Catholic University of Ghana

OVERVIEW

Catholic University of Ghana(CUG), Fiapre is about ten minutes’ drive from the city of Sunyani, in the Bono Region of Ghana. The Fiapre campus provides a serenity incomparable to most University campuses. The campus is located on a lush landscape that provides a home away from home, free from distractions. A campus that supports a varied set of learning and recreation activities for students. A home of Academic, Technical and Moral Excellence

Strategic Mandate

Mission: To promote academic excellence, moral and ethical values, as well as the integral personal development of its students and their commitment to service.

Vision: To create a Unique University that can make a distinctive contribution to national development as an institution of academic and technical excellence, whose products are endowed with real practical ability, a moral vision of life and a profound religious motivation for service in all spheres of life

Goal: To establish a home of academic and technical excellence, provide holistic education and training; discipline and moral excellence; and instill commitment to service

The hallmarks of the University are the promotion of:

i. Academic Excellence

ii. Moral and Ethical Values

iii. Integral Personal Development

iv. Commitment to Service

v. Accessible and affordable Education

vi. Holistic Education for life-long learning.

BRIEF HISTORY

The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC) conceived the idea of establishing the Catholic University College of Ghana (CUCG) 1997. The launch of CUCG Fund took place in Accra on 20th December, 2001. The then President of Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ghana, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Appiah-Turkson, made public the decision of the GCBC to establish the University on 15th January, 2002.

The Catholic University College of Ghana(CUCG) received its certificate of incorporation on 17^th August, 2001. The National Accreditation Board (NAB) granted CUCG the right to start University programmes in December 2002. The University College was affiliated to the University of Ghana, Legon, the University of Cape Coast for its Bachelors, Post-graduate degrees as well as Diplomas in Education programmes.

The first batch of fifty (50) pioneer students of the CUCG reported at the Pastoral Centre of the Sunyani Catholic Diocese and were matriculated on 3^rd May 2003. Lectures officially commenced on 10th March, 2003 in three Faculties namely; Economics and Business Administration; Religious Studies; and Information Communication Sciences and Technology. The degree programmes the University started were in BSc. Computer Science, BSc. Economics and Business Administration, and BA Religious Studies. The second batch of 32 students were also admitted on 3^rd November, 2003.

His Excellency, John Agyekum Kuffour officially commissioned the University on 13^th November, 2003. Cardinal Ivan Dias performed the laying of the Foundation Stone ceremony on 25^th April, 2007 for a permanent Campus at Fiapre-Sunyani.

The aim of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC) was to build on the reputation of the Church as a provider of holistic quality higher education across the world and to make a fundamental contribution to the delivery of quality tertiary education in Ghana. The University intends to set high academic standards and radically transform the educational environment of Ghana, by inculcating high moral standards and impart gospel values to students in their integral formation in the course of their University education. Therefore, the University was mandated to train human resources that were knowledgeable and equipped with the required technical, professional competence but more importantly, human resources that were selfless, dedicated and God-fearing.

The University currently have a student population of 6,528. These include international students from Nigeria, Benin, Cameroun, Rwanda, Cote D’Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso and Liberia. A total staff strength of 211 made up of 87 full-time lecturers, 44 part-time lectures and 80 non-teaching staff.

The facilities of the CUG includes a two-storey resource center which consists of two large lecture theatres, a 600-seater Pavilion, the SONAM/SPHAS Block, three (3) well-equipped computer laboratories, a skills laboratory, a well-stocked Library and some offices for the Deans and lecturers, as well as a Lecture Blocks “A’ and “B”. The other block known as the Block “C” presently houses the administrative staff and various Faculty offices including the Adoration Chapel. The University offers close to 1,000 places in three (3) ultra-modern hostels facilities situated on the campus. The hostels comprise shared and self-contained rooms.

The University also maintains a Sports Complex for the recreational activities of students and staff.

CUG Logo

The official logo of the Catholic University of Ghana comprises the basic national colours of Red, Yellow, Green which forms the outline of the crest, and Black and White. The three national colours resonate with CUG’s patriotic ideals as the premier Catholic University of Ghana.

The Significance of the Colours and Images

Red: Considered to be a colour of intense emotions, passion, and symbolize strength, confidence, and power, it represents the blood of those who died in the country's struggle for independence.

Yellow: The most visible color from a distance and communicates cheerfulness, friendliness, joy, and energy. It can also be associated with mental clarity and intellect. It represents the mineral wealth of the country. The yellow colour is also one of the colours of the Vatican.

