1. CIU CONSTITUTION

COUNCIL OF INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITIES

CONSTITUTION

PREAMBLE We, the Heads of private universities and university colleges representing private universities in , having recognized the need to form an association to promote the interest of member institutions, IN A SPIRIT of friendship and in the EXERCISE of our right to establish a framework of rules and regulations for the Association DO HEREBY give ourselves this CONSTITUTION.

ARTICLE 1 NAME The Association shall be known and called Council of Independent Universities (CIU).

ARTICLE 2 COMPOSITION The CIU shall comprise the Heads of member institutions of the Council or their duly authorized representatives.

ARTICLE 3 VISION To be a world class provider of higher education which meets the demands of Ghana’s development.

ARTICLE 4

MISSION To build unity and cooperation among private universities and university colleges in Ghana and beyond.

ARTICLE 5 OBJECTIVES The objectives of the Council shall be to: 1. Protect and represent the legitimate interests of members in matters of legislation, policies and procedures. 2. Seek representation on Committees, Councils and Boards set up by government or non-governmental organizations concerning higher education. 3. Affiliate itself with international Associations and bodies involved in higher education. 4. Identify and study problems arising within the higher education sector and implement solutions in cooperation with relevant government agencies and professional bodies. 5. Encourage and promote good practices, professionalism, quality and ethics among its members. 6. Encourage increased contacts and sharing of resources among its members and the international academic community and create a strong educational system that would have a global recognition. 7. Put in place modalities for the transfer of course credits by students from one member institution to another. 8. Create a platform for debating and taking concerted action in implementing measures that foster co-operation among members in the exchange of lecturers, researchers, administrators, students and the use of facilities.

ARTICLE 6 CODE OF ETHICS In upholding the principles of National University Education philosophy and in its effort to promote professionalism, integrity and quality in private universities, members shall: 1. Disclose full, fair and accurate information regarding programmes offered through responsible advertising. 2. Maintain admission standards within a framework of well-defined policies and procedures as provided by regulatory bodies. 3. Engage qualified and competent staff to provide the academic and administrative support required for the programmes offered. 4. Employ high academic standards through the implementation of quality assurance mechanisms. 5. Provide appropriate physical resources, materials and facilities in the delivery of programmes. 6. Provide support services, premises and other facilities that will safeguard the safety, security and well-being of the university community. 7. Ensure that all academic programmes have requisite approval from the approved regulatory body. 8. Not conduct or operate their institutions solely for profit. 9. Avoid participating or intervening in any active political campaign in the name of the Council. ARTICLE 7 MEMBERSHIP Section 1: Requirement for Membership For the head of an institution to be eligible for membership of the Council, the institution must have received accreditation by the appropriate regulatory body to run degree/diploma/certificate programmes either as a University or University College.

Section 2: Admission to Membership Application for membership shall be made on a prescribed form and shall be submitted to the Executive Committee through the Executive Secretary for vetting and approval.

Section 3: Rights and Privileges of Members All members of the Council shall enjoy the same rights and privileges and have the same obligations as stated on the application form. The rights conferred on the members of the Council by this Constitution shall be suspended when the member’s institution loses its accreditation.

Section 4: Cessation of Membership Any member of the Council shall cease to be a member if: a. His/Her institution decides to withdraw its membership from the Council. b. His/Her institution’s accreditation is revoked. However, if the institution regains its accreditation status, he/she may re-apply for membership. c. The institution fails to pay annual subscription for three consecutive years. However, if the institution settles all arrears, his/her membership will be restored.

ARTICLE 8 MEETINGS There shall be three types of meetings: Section 1: General Meetings a. The General Meetings shall be held once in each of the first three quarters of the year. b. The Executive Secretary shall send invitation to members at least two weeks in advance. c. The quorum for the General Meetings shall be one-third of its members. d. The substantive Head of the institution shall attend the General Meeting. In his/her absence, the duly authorized representative may represent him/her.

Section 2: Emergency Meetings a. Emergency Meetings which shall be called for stated purpose(s) shall be summoned by the Chairperson at his/her discretion or upon the request of at least one-third of the members. b. One week’s notice shall be required for Emergency Meetings. c. The quorum for the Emergency Meetings shall be one-third of members. d. The substantive Head of the institution shall attend the Emergency Meetings. In his/her absence, the duly authorized representative may represent him/her.

