The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has organised a one-day orientation programme for about 70 adjunct lecturers to prepare them for the 2024/25 academic year.
The event, held at the UPSA Graduate School on Saturday, January 25, aimed to familiarise the part-time faculty members with the University’s academic culture, regulations, and expectations.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. John Kwaku Mensah Mawutor, underscored the importance of adjunct lecturers in UPSA’s academic ecosystem and their contribution to the institution’s growth.
He urged them to adopt innovative teaching methods to stimulate students’ interest in learning as the university prepares to welcome fresh students for the 2024/25 academic year.
The Vice-Chancellor commended the lecturers for their contribution and support over the years, stressing that their roles going forward will be much more essential in shaping the future of the University.
“UPSA has made significant strides over the years by becoming the preferred choice of prospective students,” Prof Mawutor noted.
“However, we now want to go beyond our visibility and make meaningful impacts in the lives of our students and our immediate community.”
For his part, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Emmanuel Selase Asamoah, reiterated the University’s commitment to integrating adjunct lecturers into the UPSA system.
He noted that the orientation was designed to immerse them in the “UPSA way of doing things” and to build a reliable database of part-time faculty members the University can call upon when needed.
“We expect you to treat our students with utmost respect,” Prof. Asamoah stated. “Conduct yourselves professionally and eschew any behaviour that will bring the name of the University into disrepute.”
Addressing the participants, the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Studies, Dr Godfred Yaw Koi-Akrofi, urged them to conduct themselves professionally and maintain discipline in their interactions with students and colleagues.
He emphasised that adjunct lecturers play a crucial role in the academic environment and should uphold high ethical standards.
The lecturers were taken through various aspects of their roles, including the courses they would be teaching, teaching schedules, and remuneration structures.
Additionally, they were briefed on key academic regulations concerning punctuality, formative and summative assessments, conduct of examinations, marking procedures as well as the channels of communication when they have a challenge.
The orientation session concluded with a discussion, allowing lecturers to ask questions and seek clarifications on their roles and expectations.
Present at the orientation session were Dr Abraham , Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies; Dr Edward Attah Botchwey, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Accounting and Finance; Dr Adwoa Sikayena Amankwah, Head of the Department of Communication Studies as well as other senior faculty members.
