GTEC ‘bars’ UDS move to grant students of 2006/07 batch amnesty

The Academic Board of the University for Development Studies (UDS) has been directed by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to withdraw its decision to grant students of the 2006/2007 batch amnesty.

GTEC’s directive comes after the UDS Academic Board announced a grant of amnesty to all Diploma, Degree, and Postgraduate students who could not complete their programs of study within the stipulated time frame.

As a relief for many students who, due to various reasons, could not finish their courses within the maximum grace period allowed, the university said they now have the opportunity to reapply to complete their tertiary education.

The amnesty, the management of the University for Development Studies (UDS) in a press statement sighted by Thisterm.com was valid for two academic years only, specifically the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 academic years.

The public university located in Tamale, in the Northern Region of Ghana, indicated that students wishing to take advantage of the amnesty were required to pay the full fees prevailing for their respective programs of study.

But, the management of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in a press release sighted by Thisterm.com said the decision of the Academic Board of the Development Studies University goes against the UDS policy.

Not only does the decision violate the University’s policy but the Teriaty Education Commission says the amnesty move is also against the Commission’s established quality assurance principles in line with international best practices.

Following the move to grant students of the 2006/2007 batch amnesty, the UDS Academic Board has been given up to February 20, 2024, to present evidence to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for clarity.

“It is the position of the Commission that the decision be withdrawn and evidence presented to it by 20th February 2024 because it contravenes the university’s own policy on the maximum allowable period to graduate from a programme as well as the Commission’s established quality assurance principles in line with international best practice,” GTEC said in its statement.