Justice Sophia Akuffo and Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu at the anniversary launch
THE CHRISTIAN Service University College (CSUC) has launched its 50th anniversary celebration with an aim of telling its story, sharing its experience with the public, engaging stakeholders and renewing its determination and commitment towards building a better future.
The anniversary celebration, which is planned to be year-long, is under the theme: “Christian Service University College @ 50 – Achievements, Challenges & Prospects.”
Prof. Sam Kofi Afrane, President of CSUC, in his welcome address touted the ability of the university to morph from a small Bible College with less than 100 students in 1974 into a liberal arts university with 2,000 students today.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, MP for Suame, who was a guest speaker at the launch, noted that 50 years in the life of any academic institution is worth celebrating, more importantly, when the institution is privately owned.
He commended CSUC for being ranked among the top educational institutions in the country, placing 16th out of private universities and 33rd out of all the country’s 69 institutions of higher learning in the 2023 University Ranking (Unirank).
Justice Sophia A. B. Akuffo, who was the special guest of honour, noted that although full achievement of the university status has not yet been attained, she was hopeful that it would not be many more years before it is accredited as an autonomous institution considering the enormous drive the institution has made and an intent to continue making.
“The university college’s profile and institutional character partakes significantly over the past 50 years from a Bible college to a university college and the fact that it has produced thousands of graduates who are serving in various fields in Ghana and abroad shows how this university has made itself relevant to the demands of the society as well as elsewhere in the world community,” she said.
According to her, private tertiary educational institutions in the country have witnessed an enormous increase in operational cost in the areas of payment of salaries, utility bills, accreditation and affiliation charges, while tuition fee remain relatively low.
She appealed to government, public and private institutions to extend helping hand to the CSUC to procure a bus for the nursing and midwifery department, upgrade its IT infrastructure to optimise the application of technology in the delivery of its services to facilitate teaching and learning.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi