UTAG-KNUST escalates Pro-VC, Dean appointment dispute to University Council

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has escalated its dispute over the appointment of Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deans to the University Council.

The move follows what the Association describes as a “deeply disappointing” decision by the Academic Board at its September 9, 2026 meeting.

In a letter to UTAG-KNUST members dated September 10, the Association’s President, Prof. Eric Kwabena Kyeh Abavare, and Secretary, Prof. Akwasi Afrifa Acheampong, said the Academic Board had failed to uphold UTAG’s position that the existing appointment process should remain unchanged until a mutually acceptable framework was agreed.

UTAG-KNUST said it would now formally engage the University Council to seek an urgent reconsideration of the matter.

“Leadership considers this outcome deeply disappointing, and believes it warrants a firm but measured response from the Association,” the letter stated.

The Association argued that its demand for meaningful participation in decisions concerning the leadership of academic staff is grounded in Act 1157, Clause 5(f).

It said the dispute was therefore not merely about procedure but concerned the broader principle of collegial governance at the university.

“This is more than a procedural disagreement,” UTAG-KNUST said.

The Association warned that allowing the position of academic staff to be set aside in the appointment of Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deans could create a precedent that affects other areas of university governance.

It also rejected the suggestion that the university’s strategic plan could override its statutory framework.

“A strategic plan, however important it is, and with an expected life span of about ten years, cannot properly override a statute whose life span is measured in decades,” the Association said.

UTAG-KNUST said it would ask the University Council to consider four key issues.

They include the statutory basis of its membership under Act 1157, Clause 5(f), and the democratic rights it says flow from that provision.

The Association is also seeking recognition of members’ right to have a genuine vote in the appointment of Pro-Vice Chancellors and Deans.

It wants clarity on the relationship between the university’s statutes and its strategic plan, arguing that the latter should not displace the former.

The preservation of collegial governance as a defining feature of KNUST is also among its concerns.

Despite the escalation, UTAG-KNUST said it remained committed to dialogue and would approach its engagement with the Council in good faith.

“We will continue to prefer dialogue, and approach these engagements in good faith and with the respect due to sister stakeholders,” the letter stated.

The Association said any appointment process adopted by Management should provide a genuine role for key stakeholders who would work with and be led by the officers appointed.

It described such participation as consistent with the university’s established practice.

UTAG-KNUST has meanwhile urged its members to maintain a united position, discuss the matter within their departments and faculties, and remain patient while being prepared to act if necessary.

Members were also asked to refer individual approaches from Management on the matter to the Association’s executives to ensure consistency in UTAG-KNUST’s position.

The letter was copied to the Chairman of the University Council, the Vice-Chancellor, the Registrar and the National UTAG Executive.

The University Council is expected to consider UTAG-KNUST’s request for reconsideration as the dispute over the appointment process continues.