFM), would be fully functional before the last quarter of 2012.

Archbishop Duncan Williams made the disclosure in Accra when he addressed some members of the church during a Sunday service at the main auditorium of the church on the Spintex Road.

Though it’s a university owned by a church, it would provide tuition in other secular academic fields apart from theology.

“The first batch of students who will begin classes in September 2012 would undertake degree programmes in Business Administration, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Theology,” he stated.

According to Archbishop Duncan Williams, all the required documentation for the university college had been secured from the National Accreditation Board and that the first matriculation of students would take place in November this year.

The university college, he said, was endowed with reputable lecturers, adding that management would ensure that all courses were taught by experienced and reputable lecturers from Ghana and outside the country.

Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former Minister of Education and Ghana’s former Ambassador to the USA, was named as the one to act as president of the university college.

Archbishop Duncan Williams reiterated that Dr. Spio-Garbrah, who is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Action Chapel International, would be the acting president until a full-time university president was identified and engaged.

He noted that arrangements were also underway for students of the university to spend up to two years at reputable American universities on exchange programmes.

The DUC will occupy the second floor of the CAFM Headquarters at Spintex Road, where a large number of offices and meeting rooms have already been refurbished for the use of students as lecture halls, meeting rooms, as well as offices for the professors, lecturers and the administration.

CAFM has also acquired a 100-acre site just outside Accra, which is intended to become the permanent location of the university college in the future.

Dr. Spio-Garbrah, on his part, invited prospective students who wished to enrol to contact the office of the registrar of the university, located on the second floor of the CAFM headquarters building, for details of admission requirements and other relevant information.

The acting president of the university college stated that beginning in April 2012, the DUC would also offer short-term courses on selected subjects.

The selected subjects would include Marketing for Financial Services; Accounting for Non-Accounting Personnel; Risk Management; Tax Planning and Implications of Budget 2012; and Computer Competency for Professionals and Non- Professionals.

Dr Spio-Garbrah thanked the church members who had over the years made various contributions towards the funding and establishment of the college, and asked for God’s blessings for them.

A reconstituted council of the university college comprises a number of very eminent Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians including Jendayi Frazer, former US Assistant Secretary of State for Africa; Dr. Alex Danso, a renowned Ghanaian neuro-surgeon based in Harare, Zimbabwe and Oby Ezekwesili, Vice President, Africa Region, World Bank, Washington DC.

Others are Edward Dua Agyeman, a former Auditor-General of Ghana; Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, CEO of ACI; Acheampong Kyei, Executive Chairman of GLICO Group of Companies; and Lady Rosa Whittaker Duncan-Williams of the Whittaker Group of Companies, among others.