The Registrar’s Offices of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have developed strategies to enhance university administration and staff development.

These initiatives were discussed during the 2024 Registrar’s Offices Workshop at Maaha Beach Resort in the Western Region.

The Registrar, Andrews Kwasi Boateng, evaluated the current state of administrative processes while highlighting efforts made in previous years.

He emphasized the crucial role of the Registrar’s Office in the university’s operations.

"The office is at the centre of everything. When something goes wrong, people call on the registrar for answers, even if it’s not directly within our scope. We must be strategic and manage operations effectively," he said.

Mr.  Boateng also outlined his vision of creating an administration that prioritizes customer service while adhering to the university’s rules and regulations.

He revealed a 10-year strategic plan focusing on capacity building, governance, visibility, resource mobilisation, and customer service.

"We are about halfway through the implementation of this plan," he said.

He also noted the importance of staff training, saying that those expected to be responsive must be well-trained to perform their duties effectively.

He added that approximately 50 senior staff members have benefited from promotions and capacity-building training.

"In 2016, we had only a few staff members with qualifications. Now, we have over 90 trained personnel," he stated.

Mr. Boateng acknowledged the role of peer review committees, mentorship programs, and regular seminars in supporting career development.

"Career progression is essential, especially for junior assistant registrars. We must support the growth of our staff."

On governance, Mr. Boateng revealed that since 2017, the office has established new structures, including the creation of deputy registrar roles in units like Student Affairs and Academic Affairs.

This restructuring, according to him, is expanding the office's capacity to meet the university's growing demands.

In terms of visibility and branding, he said the office has made significant progress with its social media presence and documentation.

"We didn’t have a documented manual for our work before. Now, since 2018, the Administrative Manual was promulgated to guide the operations of our work. I credit my team for their efforts in documenting the office’s processes. This has improved efficiency.

"The office now has also digitized the filing system, for effective and efficient information processes and retrieval.

"We've also created social media accounts and a website for the office, and a dedicated team has been established to manage them," he added.

Mr. Boateng acknowledged the need to keep pace with the university’s growing demands and promised improvements in resource mobilization and customer service.

Young staff members were encouraged to take their work seriously and continue to learn and grow.