UCC-UTAG demands clearer boundaries for GTEC’s regulatory role

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) Chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has admonished the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to refrain from interfering in university affairs and focus on its core mandates.

It noted that GTEC has been a useful ally in the education space but has often overstepped its boundaries, undermining academic freedom and disrupting other university activities.

The Association made the call at the UTAG Experts’ Forum 2026, held on the theme: “Rethinking Autonomy, Power and Oversight: GTEC’s Regulatory Authority and the Politics of Academic Freedom in Ghanaian Universities.”

Professor Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, a Senior Member of the Faculty of Law, UCC, noted that beyond being a regulator, the GTEC was, by law, an advisor, coordinator, and accreditor, a mandate he said the Commission had failed to execute effectively and efficiently.

Prof Bondzi-Simpson noted that by executing its core mandates, including regulation, the GTEC would have less time to veer into matters outside its remit, stressing that the GTEC’s Director-General and staff were legally required to operate within their defined mandates and implement decisions of the Commission’s governing council.

He argued that any exercise of authority must be grounded in a clear mandate, warning that actions outside that scope would be unlawful.

“So, a Chief Executive whose mandate is set out by law does not go hovering around all manner of tertiary institutions to see what they are doing right or wrong. Any such thing should be in furtherance,” he said.

“The mandate must always precede the assertion of authority, and if that is not done, the exercise by the director general or a deputy director general or any director or staff on his behalf is ultra vires,” he added.

On other concerns, Prof Bondzi-Simpson objected to the GTEC’s membership of University Councils, arguing it contravened the law.

He said: “Nowhere in the GTEC law does it require membership on a university council. It is not in the letter of the law, nor does it conform to the spirit of the law. Because a regulator cannot be sitting on council; council is a governing council that makes decisions about the university, participating in the process while wearing one hat.

“Then in the next hat, it will go and negate or undermine those decisions. If you are part of it, you are bound by the decision. A referee or regulator cannot employ you, your staff, determine the policy.”

“A referee cannot choose the coach and the players and the captain or the general captain and then come and referee the game. So the letter of the law does not allow it. The spirit of the law does not allow it,” he stressed.

It was also the case of Prof Bondzi-Simpson that the Commission’s “policeman” posturing stemmed from its frequent description as a regulator in public discourse, adding that emphasising its roles as an adviser, coordinator and accreditor could help change their approach.

He called for stronger collaboration between tertiary institutions and GTEC.

Sharing similar concerns, Prof Denis Worlanyo Aheto, the Vice Chancellor of UCC, reiterated the call for GTEC to respect universities' autonomy.

He called for a regulatory framework that strengthens accountability and academic standards without the Commission unnecessarily interfering in legitimate academic decisions.

Turning to the institutions, he challenged universities to embrace accountability, stressing that academic freedom must be exercised responsibly with strict adherence to sound governance, ethical conduct and institutional integrity.

“Our goal should not be to weaken GTEC or diminish the authority of universities. Rather, we should build a relationship of constructive engagement in which regulatory authorities and universities understand their respective mandates and work collaboratively towards excellence in higher education,” the Vice Chancellor stressed.

For her part, Dr Cynthia Sena Kpeglo-Freiku, the Executive Secretary of the Vice Chancellors Ghana (VCG), among other disquiet, expressed concern about regulatory directives affecting staff appointments, internal organisational structures, retirement arrangements and academic programme development.

She said excessive interference delayed recruitment, created teaching gaps, increased administrative costs and disrupted academic delivery.

She called for a review of overlapping legal mandates, meaningful consultation with affected institutions, transparent regulatory procedures and a permanent mechanism for dialogue and dispute resolution.

“Strong universities require effective regulation. Effective regulation requires institutional trust, and institutional trust requires accountability on both sides,” Dr Kpeglo-Freiku stated.

Prof Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua, the Regional Director of the African Coalition for Academic Freedom, suggested that GTEC’s regulatory powers must be checked against the Constitution.

He called for legislative instruments jointly developed by government, academic unions, and students through broad stakeholder consultations to prevent arbitrary directives and protect university autonomy.

Prof Appiagyei-Atua further argued that GTEC’s Board composition must be reviewed to ensure balanced representation, calling for the inclusion of academic unions and student representatives to limit excessive executive influence and promote democratic decision-making in university regulation.

“My recommendation is that it should not be done by the Minister alone. It should involve academic unions like UTAG, CETAG, and student representatives so that we all sit around the table, consult among ourselves, and agree on the details of the law,” he said.

Professor Jerry Opoku Ansah, the UCC UTAG President, explained that the forum, organised over the years, provided a platform to discuss local, national, and global matters objectively, offer informed policy alternatives, and contribute to development at all levels.

Speaking to the theme of this year’s forum, he emphasised that universities had a responsibility to maintain academic standards freely and produce well-trained graduates, but acknowledged the need for regulation to safeguard quality and public confidence.

He, therefore, called for a more collaborative relationship between tertiary institutions and GTEC.