The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has adopted the campus of the Nduom School of Business and Technology (NSBT) at Ayensudo on the Cape Coast-Takoradi Highway as its satellite campus to enable it to absorb the huge number of fresh students for the new academic year.

The Public Affairs Director of the university, Major Kofi Baah-Bentum (retd), in an interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, explained that the arrangement would ensure that about 800 of the university’s freshmen were accommodated on the NSBT campus.

In all, the university expects about 8,000 freshers this academic year, for which reason it has to effectively manage the numbers.

Calendar

The freshers would report on January 9, while continuing students would return to the campus on January 16, Major Baah-Bentum indicated.

He added that two major lecture theatres had also been completed on the UCC campus to ease lecture space challenges.

“There will be no shift system. We will use online and face-to-face lecturers to ease the pressure that may come on the lecture halls,” he explained.

The NSBT has modern educational facilities and an environment conducive for effective teaching and learning.

Major Baah-Bentum said the arrangement with the management of the NSBT was because the school had good lecture halls, accommodation facilities and a clinic, adding that the management of the UCC was certain the NSBT campus would serve the purpose well.
“The campus has good lecture halls, accommodation facilities and a clinic too. It is also not far from the UCC and so, proximity wise, it is also good,” he said.

He further explained that the UCC students who would be accommodated on the NSBT campus would not be charged any extra fees.

“They are basically our students and so they will be treated as students on the main campus,” he said.

COVID-19

Touching on the COVID-19 pandemic and the UCC’s preparation towards receiving students, he said the university was aware of the challenges of teaching and learning in a pandemic period.

“We have had some experience in managing the students because our students had to return to school for some time to write their examinations during the pandemic,” he said.

That notwithstanding, Major Baah-Bentum said, the university will not let its guard down as students returned to the campus.

“From Wednesday, Zoomlion Company will begin an exercise to disinfect the lecture halls and halls of residence. Also, hand-washing facilities and hand sanitiser will be provided at all major facilities on campus,” he said.

The director of public affairs said the university would continue to admonish all students and staff to follow strict safety protocols.

Lecturers and lectures

He said the university had also done its usual beefing up of lecturer strength to ensure that the lecturer-student ratio was manageable.

“We will use the online teaching options to ensure lecturers reach their students,” he added.

The public affairs director gave an assurance that the university was committed to ensuring a conducive and safe environment for students and lecturers, stressing: “We are more than ready to begin the academic year.”