Accra Technical University Explained

Accra Technical University
Motto:Truth Excellence Service
Streetaddress:GP 561
Postalcode:+233
Country:Ghana
Type:Public Technical University
Status:Active
Category:Technical University
Chairperson:Ralph Kingston Asabere[1]
Administrator:Samuel Nii Odai[2]
Campuses:Accra Campus & Mpehuasem Campus
Campus:Accra Campus & Mpehuasem Campus
Campus Type:Regular / Distance or Part-time
Accreditation:National Accreditation Board, National Council for Tertiary Education
National Ranking:16
Affiliations:Ghana Armed Forces School

The Accra Technical University (ATU) was established in 1949 as a Technical School in Ghana and commissioned in 1957 as Accra Technical Institute before being converted into a Polytechnic in 2007 by the Parliament of Ghana.[3] [4] [5]

It was later given a university status, becoming Accra Technical University (ATU) in 2016. The school is located in Accra, the capital city of Ghana.

Accra Technical University focuses on technical and vocational education. The school offers a range of academic programs including applied sciences, engineering, business, arts, and design.

History

Establishment

Accra Technical University was the first Technical University to be established. It was established in 1949 as a Technical School and commissioned in 1957 as Accra Technical Institute. In 1963, the Institute was renamed Accra Polytechnic, by the orders of the then President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. By the Polytechnic Law of 1992 (PNDC 321),[6] which became fully operative in the 1993/1994 academic year, Accra Technical University was elevated to a tertiary status. The institution was then placed under the Higher Education Council with autonomy to award Higher National Diplomas (through the National Board for Professional and Technician Examinations.[7]

With the passage of the PNDC Law 321, the University upgraded its programmes and facilities in it to provide middle-level manpower to revolutionise and feed the growing Ghanaian industries. Notwithstanding the difficulties that characterized the sudden change over from secondary to a tertiary status, Accra Technical University made a tremendous progress in its review and expansion of curricula to suit contemporary needs. Accra Technical University began to offer Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Building Technology, Civil Engineering, Furniture Design and Production, Secretaryship and Management Studies, Bilingual Secretaryship and Management Studies, Accountancy, Marketing, Purchasing and Supply, Hotel Catering and Institutional Management, Fashion Design and Textiles, Mathematics and Statistics, and Science Laboratory Technology. The technician courses offered by the Polytechnic were maintained.

University status

In 2007 the Polytechnic Act (Act 745) was promulgated and it repealed PNDC Law 321 of 1992.[8] This Act has granted the Polytechnics autonomy to award the Higher National Diplomas (HND), Diplomas and other Certificates accredited by the National Accreditation Board (NAB), and award Degrees subject to the conditions that the council of that Polytechnic may determine. Accra Technical University currently, offers ten (10) Degree (Btec) and fifteen (15) HND Programmes. These programmes are run in three schools. As a tertiary institution, Accra Technical University is governed by a Council established under the Technical University Act 2016 (Act 745).[9]

Campus

The campus is located at Barnes road, Accra[10]

Academics

The university has five faculties.

Faculty of Engineering

[11]

Faculty of Built Environment

[12]

Faculty of Applied Sciences

[13]

Faculty of Applied Arts

[14]

Faculty of Business

[15]

HND Programmes

With the upgrade in status, the technician courses previously offered by the school were maintained, and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes in the following fields were added:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://atu.edu.gh/history-of-the-office/ History of the office
  2. https://atu.edu.gh/about-vc/ About VC
  3. Web site: Technical Education To Make Graduands Employers -Terkper - Government of Ghana. 14 April 2018. ghana.gov.gh. en-gb.
  4. News: Dwomoh. Prof. Gabriel. Conversion of polytechnics to universities serious error. Was Akilagpa Sawyerr right?. en-gb. Graphic Online. 14 April 2018.
  5. Web site: Accra Technical University confirms first COVID-19 case. 2021-03-07. Graphic Online. 23 June 2020 . en-gb.
  6. Web site: Polytechnic Law - GhanaLegal - Legal Portal for Ghana. laws.ghanalegal.com.
  7. Web site: NABPTEX – giving learners the confidence to demonstrate and fulfill their potential . 24 March 2018 . 2 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402054957/https://nabptex.gov.gh/about-us/nabptex/ . dead .
  8. Web site: Technical Committee for degrees in Polytechnics in place. ghananewsagency.org.
  9. Web site: Egyir. Bright Baah. Polytechnic Conversion Into Technical University Brouhaha; A Political Propaganda Or A Convenient Policy!. modernghana.com.
  10. Web site: Limited . Accede Ghana . Ghana's Maiden Online Educational Directory . 2023-07-08 . Ghana Educational Directory.
  11. Web site: Accra Technical University. Faculty of Engineering. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210205044048/https://atu.edu.gh/faculty-of-engineering/ . 2021-02-05 . 7 March 2021.
  12. Web site: Accra Technical University. Faculty of Built Environment. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210205062638/https://atu.edu.gh/faculty-of-built-environments/ . 2021-02-05 . 7 March 2021.
  13. Web site: Accra Technical University. Faculty of Applied Sciences. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210305221445/https://atu.edu.gh/faculty-of-applied-science/ . 2021-03-05 . 7 March 2021.
  14. Web site: Accra Technical University. Faculty of Applied Arts. 7 March 2021.
  15. Web site: Accra Technical University. Faculty of Business. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210205105126/https://atu.edu.gh/faculty-business-mgt-studies/ . 2021-02-05 . 7 March 2021.