The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) – University of Cape Coast branch has rejected a proposed policy by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) aimed at harmonising promotion guidelines for academic staff across public universities, describing it as an overreach of regulatory authority.

In a statement issued on June 29, 2026, UTAG-UCC said the proposal goes beyond GTEC’s statutory mandate and interferes with governance functions reserved for university governing bodies under existing laws.

“After careful consideration, UTAG-UCC wishes to state, in the strongest possible terms, its total and unequivocal rejection of the proposed harmonisation framework,” the association said, noting that the decision followed deliberations by its Local Executive Council on June 25.

UTAG-UCC argued that promotions and appointments of academic staff fall within the core governance responsibilities of public universities. It stressed that, under the laws establishing Ghana’s public universities, such decisions rest with University Councils and academic boards, not external regulators.

The association further pointed to the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023), which establishes GTEC as a quality assurance and coordination body. However, it insists the law does not grant the Commission authority to direct or standardise internal promotion decisions across universities.

“GTEC’s statutory role is to regulate standards, promote quality assurance, coordinate national tertiary education policy and encourage best practice. It is not a parallel governing authority over public universities,” the statement added.

UTAG-UCC also rejected the rationale behind the proposal, arguing that differences in promotion standards across universities reflect their varied mandates and academic structures.

According to the association, a one-size-fits-all framework would undermine institutional diversity and academic excellence, particularly given the differences between comprehensive, specialised and technical universities.

“A comprehensive university, a specialised university and a technical university cannot reasonably be expected to evaluate academic excellence through identical criteria,” it said.

The group further urged GTEC to shift focus to what it described as more pressing challenges in the tertiary education sector, including staffing shortages, poor student-to-lecturer ratios, and inadequate infrastructure.

“The system is not broken and does not require this form of intervention,” UTAG-UCC stated.

UTAG-UCC has therefore called for the immediate withdrawal of the proposed framework, urging the government and the Ministry of Education to reaffirm the autonomy of universities in appointments and promotions.

It also said it would not participate in any consultation process that assumes acceptance of what it described as an “illegal and anti-academic policy.”

The position adds to growing opposition from within the sector. The University Teachers Association of Ghana – Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology branch (UTAG-KNUST) earlier raised similar concerns, describing the proposal as insufficiently justified.