The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) on Saturday matriculated 3,267 students for its 2014/2015 academic year; of which 1,215 representing 37.19 per cent were women.

Professor Joshua Alabi, UPSA Vice Chancellor described the percentage of women admitted as unfortunate, which must be improved upon in subsequent admissions.

He explained that for the 2014/2015 academic year, the University admitted 3,267 applicants out of a total of 5,026, who qualified for admission, representing 65 per cent of total qualified applicants.

He gave the admission statistics as: Diploma 278, Undergraduate 2,485, Professional 69, and Masters 435.

He urged the matriculants to adopt a very serious approach towards their studies and to develop their creative abilities, aim high and pursue diligently, their loftiest aspirations so that their education becomes all that it ought to be.

The Vice Chancellor said: I also wish to advise you, especially the female students to dress decently at all times. You make a statement by the way you dress.

Someone who dresses decently sends a positive signal to people and thereby gives a good impression of himself or herself. Needless to say, the converse is most undesirable and detracts from ones image.

Always behave responsibly and endeavor to make the principles of integrity, hard work and positive attitude resonate in your undertakings.

Prof Alabi said a look at the admission statistics over the past two years reveals an increase in student admission, which he attributed to the fact that a new Lecture Block Complex had been completed and handed over to the university.

He said Management would not relent in its quest to assist workers to acquire University education; this was why in addition to the Evening and Weekend School programmes, the Distance Learning School had also been introduced this 2014/2015 academic year.

He said the Distance Learning School, by its flexible nature, would enable workers who are desirous of furthering their education, but owing to the nature of their work cannot enroll on the Regular, Evening and Weekend Schools, to do so in a more convenient manner.

This is UPSAs way of helping to develop the nations human resource for national development. It is within this context that I would advise all eligible persons to take advantage of the Universitys Distance Education initiative to enroll to improve themselves academically, he stated.

He said in furtherance of the Universitys aim, it had established the Traditional Leadership Centre, Centre for Public Financial Accountability and the Centre for strategic Leadership.

The Vice Chancellor said the centres would provide consultancy services in the various facets of national life that they represent, and thereby provide the necessary momentum for national development, declaring that all the centers had already hit the ground running.

On sports, Prof Alabi gave the assurance that Management would give its fullest support to sports development at the University.

The Vice Chancellor announced the construction of a Landscaping of Quadrangle opposite the Lecture Block Complex and a 4,000 seater Auditorium befitting the Universitys status; which would have a main auditorium, conference rooms and other ancillary facilities.

He said other projects, which were almost completed include an Academic Wing Complex-Fourth Floor Extension to NB Block, Library and Reading Room Complex, and a hydrofractured borehole water project.

Prof Alabi announced that the University had through its internally generated fund constructed a new Students Hostel, with the capacity to accommodate 1,246 students which was opened for use at the beginning of the 2013/2014 academic year.

He noted that the construction of the Hostel marks a turning point in Managements quest to accommodate as many students as possible.

He thanked government for providing the University with equipment to screen students for Ebola, adding that in furtherance of our efforts at improving our Ebola Case Handling readiness, the University has constructed an Isolation Unit where persons suspected of having contracted the disease could be kept for the necessary medical procedures to be carried out.

Mr Emmanuel Aquaye, representative of UPSA Council advised the students to study hard and desist from all forms of examination malpractices.