The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has issued a directive to the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, requiring the institution to immediately restore its accredited evening Bachelor of Laws programme to the approved evening mode of instruction. According to GTEC, UDS had been delivering the programme as a weekend course, which is a departure from the accredited mode of delivery. The directive, dated October 5, 2026, was signed by the Deputy Director General of GTEC, Professor Augustine Ocloo.
GTEC's investigation revealed that students who were admitted to the approved evening programme were being required to switch to the weekend delivery mode. The Commission has ordered UDS to discontinue this arrangement and ensure that all affected students are returned to the officially approved mode of delivery without suffering academic or financial disadvantage. The university has also been instructed to formally communicate the directive to all affected students and relevant academic and administrative units.
The Commission warned that failure to comply within the stipulated seven-day period could trigger regulatory action against the university without further notice. GTEC also made it clear that it would not recognise the continued delivery of the LLB programme in a mode that has not received its approval. According to the Commission, accreditation is granted on the basis of specific academic, staffing, infrastructure, and programme delivery arrangements submitted by an institution and subsequently assessed and approved by the Commission.
GTEC stressed that the approved mode of delivery constitutes an integral part of the conditions upon which accreditation is granted. As a result, an institution does not have the authority to independently change the approved mode of delivery of an accredited programme without first obtaining written approval from the Commission. The Commission considers the conversion of the accredited evening LLB programme into a weekend programme without prior regulatory approval to be a material departure from the conditions of accreditation and a breach of regulatory requirements.
The Commission expressed concern about the potential implications of the change for academic contact hours, faculty availability, access to teaching and learning facilities, quality assurance arrangements, and the conditions under which students accepted admission into the programme. GTEC's directive aims to ensure that the university adheres to the approved mode of delivery and maintains the quality of education provided to students.
UDS has been ordered to submit documentary evidence to GTEC within seven days demonstrating that it has fully complied with the order. The university must provide evidence that it has restored the evening LLB programme to the approved mode of instruction and communicated the directive to all affected students and relevant academic and administrative units.
The directive is a reminder to institutions of the importance of adhering to regulatory requirements and the conditions of accreditation. GTEC's action demonstrates its commitment to ensuring that tertiary education institutions in Ghana maintain high standards of quality and integrity in their academic programmes.
Key points
- GTEC has directed UDS to restore its evening LLB programme within seven days.
- The programme was being delivered as a weekend course without regulatory approval.
- Failure to comply may result in regulatory action against the university.