Green: Represents plant life and growth and is consequently used to convey environmental sustainability, organic, natural sense of the word. Green is therefore associated with wealth and stability and symbolises the country's rich forests reserves.

Black: Represents power, luxury, sophistication, bold and classic. Used appropriately, it can be just as distinctive, memorable, and communicative of a logo’s attributes.

White: Represents simplicity, innocence, and perfection. It is often used to convey a sense of purity, cleanliness, peacefulness and an inherently positive colour. It is also associated with heaven and angels, which lends itself to CUG’s holistic, dedicated and God-fearing values.

The Logo has the Gye Nyame Adinkra symbol in the middle. It is arguably the most popular Adinkra symbol and therefore the most visually striking aspect of the logo of the University, prominently displayed in black on a white background with a black circle for emphasis. Gye Nyame means “Except God.” It expresses the omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God.

Overlaid on the Gye Nyame symbol is a Cross in yellow. The Cross, the principal symbol of the Christian religion, denotes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the redeeming benefits of his Passion and death. The Cross depicts Christ love for us humans, giving up everything for us in the ultimate sacrifice. As used in the logo, it portrays the values that CUG stand for: to train selfless, dedicated human resource committed to using their acquired knowledge and skill to serve humanity out of pure love.

Prominently in the middle of the crest are two black and white configurations of the cross.

The University Motto:Scientiae Ac Sapientiae Lumen Splendeat. Translation: "May the Light of Knowledge and Wisdom Shine Forth" completes the logo at the bottom with the date of establishment of the University; 2003. CUG philosophy of education is this: knowledge without wisdom is meaningless and wisdom devoid of knowledge is incomplete. Scientific knowledge must go hand-in-hand with morality.

The CUG Logo therefore depicts the nationalistic, holistic, quality higher education, ethical and God-fearing values that is the hallmark of the Catholic University of Ghana.

CUG FLAG

The CUG Flag has a combination of two vertical colours of Yellow and White backgrounds with the University logo in the middle.

Yellow: It is a visible colour from a distance and communicates cheerfulness, friendliness, joy, and energy. It can also be associated with mental clarity and intellect.

White: Represents simplicity, innocence, and perfection. It is often used to convey a sense of purity, cleanliness, peacefulness and an inherently positive colour, also associated with heavens and angels, which lends itself to CUG’s holistic, dedicated and God-fearing values.

The CUG flag also reflects the characteristics of the Catholic Flag, the official flag of the Vatican City, which comprises two vertical colours: White and Yellow. The Yellow symbolizes Heavenly power with the White representing Earthly power.

MANAGEMENT

Prof. Matthew Addo Glover is currently the Vice-Chancellor of the University and he is ably supported by Rev. Prof. Peter Nkrumah Amponsah as Pro Vice Chancellor; Mr. Emmanuel K. Kaba as Registrar, Mr. Paul Kwame Yeboah, Finance Officer; Mr. Prince Benjamin Nartey Menzo, as Internal Auditor.

MISSION

To promote academic excellence, moral and ethical values, as well as the integral personal development of its students and their commitment to service.

VISION

To create a Unique University that can make a distinctive contribution to national development as an institution of academic and technical excellence, whose products are endowed with real practical ability, a moral vision of life and a profound religious motivation for service in all spheres of life

GOALS

To establish a home of academic and technical excellence, provide holistic education and training; discipline and moral excellence; and instill commitment to service

OBJECTIVES

The objectives for the establishment of the University are as follows:

a) Inculcate high moral standards and impart gospel values to the students in their integral formation in the course of their University education;

b) Support the development of efforts of the country through emphasis on science and technology (and in particular, Information Technology) and ensure that the University remains relevant and forward looking;

c) Promote cultural values and ideals through relevant courses and research and in this way contribute to social solidarity, cohesion and advance enculturation;

d) Help the individual to realize his/her potential;

e) Produce new type of students who have the following traits;

i. Capable of adapting to the changing work environment

ii. Equipped with skills, technical literacy and competence in computers, numeracy, etc;

iii. Very knowledgeable of the current trends in local and international affairs; and

iv. Capable of making a positive contribution to his/her society.

UNIQUENESS

The Catholic University’s uniqueness lies in in its objective to provide quality education that will enable

students to understand the socio-cultural problems of Ghana, lead a life that expresses Christian ethical

and moral values with a commitment to serve God and country and to meet the challenges of an

increasingly complex world economy.