Professor Nathaniel K. Pecku, Rector at the University College of Management Studies (UCOMS), has urged fresh students of the University to be disciplined and study hard, to justify the investment made on them.
Prof Pecku said a number of students have been punished for various examination offences and admonished them to take advantage of the opportunities being given to develop themselves
and to promote the image of the University.
Prof Pecku said this, when administering the fourth matriculation Oath to 326 students, admitted into University to begin the 2010/2011 academic year.
He said the admission figures confirmed that students were more interested in the weekend classes, but acknowledged that there were logistic challenges, such as accommodation, staff and traffic to contend with, and that management was working hard to rectify the problems.
He said the admission criteria were clearly stated in the advertisements and urged applicants to note that any candidate with grade D7, E8 and F9 at the WASSCE did not qualify for admission.
Prof Pecku said tertiary education could be considered a specialized study with specific mission to foster economic and social advancement, which involved the acquisition of knowledge and development of attitude and skills.
Professor Pecku said that implied developing the cognitive, emotional and psychomotor aspects of the personality.
He said university programmes were structured to produce graduates with appropriate competencies to sustain the economy.
Prof Pecku said a number of new programmes were being planned for the 2011/2012 academic year, which includes Actuarial Science, Banking and Investment and Oil and Gas courses, to prepare students for the emerging jobs and industries in the country.
He called on lecturers to attend workshops and seminars to enable them to apply knowledge in varied situations, analyze issues logically, synthesize and evaluate work for practical
purposes.
Prof Pecku said the College would work assiduously to make sure students were provided with quality education with periodic assessment of students and staff-peer review.
He said this would encourage exchange of ideas and cooperation among staff and help to raise the standards of academic work to make the College an institution of choice.
Prof Pecku said the University is affiliated to the University of Education, Winneba, adding that, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) had approved its application for affiliation.
He urged the students to join social organisation like Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and the Face of Tertiary.
Professor Pecku said SIFE is a global partnership of business and higher education that prepares University students to make meaningful contributions, towards a better world.