KUMASI TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

KUMASI TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY  SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL  4 POLICY

1.0 INTRODUCTION

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is universal, comprehensive, and inseparable, with Kumasi Technical University’s (KsTU) core objective of ensuring no one is left behind. Central to this agenda is SDG 4, which aims to guarantee inclusive, equitable quality education and foster lifelong learning for everyone. Education is pivotal in creating sustainable, inclusive, and resilient societies. SDG 

4 seeks to elevate these efforts, positioning education as a driving force for broader sustainable development. Recognized as a fundamental right essential to human dignity, education under SDG 4 is intricately linked with the entire 2030 Agenda. Providing access to quality education is crucial for social mobility and reducing inequalities.

Education is crucial for developing the knowledge needed to address major issues like climate change. It equips young people for high-skill jobs in the fourth industrial revolution. Education underpins peaceful societies and effective institutions and is vital for sustainable development. However, investments in education must be accompanied by improvements in other areas of human well-being to help everyone reach their full potential. Good health and nutrition for students are key to achieving better learning outcomes, as they lead to higher class attendance and academic success. Additionally, eliminating poverty, which reduces arm rubbery, prostitution and other social vices is essential for ensuring universal school enrolment. Such considerations are particularly pertinent for vulnerable groups that often experience multiple forms of deprivation and are thus essential to achieving the overarching goal of ‘leaving no one behind’.

The policy details strategies for how these goals will be achieved. It presents evidence-based priorities after wide-ranging consultations, ensuring that all education stakeholders in KsTU agree on the need for the delivery of quality education to the students. The policy provides a clear roadmap for delivery, in which all actors can see where their responsibilities and contributions lie and what they will be held accountable for with the achievement of the object. The policy provides a thorough assessment of the situation of KsTU education delivery as of 2024. The policy highlights the current educational practices, inclusivity, and quality education at KsTU, the opportunities for improving access to education for all, particularly marginalized and disadvantaged groups, strategies to integrate lifelong learning opportunities into the university’s programs and activities, and initiatives to engage students, staff, and the wider community in promoting equitable and quality education.

2.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE SDG 4 POLICY

The SDG 4 policy seeks to:

• Establish and implement an inclusive education systemactions applicable across all goal 4 targets.

• Promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

• Ensure no one is left behind as far as access to quality education is concerned.

• Ensure persons with disability have access to higher education and scholarships.   

• Contribute significantly to the global effort to provide equitable quality education.
   

3.0 TARGETS FOR ACHIEVING THE SDG 4 AT KsTU

3.1 Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education, including university. KsTU shall continue to:

• Demonstrate practically through its policies and core value of equal opportunities in all of its operations.

• Engage its stakeholders in the determination of service cost

   y        Review its curriculum in collaboration with appropriate industry players and regulators to enhance graduate employability

• Update/upgrade its academic facilities in-tandem with changing educational environment through periodic monitoring and evaluation.

3.2 Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, for employment, decent jobs, and entrepreneurship:

• Expand the physical infrastructure to aid the increase in enrolment

• Upgrade and maintain a robust ICT infrastructure to support blended learning

• Achieve the regulatory 5% enrolment of mature applicants by 2030

• Strengthen the support system for underperforming students to eliminate dropout to achieve a completion rate of 95% and employment rate of 60% within two 

years of completion.

• Ensure that each student graduates with a feasible business plan

3.3 Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education

and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, Indigenous people, and children in vulnerable situations.

• The University shall continue to implement the:

  • Otumfo Osei Tutu II, Asem/Amakom/Adako Jachie 

Hene scholarships for indigenous people

• needy fund scheme to support the vulnerable

  • female in engineering scholarship

    • source information through the application form to deliver the needed assistants/resources for persons 

with disabilities

• Identify and offer admissions to qualified students from vulnerable communities and less-resourced secondary schools and vocational institutions.

• Identify programmes with gender disparities and increase the enrolment in the affected gender.

