Under the chairmanship of the former Director-General (DG) of GTEC, Professor Mohammed Salifu, the Committee seeks to ensure that the programmes run by tertiary institutions are relevant to national development.

The nine-member committee has the DG of GTEC, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai; the Vice Chancellor of the University of Sustainable Development, Prof. Eric Nyarko-Sampson; a Board Member of the GTEC, Rev, Sister Elizabeth Amoako-Arhin; the Chairman of Public Services Commission, Prof. Victor Kwame Agyeman, and Vice Chancellor of Ho Technical University, Prof. Ben Honyenuga.

The rest are the former President, Pentecost University College, Prof. Kwame Boasiako Omane-Antwi; the Director of Policy, GTEC, Dr Emmanuel Newman; the Director of Accreditation and Quality Assurance at GTEC, Dr John Dadzie-Mensah, and the Secretary to the committee, Jerry Sarfo.

The terms and references of the committee include approving or looking into the establishment of new academic units in tertiary education institutions and also ensuring that the programme aligns with the mission and niches of the institution.

Others are to recommend to the Accreditation Committee programme(s) and or academic units worthy of consideration and any other matter of relevance to the committee.

A letter communicating the establishment of the policy approval of the committee, the commission explained, was established to promote efficient and effective administration and accreditation of tertiary education, institutions and programmes.

The Committee

The committee is "to provide advice and guidance on the general direction of development, orientation and mission of public and private tertiary education institutions in line with national development goals and objectives".

The letter said the Act establishing the GTEC enjoined the commission to, among other things, advise the minister on the establishment and development of tertiary education institutions in the country.

Asked whether the committee now replaces the body outfit of GTEC that approved accreditation, Prof. Jinapor explained that “the committee now gives policy approval”.

He said the committee was necessary to address the current proliferation of institutions and programmes and direct sourcing of programmes from the net without relevance to the uniqueness of the economy.