The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) branch, has strongly opposed a proposal by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to harmonise promotion guidelines for academic staff across public universities, describing the move as unnecessary and a threat to institutional autonomy.
In a letter dated May 25, 2026, and addressed to the Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, UTAG-KNUST expressed concern over reports that GTEC had constituted a committee to develop uniform promotion standards for academic senior members without adequate stakeholder consultation.
According to the association, disparities exist across various categories of university staff and not only among academic personnel.
It questioned why the Commission had chosen to focus exclusively on academic promotions while similar differences affecting junior staff, senior staff, and non-academic senior members remain unaddressed.
UTAG-KNUST argued that GTEC’s attention would be better directed toward more pressing challenges confronting public universities.
The association urged the Commission to prioritise the classification or “tiering” of Ghana’s higher education institutions, saying such an approach would better reflect the diverse mandates, capacities, and missions of universities across the country.
The association further maintained that public universities were established under different legal frameworks, mandates, and academic traditions.
As a result, imposing a uniform promotion structure would undermine the uniqueness of the institutions and erode the authority vested in their governing councils.
UTAG-KNUST noted that variations in promotion standards are common within higher education systems worldwide.
It explained that universities across the globe often adopt different criteria for academic advancement based on their research focus, institutional culture, and strategic objectives.
According to the association, these differences are a reflection of institutional identity rather than a problem requiring regulatory intervention.
The group warned that the proposed harmonisation exercise could create a “one-size-fits-all” model that fails to recognise the diversity and autonomy of Ghana’s public universities.
It also called on GTEC to focus on issues that directly affect academic quality and institutional effectiveness, including improving student-to-teacher ratios, facilitating the recruitment of academic staff through government clearances, upgrading laboratory infrastructure, and enhancing teaching and learning conditions.
UTAG-KNUST argued that supporting under-resourced institutions to fulfil their mandates would contribute more significantly to the development of the tertiary education sector than standardising promotion guidelines.
In a strong caution, the association indicated that its members would be unable to cooperate with university management in implementing the proposed harmonisation exercise unless broader disparities among universities are addressed first.
It specifically cited differences in student-to-teacher ratios and laboratory facilities as factors that make fair comparisons between institutions difficult.
The association also defended the powers of university councils, insisting that they should be allowed to operate within the authority granted to them under their respective establishment Acts.
Maintaining that the current promotion framework is functioning effectively, UTAG-KNUST argued that there is no justification for the proposed intervention.
“If GTEC thinks there are disparities needing fixing, they should bring the same to the attention of the university councils,” the association stated.
The letter was signed by UTAG-KNUST President, Prof. Eric K. K. Abavare, and copied to the Vice-Chancellor of KNUST, the Director-General of GTEC, the Chairman of Vice Chancellors Ghana, the UTAG National Secretariat, and the association’s Secretary, Prof. Akwasi Afrifa Acheampong.
The development sets the stage for a potential clash between academic staff and education regulators as discussions continue over the future of promotion standards in Ghana’s public university system.
By 1960news.com