• Ensure that existing and future facilities adhere to local and international regulatory requirements of accessibility. y          Establish collaborations with first and second-cycle schools within the sited communities to achieve SDG 4 target 4a(copy and paste the target).

3.4 Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

• Review the content of the African Studies course to reflect the context of the above SGD 4 target.

• Ensure that the University courses on employability skills are embedded in all programmes to achieve the intent of the SGD 4 targets

• Organise semester inter-faculty debates on topics bordering on the above SGD 4 target

• Strengthen existing and establish more collaborations with surrounding educational schools and institutions for mutually beneficial exchanges in line with the SGD 4 target above.

• Increase and strengthen the number of collaborations with other institutions including the Erasmus + change programme for staff and students’ exposure toward the SGD 4 target.
   

4.0 STRATEGIES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING

The University shall strive to achieve lifelong learning in the community through the following strategies:

• Maintain strong departmental and institutional alumni linkage for mutually beneficial engagements.

• Institute relevant short courses for craftsmen, artisans, and food vendors within the communities in collaboration 

with local and international agencies. 

y       Institute regular durbar on identified community/nationalbased challenges with a proposed solution

• Maintain a vibrate University Retirees Association for mentorships and experiential training for staff and students.

  y          Use the University’s social media platforms and radio to promote relevant social, cultural, and economic discussion and education with the appropriate experts.

• Maintain the University’s library 24/7 services to the user community for academic, research, and learning purposes.

5.0 EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES

The University is dedicated to evaluating and enhancing its educational methodologies, inclusiveness, and educational standards. This policy document functions as a strategic plan to direct the University in its efforts to provide exceptional, all-encompassing education that fulfills the requirements of every student.

• The Planning and Quality Assurance Directorate (PQAD) shall ensure that the credentials and professional development of Faculty members align with the regulator Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) and industry requirements.

• The PQAD of the University shall supervise periodic evaluations of the curriculum, which will include the participation of academics, students, and industry stakeholders.

• Deans and Heads of Departments shall evaluate curricula by comparing them to both national and international standards and recommend revision where necessary. 

  y          The academic departments and faculties of the University shall integrate input from alumni and industry to synchronise programmes with the demands of the job market.

• The PQAD, Works and Physical Development, and the Information and Communication Directorates of 

the University shall assess the efficacy of instructional techniques and resources by performing classroom observations and peer evaluations, employing student input to evaluate the efficacy of instruction, and encouraging the use of creative teaching methods and the incorporation of technology inside the classroom environment.

• The Academic Affairs Directorate shall evaluate the extent to which learning objectives are being met by utilising evaluation instruments like examinations, assignments, and hands-on exercises to gauge student comprehension and progress.

5. 1 Inclusivity 

y  The Examination Unit will examine student performance data to detect patterns, pinpoint areas that need improvement, and ensure congruence between learning objectives, instructional strategies, and evaluations. 

y      The Academic Affairs Directorate and the Dean of Students 

Affairs shall ensure that every student is provided with equal access to educational opportunities by observing and documenting student demographics, such as gender, socioeconomic status, and disabilities or impairments.

• They shall also enact measures and initiatives to bolster underrepresented and disadvantaged populations and offer scholarships and financial assistance to guarantee the accessibility of education.

• The Guidance and Counselling Directorate will provide support services that cater to the varied requirements of students through the provision of personalised academic advising, tutoring, and counselling services to meet the unique requirements of everyone.

• The Dean of Students Affairs in conjunction with the SRC shall encourage and support student organisations and activities that showcase and respect cultural variety.

  y        The Works and Physical Development Directorate 

will ensure that the facilities on campus (lecture halls, laboratories, workshops, library/reading rooms, etc) are readily accessible to students with impairments (disability-

friendly).

• The PQAD shall establish training initiatives for teaching and non-teaching staff focused on promoting diversity and inclusion and conduct regular surveys and focus groups to collate feedback on inclusivity.

