ODSA-UEW Organises Annual Leadership Training for Newly Elected Student-Leaders

The Office of the Dean of Student Affairs (ODSA) of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), has organised a three-day intensive leadership training workshop for newly elected leaders.

The purpose of the training workshop was to provide student-leaders with the necessary skills, tools, and ideas to perform leadership roles more effectively and efficiently; to allow student-leaders to appreciate the University's policies, procedures, management and governance structures, and their roles in the overall dynamic system; to teach and instill valuable managerial skills in students-leaders, and to develop an awareness of the vast available resources to help them to succeed.

The workshop was held at the Manna Heights Hotel in Mankessim, Central Region.

GRASAG, SRC, NUGS, JCRC and DESA student leaders were all represented at the training workshop

Addressing participants at the workshop, the Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Andy Ofori-Birikorang indicated Management’s continued desire to be progressive towards ensuring that the leadership orientation programme and other capacity-building workshops are organised for student-leaders on regular basis to enhance their capacities and to improve the quality of student governance and administration.

“We should build some dynamism into the training and extend it to include other refresher programmes that will address emerging needs and circumstances within the academic year.

“We have lived up to the expectation of training professional teachers for national development and we have done so with the support and cooperation of our students, without whom we cease to exist,” Prof. Ofori-Birikorang stressed.

Ag. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Andy Ofori-Birikorang cautions participants that the positions they occupy compels them to serve UEW and Mother Ghana in humility

He advised participants to exhibit selflessness and work in the interest of students; familiarise themselves with all the statutory documents, policies, rules and regulations of the University; build their leadership team as a family; intensify engagement with their base and seize the opportunity to develop all major skills for a personal future career- communication skills and building leadership capacity.

Prof. Ofori-Birikorang reminded participants that through the privileged leadership positions occupied, they had been called not only to serve UEW but also mother Ghana and to do so with humility, and the best of their abilities. He charged them to maintain a good Grade Point Average (GPA) in all their strives.

The Ag. Dean, ODSA, Dr. B. B. B. Bingab, indicated that the leadership training workshop had become a ritual because the University has a responsibility not just to build the capacity of its staff but also for student-leaders who form an integral part of the university administration.

He averred that a key component of the university’s values is student centredness which could easily be gleaned from its various operations and activities.

Dr. B. B. B. Bingab, Ag. Dean of ODSA in an address at the workshop

"The current administration is determined to continue what has been started. The Student Centre, currently the most beautiful structure on campus, has been dedicated for student occupancy and use as well as some related offices. This demonstrates Management's high regard for students,” he said.

Dr. Bingab indicated that a key focus of ODSA for 2022 would be to network and digitise student complaints and services to ensure accessibility to the chunk of students particularly, non-residential and distance education students.

Participants were treated to a variety of interesting topics, which were facilitated by experienced resource persons. They expressed gratitude to Management for expending scarce resources to bring them to the serene environment of the Manna Heights Hotel to hone their leadership skills and capacities.

The student leaders were drawn from the Graduate Students’ Association of Ghana (GRASAG), Student Representative Council (SRC), National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Junior Common Room Committee (JCRC) and Distance Education Students Association (DESA), all of UEW.