STU Vice-Chancellor’s Report to Alumni Association – 2018

INTRODUCTION

It is a great pleasure for me to welcome you all, AS Alumni of this great University, back to the Sunyani Technical University (formerly Sunyani Polytechnic or Sunyani Technical Institute).

STAFF POPULATION

The staff population of the university presently stands at 563 out of which 222 are faculty whilst 341 are administrative and other auxiliary staff.

Out of the 222 faculty, Fifty-one (51) are senior lecturers and my management is working hard to encourage more faculty to upgrade to Senior lecturer and professorial status to uplift the image of the Technical University. We also have 20 faculty who are PhD holders and more than 25 of them are being sponsored abroad to pursue PhD programs. Also, twelve (12) others are just about to be sponsored at the KNUST to pursue PhD programmes.

NEW AMISSIONS AND STUDENT POPULATION

This year the university issued admission letters to 3,101 prospective students to pursue various programmes in the University. From this number, 2,226 accepted the offer. I am happy to inform you that this year has seen an appreciable increase in students’ enrolment. Student enrolment which stood at 1,532 last year, has improved to 2,226, this year, a total of 2,226 students were matriculated, representing a 45% increase over last year’s figure.

The improvement in the enrolment could enormously be attributed to the new 2-Year Top-Up B-Tech programmes that were introduced at the beginning of this academic year, since it came to give academic progression relief to our HND graduates. The University is currently running 11 Top-Up B-Tech Programmes.

NEW B-TECH PROGRAMMES

The University has also submitted 20 new 4-Year B-Tech programmes to the National Accreditation Board (NAB) and NCTE for accreditation. The National Accreditation Board has completed its assessment of the university’s preparedness to start the 4- Year B-Tech programmes. Also, One M-Tech (M-Tech in Construction Management) has been prepared and will be forwarded for accreditation so that the University can start running it in the 2018/2019 academic year.

8 ACADEMIC COLLABORATIONS

The University has signed MoUs with two Universities in Germany and the USA respectively. The MoUs focus on Academic Exchange programmes between the STU and the UMES, Maryland, USA and Fochoschole Dortmund, in Dortmund, Germany to exchange faculty staff and students. In the arrangement, students will be allowed to take at least a semester in Germany or Maryland in the USA and their credits will be transferred to the STU when they come back. Students on our Pharmacy Technician programme, after completion, will also have the opportunity to enroll on a 3-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm-D) programme at the UMES, USA, to be able to practice as professional Pharmacist after their training.

Also, summer vacation employment has been arranged for Tourism and Hospitality students of STU at Ocean city in Maryland, USA, a world class tourism centre, to help them gain practical experience and international exposure in the Hospitality and Tourism industry starting from June, 2018.

The Department of Agric will also have the opportunity to send 6 staff to the UMES for training under the sponsorship of a US federal government’s sponsorship.

INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT

• Two (2) laboratories have been constructed for the Dispensing Technician Programme which are Chemistry and Pharmaceutics laboratories. A microbiology laboratory is currently under construction whilst a water laboratory is about to start for the Civil Engineering Department.
• Work on the Science Park Project is on course but due to delay in payment by the GETFund; work has slowed down.
• The 1st Phase for the completion of the 2-storey Stores Block Project for the Development Office has been done and the 2nd Phase has also commenced.
• Rehabilitation works has been done and some are underway on some facilities in the University.
• Car park pavement in front of the Science Laboratory is under construction.
• To improve the condition of the Library, rehabilitation work has been done.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

It is worthy to note that the financial administration of the University over the years has been very tough due to dwindling Internally Generated Funds (IGF). The various financial Committees have been put in place to work with management to ensure sound financial practices.

PRODUCTION UNITS

The production units in the Technical University are all flourishing well as expected.

• The Department of General Agriculture was able to produce some tomatoes which were sold to generate IGF. Again, the poultry farm is also operating fully and very soon some birds will be made available to all members for the Christmas festivity.
• The activities at the Technical University Restaurant have also improved. The Restaurant now serves a variety of local and continental dishes every day.
• The Department of Building Technology has raised production of hydraform blocks and expansion works are underway at the Production Unit to produce Sandcrete and Salancrete blocks for sale.
• The University has established a Driving School through a partnership arrangement with TUAAG, STU Branch.

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY CLINIC

The University has a Clinic that served a total of four thousand three hundred and seventy-four (4,374) patients during   the first half of the year.

CREATION OF A NEW ON-LINE JOURNAL

A new peer-reviewed on-line journal, STU International Journal of Technology, has just been created to give the University Community a reliable platform to publish their research outputs for the purposes of promotion and contributing to the global knowledge dissemination.

UNIVERSITY CLOTH

The University has designed a new cloth which is being produced for its members. We urge that when the production is done alumni members will come in to patronize the cloth. Efforts are also being made to procure Academic Gowns bearing the University colours and logo.

CHALLENGES

Despite the above successes chalked, the University has a number of challenges. Some of the challenges we face now include:

• Inadequate staff residential accommodation.
• Inadequate office space for staff and laboratories.
• Dwindling flow of Government subvention and Internally Generated funds.
• Delay in payment of fees by students.

I wish to urge all alumni of the STU to contribute their quota to overcome these challenges to enable the University forge ahead and make strides to become a centre of excellence.

FUTURE PLANS

• Completion of Science Park Project
• Building of a new Entrance Gate
• Introduce more B-Tech and M-Tech Programs
• Renovate all hostels
• Build a Footbridge
• Pave the Waterloo Road

EXPECTATIONS FOR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

• This gathering should be an annual affair through Annual Alumni Lectures
• Completion of the Creche Project
• Set up Scholarship schemes through alumni chairs
• Enrich the Endowment Fund
• Link University with Industry
• Help provide internship opportunities
• Provide avenues for career guidance for our students
• Help us do Tracer Studies to know how our students are faring in industry.
• Provide us with links to financial assistance

UNIVERSITY’S MOTIVATION PLAN

• Provision of office and staff
• Higher recognition of Alumni Programs
• Reward for outstanding Alumni

CONCLUSION

The future of this University is bright and my Management is ready to work hand in hand with the Alumni Association. A strong Alumni implies a strong University. I, therefore, encourage you to put all hands on deck, in unity and brotherliness, to help us build a formidable institution of local and international repute.

Thank you for your attention.

Long live STU Alumni Association, Long live STU, Long live Ghana.

Thank you and have a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.