Prof. Abdulai Ahmed Jinapor
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has expressed “its deep concern regarding the increasing prevalence of Honorary Doctorate degrees and Professorship titles that are conferred upon individuals by various Institutions, both within Ghana and abroad.”
The Commission has, in a release, therefore directed that those so conferred with honorary degrees cease appending same to their names.
The Director General of the Commission, Prof. Abdulai Ahmed Jinapor, in the release stated that “it is imperative that these titles are not appended to recipient’s names as part of their credentials,” adding that doing so “is unethical and contravenes several provisions of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), as well as other pertinent laws governing higher education in Ghana.”
The use of the titles Doctor (Dr.) and Professor (Prof.) by recipients of such awards, according to GTEC, is common practice in the country. “These practices are deemed misleading and serve to misinform both the Academic community and the general public,” it stressed.
The Commission while clarifying its position on the matter for the benefit of the public and those affected, explained that honorary degrees are conferred judiciously and strategically to individuals of exceptional achievement and distinguished service, whose contributions align with and enhance the values and mission of the conferring institution.
“While the Commission acknowledges and encourages the responsible recognition of distinguished individuals by higher education institutions,” it asserts that “such honours should only be conferred by accredited and duly recognised institutions within the realm of Ghanaian higher education.”
Continuing, the release points out that “The Mandate of GTEC: Section 8 (3) d of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act mandates the Commission to regulate the use of higher education nomenclature and titles, including “University”, “College”, “Emeritus”, “Professor”, “Doctor”, “Chartered”, and related terms. Thus, the Commission, in its pursuit to uphold the integrity of Ghanaian tertiary education, appeals to the general public and institutions within the Ghanaian higher education landscape to collaborate in this endeavour.”
The Commission, in the light of the foregone, has implored individuals to exercise personal responsibility regarding this issue and refrain from using these titles as part of their names. Higher education institutions, on the other hand, have been advised to exercise restraint in the conferral of these honours, “as we collectively honour and promote partnerships with our stakeholders to develop and maintain the integrity of Ghanaian higher education.”
The Commission has threatened to impose sanctions on recalcitrant institutions which continue to abuse the conferment of honorary degrees thereby “diluting the value of true Doctoral education and potentially mislead students, academia and the general public.”