Section 3: Annual General Meetings a. Annual General Meetings shall be held in the last quarter of the year. b. The Executive Secretary shall send invitation to members at least two weeks in advance. c. The quorum for the Annual General Meetings shall be one-third of members. d. The substantive Head of the institution shall attend the Annual General Meeting. In his/her absence, the duly authorized representative may represent him/her. e. The Business to be conducted at the Annual General Meetings shall include: i. Annual Report ii. Audited Financial Statement iii. Conduct of Elections iv. Amendment to Constitution (if any)

ARTICLE 9 OFFICERS OF THE COUNCIL The Officers of the Council are: 1. Chairperson 2. Vice Chairperson ARTICLE 10 CHAIRPERSON Section 1: Eligibility To qualify for the position of a Chairperson, the candidate shall be the Head of an institution which has been a member of the Council for at least two years. The institution shall be in good standing in respect of payment of annual subscription and regular attendance at meetings. Section 2: Duties of the Chairperson a. The Chairperson shall preside over all meetings at which he/she is present. b. The Chairperson shall be responsible in the management of the affairs of the Council and shall perform all duties as may from time to time be assigned to him/her by the Council. c. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson shall act.

ARTICLE 11 VICE CHAIRPERSON Section 1:Eligibility: To qualify for the position of a Vice Chairperson, the candidate shall be the Head of an institution which has been a member of the Council for at least two years. The institution shall be in good standing in respect of payment of annual subscription and regular attendance at meetings.

Section 2: Duties of the Vice Chairperson a. The Vice Chairperson shall preside over all meetings at which he/she is present in the absence of the Chairperson. b. The Vice Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson in the management of the affairs of the Council and shall perform all duties as may from time to time be assigned to him/her by the Council. c. For the avoidance of doubt, the Vice Chairperson shall act for the Chairperson in his/her absence.

ARTICLE 12 ELECTION OF OFFICERS Process of Election a. The Officers of the Council shall be elected at the Annual General Meetings. b. An interested qualified person shall fill a prescribed nomination form expressing his/her interest and shall obtain signatures of two other Heads of institution supporting his/her candidature. c. Voting shall be by secret ballot. d. The Executive Secretary shall be the Returning Officer who shall supervise the conduct of the elections. e. The newly elected officers shall assume office on 1st January following the elections. f. The period for the tenure of officers shall be two calendar years. The Officers shall not be eligible for re-election.

ARTICLE 13 COMMITTEES A. Executive Committee The Executive Committee shall comprise the following: a. Chairperson b. Vice Chairperson c. Two other members elected by the Council. d. Chairperson of the Committee of Registrars and Finance Officers (CRFO)- In Attendance The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the general management of the Council.

B. Committee of Registrars and Finance Officers The CRFO shall consist of Registrars and Finance Officers of private universities and university colleges of member institutions. Its function shall be to advise the Council on administrative and financial matters.

ARTICLE 14 SECRETARIAT There shall be a permanent Secretariat of the Council, headed by an Executive Secretary of a rank not below Senior Assistant Registrar.

Duties of the Executive Secretary The Executive Secretary shall direct and oversee the general administrative operations of the Secretariat. He/She shall be ultimately responsible to the Council through the Chairperson. The Executive Secretary shall: a. Be the Secretary to the Council, the Executive Committee and the CRFO. b. Direct and oversee the general administrative and financial operations of the Secretariat. c. Keep and preserve the minutes of the Council. d. Make available to the Chairperson all documents or reports relating to matters to be discussed and, should the need arise take steps to invite experts whose advice could be useful to the Council. e. Keep a record of the post office and e-mail addresses of all members; and in general perform all duties incidental to the office of the Executive Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him/her by the Council. f. See that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. g. Make proposals to the Council for the appointment of staff for the Secretariat and recruit technical and administrative personnel within the limits of the established post. h. Exercise disciplinary powers over the personnel of the Secretariat in accordance with such regulations as may be established by the Council. i. Visit member institutions from time to time. j. Ensure networking with similar organizations. k. Organize a centre for documentary materials on all matters of University education that would be of interest to member institutions. l. Provide appropriate means for the resources of the documentation centre to be made accessible to member institutions and other bodies concerned with university . m. Establish a basis for comparative university statistics for member institutions and publish statistical documents conforming to that basis. n. Establish machinery for facilitating the interchange of teachers and students among member institutions. o. Facilitate all forms of cooperation among the member institutions of the Council designed to make fuller use of their human and material resources. p. Subject to prior approval by the Council, render to member institutions such individual services as they may request. q. Undertake such other tasks as are compatible with the objectives of the Council. r. Undertake fundraising activities from time to time to support the Council and any other duties that may be assigned by the Council. ARTICLE 15 FINANCIAL MATTERS Section 1: Annual Subscription The annual subscription to be paid by each member institution shall be determined in accordance with the approved annual budget for the programmes and activities of the Council.

Section 2: Additional Contributions, Subventions and Donations a. In special circumstances, additional funds and subscriptions may be prescribed by the Council. b. Under conditions approved by the Council, subventions and donations may be accepted for purposes that are consistent with the objectives of the Council.

Section 3: Bankers The Council shall have a bank account with any of the commercial banks in Ghana. The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson and the Executive Secretary shall be signatories to the accounts.

Section 4: Internal Auditors The CRFO shall appoint one of its members to serve as an Internal Auditor of the Council.

Section 5: External Auditors The CIU shall appoint External Auditors who shall audit its books on annual basis.

ARTICLE 16 COMPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS Regulations that are complementary to the present Constitution, but do not modify it, may be adopted by the Council, and become immediately effective. These regulations shall be submitted to the Annual General Meeting of the Council for ratification. ARTICLE 17 AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION Section 1: Procedure for Amendment or Revision Any member seeking for amendment or review of the present Constitution shall submit a proposal in writing with the endorsement of at least three members to the Chairperson not less than two (2) months before the Annual General Meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. The Executive Secretary shall send copies of the proposal(s) by courier or any electronic means to all members at least one (1) month before the Annual General Meeting.

Section 2: Amendment to the Constitution The present Constitution may be amended at the Annual General Meeting by not less than two thirds of the members of the Council present and voting.

ARTICLE 18 DISSOLUTION The Council can be dissolved by a resolution of two-thirds of its members whose institutions have paid their subscriptions fully up to the preceding year. In the event of dissolution, the net assets of the Council shall be distributed in a manner that will ensure fairness to all member institutions. In the event of a dispute, a Court of Ghana shall supervise the distribution. 2. CIU LOGO

3. INFORMATION ON THE FORMATION OF CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES, GHANA – CHPUG; NOW COUNCIL OF INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITIES)

During the educational reform, the Government of Ghana allowed the operation of private tertiary institutions in the country. As result of this, several private university colleges sprang up in the country.

Within the last twenty years, these university colleges are making useful contributions to the provision of higher education and manpower development for the nation.

The nature of the role being played by these institutions required that, efforts and resources of individual private universities were harmonized and articulated on a common platform before meaningful positive impacts could be made on the tertiary educational landscape.

To this end, the heads of accredited private universities having recognized the role that private universities are playing in the area of human resources development in the country, came together to constitute themselves into the Conference of Heads of Private Universities, Ghana (CHPUG), on 25th November 2004 with the mission “articulate and promote issues relating to private higher education delivery in Ghana in order to foster world-class standards within the tertiary sector and meet the demands of our country’s development”.

The membership of the Council currently stands at fifty (50) with the heads of the following institutions as registered members.

1. Academic City College 2. College of Medicine 3. Advanced Business College 4. African University College of Communication, Accra 5. Akim State University College 6. , Koforidua 7. Anglican University College of Technology, Nkoranza 8. , Berekuso 9. BlueCrest University College 10. Catholic Institute of Business and Technology 11. Catholic University College of Ghana, Fiapre 12. Central University, Miotso 13. Christ Apostolic University College, Kwadaso 14. Christian Service University College 15. Christian Service University College, Kumasi 16. Data Link Institute of Business and Technology, Tema 17. Dominion University College, Spintex 18. E. P. University College, Ho 19. Fountainhead Christian College 20. Garden City University College 21. Ghana Baptist University College 22. Ghana Christian University College, Amrahia 23. Islamic University College, Accra 24. Jayee University College, Accra 25. Joyce Ababio College of Creative Design 26. KAAF University College 27. Kessben University College 28. Kings University College, 29. Klintaps College of Health and Allied Sciences, Tema 30. Knutsford University College, East Legon 31. Lancaster University, Ghana campus 32. Madina Institute of Science and Technology, Madina 33. Methodist University College Ghana, Accra 34. Mountcrest University College, Kanda 35. Palm Institute of Strategic Leadership, Shai Hills 36. , Sowutuom 37. Perez University College, Pomadze 38. Presbyterian University College, Abetifi-Kwahu 39. Radford University College, East Legon 40. Regent University College of Science and Technology, McCarthy Hill 41. Shiv- Institute of Management and Technology 42. Spiritan University College, Ejisu 43. Sundoulos Advanced leadership Training Institute, Accra 44. University College of Applied Management 45. University College of Management Studies, Accra 46. , Oyibi 47. West End University College, Ngleshie-Amanfro 48. Wisconsin International University College, Agboba 49. Withrow University College, Agona Central - Ashanti 50. Zenith University College, Trade Fair, La

A solid foundation in the tertiary education sub-sector was laid, with the inauguration of the then Conference on 14th March 2006. An institution which will greatly influence policy and legislation in the higher educational sector of this country had been born. A force that will identify and study problems arising within university education and help implement solutions on co-operation with relevant state agencies and professional bodies had been established.

