A total of 26,733 students were admitted by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology KNUST to offer various programmes in the 2022/2023 academic year, Management of the University has revealed.

The number puts KNUST on top in terms of the universities that enrolled more Senior high school graduates in the country.

The number according to management pushed the student population to 89,047, making the University one of the most populous in the country.

The Vice Chancellor of KNUST, Professor Akosua Dickson in an interview with OTEC News reporter, Jacob Agyenim Boateng on Friday August 4, 2023 explained that, following the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy by government, the University prepared for more students by building additional infrastructures including lecture halls, training facilities, among others.

"After realizing high enrollment of students as results of government’s free education policy, , the University built a number of Storey building class rooms to ensure no Free SHS policy graduate is left out during admissions", she said.

Programmes

According to the Vice Chancellor, the University has currently mounted 599 programmes. 452 of these are postgraduate programmes, confirming their status as a Research intensive Institution, while 147 represent undergraduate programmes.

She noted that a significant percentage of the programmes are at various stages of the cyclical re-accreditation process with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

Professor Akosua Dickson disclosed that nearly 40 percent of the students are females (35,354).

She noted that 58.1 per cent of the total enrolments are perusing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related programmes.

Accreditation challenges

Professor Akosua Dickson revealed that “In our pursuit of academic excellence, progress and expansion, we continue to actively seek accreditation for new programmes to enrich the educational landscape. Let me mention here that accreditation is a cyclical process and not an event. All programmes have three years within which they are to be re-accredited if they are newly mounted and five years if they are old programmes”.

She explained that, “When the Academic Board of the University grants approval for a programme to be mounted, an application is sent to GTEC to initiate the accreditation process. GTEC then has a responsibility to put a panel together to come and assess these programmes and provide feedback to the University. The University then has a charge to respond to the feedback from the Assessors. If the University’s responses to the Assessor’s queries are deemed satisfactory, the documents are tabled for consideration by the Accreditation Committee of GTEC and then subsequently to the Board of GTEC for a final decision to be taken on the accreditation of the programme”.

“The University continues to work with GTEC to ensure all programmes are duly accredited and there is very good progress. At the University’s last engagement with the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, it was suggested that the duration for re-accreditation be extended to ten years to provide enough time for the universities and GTEC to satisfy the legal obligation of ensuring all our programmes are accredited on time. This, I must say must be given careful thought and consideration. We hold ourselves accountable to the strictest assessment criteria, working diligently to meet and exceed the benchmarks set by accrediting bodies, including international agencies", Professor Akosua Dickson stressed.

The Vice Chancellor assured that the University will work towards remaining the premier Science and Technology institution and continue to lead the advancement of new ideas in the country.

She pledged to lead a course that will increase student centered interventions through enhanced teaching and learning experiences.

"At KNUST, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of academic excellence and strive to offer cutting-edge programmes that meet the evolving needs of our students and the industries they will serve, and I can assure you that, our commitment to providing a world-class education remains unwavering", she said.