5.2 Evaluation of Educational Quality 

y    The PQAD and Academic Affairs Directorate shall embark on effective monitoring and evaluation to ensure and maintain high academic standards across all programs. 

y         The Directorate will assess the academic performance of students in important courses, identify the variables that influence student achievement, and conduct specific interventions to provide help to students who are in danger of failing.

• They shall monitor and analyse the rates at which students stay enrolled, advance to higher levels, and complete their studies.

•     The PQAD, in collaboration with the Academic Affairs Directorate, will gather and evaluate input from students, faculty members and non-teaching staff, and external stakeholders. The data will be used to execute action plans generated based on input, resolve identified concerns, supervise the effects of changes, and provide updates on advancement.

5.3 Scholarships 

y           The Dean of Students Affairs and the Students Representatives Council (SRC) will form alliances with corporations and NGOs to secure funds for scholarships and raise awareness about existing scholarship options 

for disadvantaged students via community outreach.

y       They shall provide need-based scholarships and emergency cash for students experiencing financial hardships, streamlining the financial assistance application process to enhance accessibility.

5.5 Outreach Team

y  The University Outreach team shall provide information sessions and workshops in rural and underserved regions, collaborating with local schools and community organisations to identify and assist prospective students. 

y    The Outreach team will conduct targeted recruiting campaigns for women, individuals with disabilities, and students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, 

while also providing preparation programmes to assist underprivileged students in meeting admission criteria.

5.6 Services to Assist Students from Marginalised Groups

• In addition to running mentorship and tutoring programmes, the Guidance and Counselling Directorate shall work 

with the Vice-Chancellor to set up resource-rich learning centres manned by qualified educators.

• The Guidance and Counselling Directorate will enhance its workforce by recruiting more counsellors, providing targeted training programmes addressing the challenges experienced by marginalised students, and organising seminars focusing on stress management, resilience, and self-care.

5.7 Facilities and Easy Accessibility

 y        The Works and Physical Development Directorate will enhance the infrastructure of buildings by including ramps, elevators, and accessible bathrooms. Additionally, they 

will equip classrooms and laboratories with assistive technology and adaptive equipment.

• The Dean of Student Affairs and ICT Directorate will work together to secure financing for the provision of complimentary or discounted computers and internet connectivity to students who need assistance. Additionally, they will provide online courses and materials that are easily accessible to students with disabilities.

5.8 Inclusive Strategies and Procedures

 y The Guidance and Counselling Directorate will execute training initiatives for staff and faculty about diversity and inclusion and provide explicit reporting and support systems for instances of discrimination and harassment.

 y       The Faculties and Departments will conduct a thorough evaluation and modification of course material to guarantee its inclusivity and representation of all demographic groups. Additionally, they will include courses that focus on cultural competency, social justice, and global views.

5.9 Student Engagement and Empowerment

• The Office of the Dean of Students Affairs and the SRC will provide financial support and necessary materials to student groups that prioritise diversity and inclusion. Additionally, they will actively support and promote student-led projects and activities that foster cultural knowledge and inclusivity.

• They shall establish leadership development initiatives and provide guidance opportunities, while also promoting involvement in student governance and decision-making 

entities.

5.10 Monitoring and Evaluation

• The responsibility for implementing this policy will be under the supervision of the Vice-Chancellor’s office. Each department and unit will have the responsibility of incorporating the policy into their specific areas.

• Periodic monitoring and assessment will be carried out to evaluate the progress. Reports documenting the yearly progress of assessment efforts will be created and made available to the public. Periodic feedback shall be sought 

from students and staff to consistently enhance the policy. 

y  A Committee shall be set up to guarantee adherence to the policy and conduct frequent meetings to assess progress and tackle obstacles.

6.0 ENGAGEMENT OF STUDENTS, STAFF AND WIDER COMMUNITY ON THE POLICY

The following offices will execute communication of the Policy:

y  Office of the Dean of Students Affairs 

y  Guidance and Counselling Directorate 

y  Human Resource Directorate 

y  University Relations Directorate 

y  Students Representative Council 

y  Graduate Students Representative Council