Objectives of the then CHPUG The objectives of the then Conference were as follows:

 To protect and represent the legitimate interest of members in matters of legislation, policies and procedures  To seek representation on Committees, Councils and Boards set up by government or non-governmental organizations concerning university education  To affiliate itself with international associations and bodies involved in both public and private university education  To identify and study problems arising within university education and implement solutions in cooperation with relevant government agencies and professional bodies  To encourage and promote good practice, professionalism, quality and ethics among its members  To establish an internal review, mechanism that would enhance the quality and delivery of courses and programmes conducted by member institutions  To encourage increased contacts and sharing of resources among its members and the international academic world and create a strong educational system that would have a global recognition  To create modalities for the transfer of course credits by students from one member institution to another

Operation of the CHPUG The Council has a Secretariat which is manned by an Executive Secretary. The Secretariat provides administrative services for the day to day running of the Council. The Secretariat is located on the Mataheko campus of Central University.

Affiliations and Collaborations Since its formation, the Council has held consultative meetings with key state institutions such as the Ministry of Education, the National Accreditation Board/ National Council for Tertiary Education, now Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, Parliamentary Select Committee on Education, the Ghana Education Trust Board of Trustees and the Council of State. It has also established very strong working relations with the Vice Chancellors, Ghana.

Code of Ethics In upholding the principle of National University Education philosophy and in its effort to promote professionalism, integrity and quality in private universities, there is a code of conduct that governs the activities of all member institutions.

Future Outlook A strategic plan detailing the way forward for the Council will soon be launched. It is hoped that major key stakeholders in the tertiary sub sector of education in particular, will cooperate with the Council to achieve its mission.

4. MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

The CIU has watched with excitement the entry, growth and contribution of private tertiary institutions to the higher education space in Ghana. Having assumed office as Executive Secretary of CIU, a part of my vision for the Council is to build a Council that is inclusive, strong, united and well positioned to push the agenda and interest of independent universities.

As a result, I have been reaching out to private institutions, on behalf of the Council to offer them special invitation to join the CIU as valued members. We are of no doubt that the registration and membership of private universities will inure both our benefit and theirs as well.

After Private Universities, having been in existence for close to twenty (20) years, the Executive Secretary is glad to note that the Council has chalked great successes which have ultimately benefitted its members.

She is too far aware of the challenges associated with this enterprise. These challenges do not only stem from internal sources but can also come from external stakeholders including regulators, that is why the association of private universities with umbrella body such as the CIU can only create invaluable benefits to the respective institutions. A few of the benefits to member institutions are that the CIU:

 Protects and represents the legitimate interests of members in matters of legislation, policies and procedures.  Seeks representation on Committees, Councils and Boards set up by government or non-governmental organizations concerning university education.  Affiliates itself with international Associations and bodies involved in both public and private university education.  Identifies and studies problems arising within university education and implement solutions in cooperation with relevant government agencies and professional bodies.  Encourages and promotes good practice, professionalism, quality and ethics among its members.  Encourages increased contacts and sharing of resources among its members and the international academic world and create a strong educational system that has global recognition.

Other benefits include:  Specialized advocacy for specific agenda (e.g. acquiring Charter status).  Serves as link between member institutions and such regulators as Ministry of Education, National Accreditation Board and National Council for Tertiary Education (now Ghana Tertiary Education Commission).  Stakeholder engagement on behalf of members.  An opportunity to share best practice among members.  An opportunity to form consortiums for procurement for certain large scale services.  Organize education fairs for better visibility to members to boost recruitment.  Concerted marketing in Public Relations (i.e. Press releases, website information, mobile & e-platforms).  Share physical and electronic resources.  Serve as lobby/pressure group when the need arises.  Serve as a recognized mouthpiece for independent universities as opposed to individual institutions championing a cause or an issue.

Last but certainly not least, members will most certainly enjoy the pleasure of their acquaintance and their experience which surely, will be brought to bear on the activities and functions of the CIU.

The Executive Secretary looks forward to a positive and genial response from private universities that are not yet members of the CIU, at their earliest convenience. Her office remains warmly opened to members for further deliberations on this matter.

Anne Marie K. Amoah-Ahinful (020 8718546) [email protected] [email protected]