Overview
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA REQUIRED COURSE (UGRC)
UGRC orientation for students
General Guide
This guide explains the structure, lectures, and examinations of the University of Ghana. Required Courses (UGRCs) that are offered at the Institute of African Studies (IAS).
STRUCTURE
The Institute of African Studies offers twenty (20) of the UGRCs (UGRC220 - UGRC239), Each of these courses is 3 credits, with 2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorials each week of the semester. Every student in the University of Ghana is required to take and pass only one of these 20 UGRCs at the Institute of African Studies, when they are in Level 200 of their academic program.
Course components
Each of the 20 UGRCs is structured in three (3) components, as follows:
- Introduction to African Studies
- Introduction to Gender Studies,
- Elective
These are explained below:
Introduction to African Studies
This course introduces students to the field of African Studies including Africa's histories, peoples and cultures. It begins with a general introduction to the discipline, its history and values; continues with an introduction to Gender Studies in Africa; and thereafter students select from an extensive and diverse menu of 'electives'. While all students take the general introduction and the introduction to gender, students are registered into the electives that they will take in the second half of the semester.
The general introduction serves as the springboard from which to launch the entire course.
Objectives of the course:
- To help students appreciate the contemporary value of African Studies as an area of enquiry.
- To help students engage with discourses on African realities.
- To encourage students to appreciate the African Identity.
- To help students develop a sense of Self Determination in the global world.
- To make students aware of the negative stereotypes about Africa and to encourage them to challenge these stereotypes.
- To help students develop appropriate methodologies and frameworks for examining Africa and its past through multi-disciplinary approaches.
- To highlight some of Africa's contributions to world civilizations and knowledge generation.
- To enhance students' knowledge in specific areas of African Humanities and Social Sciences
The overall introduction covers three weeks, including two hours of lectures, and one hour of tutorials per week.
Introduction to Gender
The main objective of this two week introduction (4 hour), is to help students appreciate the gendered nature of African societies, how this impacts development, and state as well ascivil society responses to gender inequalities. Thiscomponent explains key concepts in African gender studies and explains why and how we address gender issues in African studies. This component of the course also makes a case for transforming gender relations on the basis of three justifications: (1) citizenship rights and the constitution, (2) development imperatives, and (3) the promotion of gender equitable cultures. The role of individual and group agency and leadership in changing gender relations will be highlighted.
The introduction to gender covers three weeks, including two hours of lectures, and one hour of tutorialsper week. Also included is a practical activity, typically a film show.
At the end of the first 6 weeks students take part in a continuous assessment exercise.
Elective Component
The in-depth component of each of each of the 20 UGRCs is termed Elective. This component is the third part of each UGRC. It is to be taught in each UGRC, immediately after the Introduction to Gender Studies and Introduction to African Studies components. For example, if a student registers for UGRC225-African Dance, this UGRC will comprise all three components, that is, the Introduction to Gender Studies, the Introduction to African Studies, and the Elective. This structure is the same for all the other UGRCs in the Institute of African Studies. The transition from the introductory components to the elective component of each course should not be confused. Students should understand that the introductory and elective components constitute the UGRC they have registered for.
*Please note
Introduction to Gender Studies and Introduction to African Studies is not isolated courses; they are components in all UGRCs. However, amongst the 20 UGRCs, there is UGRC230 - Gender and Culture and UGRC231- Gender and Development. Both courses also have the same components of the Introduction to Gender Studies and Introduction to African Studies. Below in tabular form is the presentation of the IAS UGRCs:
COURSE CODE TITLE CREDIT
Note:
Details of the IAS UGRC course descriptions are available in the following colleges’ student handbook under the Academics menu at the UG Website:
- College of Basic and Applied Sciences
- College of Education
- College of Health Sciences
- College of Humanities
STUDENT REGISTRATION
- Continuing student online registration: Students will follow the steps in the link below to ensure their registration for all courses including the UGRC, are complete: Link, https://www.ug.edu.gh/aad/registration-continuing (available on the University of Ghana website, under Featured links)
- Information on student registration and on most part of your stay in the University of Ghana as an undergraduate student is guided by the Regulations for Junior Members. All students are required to read and constantly refer to it for their guidance. Link: https://www.ug.edu.gh/sites/default/files/aad/University_Regulations_for... (available on the University of Ghana website, under Featured links)
- Other course registration concerns are clarified on the websites of the Colleges. E.g., for College of Humanities, see bottom of the College website home page for the FAQ: Link: https://coh.ug.edu.gh/student/frequently-asked-questions-students-academ... (available on the University of Ghana website, under Featured links)
LECTURES
There is a fixed timetable for each of the 20 UGRCs. For each UGRC, the teaching arrangement is as follows:
- First two weeks of lectures: Introduction to Gender Studies
- Next two weeks of lectures: Introduction to African Studies
- Rest of weeks of lectures: Elective component of course.
Other activities in-between lecture weeks
- UGRC Pre-lecture orientation: At the beginning of each course, each lecturer would orient students on the nature of the course. This would be done in what is termed ‘Pre-lecture orientation’, usually held onsite in a physical lecture all on main campus. Students are required to attend in person, The time and venues for the Pre-lecture orientation would be announced on the course pages on Sakai.
- Post-lecture orientation: At the end of each course, and before the final examinations, the lecturer would meet students to orient students on the nature of the examinations and to address any issues on the course, such as feedback from students.
COURSE ATTENDANCE
- Class attendance: Class attendance is not compromised in any way. Every UGRC lecturer takes attendance of students in class each week, and this may be scored as part of the course final score and grade.
- Full-time students must attend all classes and complete all assignments. If a student misses 25% or more of these activities, they would be barred from the end-of-semester examination. Examiners (Lecturers) will notify the Director of Academic Affairs through the Head of Department before the revision week (please read UG regulations for Junior Members 9.22.(C), and the student will be barred from the end-of-semester examination. Only verified valid reasons including medical cases will be considered for a student who misses lectures and examinations.
EXAMINATIONS
- Interim Assessment (IA): An IA is given immediately after the first 4 weeks of lectures. The IA is scored 30% of final score. It is given on only Introduction to Gender Studies and Introduction to African Studies.
- Final examinations: The University organizes final examinations at the end of each semester. UGRCs are part of these examinations. The final UGRC examinations are given on only the Elective component of the course. This earns a student between 50 and 70 marks maximum, depending on whether the lecturer organizes other assignments scores.
- Students should be aware that examination attendance registers are available to lecturers to cross-check their claims over examination results. It should be a student’s full responsibility to ensure that their examinations whether on Sakai or onsite are very accurately recorded in the attendance register or Sakai submission buttons. This way, both lecturers and students avoid unnecessary complications with scoring and publishing results on the MIS or ITS.
RE-SIT EXAMINATIONS
There are three types of re-sit registrations for examinations:
- Supplementary re-sit
- Main re-sit
- Amnesty
Supplementary re-sit examination
- Who is eligible
- A student who has taken a course and failed is eligible to register for a Supplementary re-sit examination. Supplementary re-sit examinations are given soon after the main examinations. Note that you can register for a Supplementary re-sit examination in only a course that you have previously taken. Since most of the UGRCs at the Institute of African Studies are mounted in both semesters, students can choose to register for the Supplementary re-sit examination in either the first or second semester.
- When to register
- Registration for the Supplementary re-sit examination is done immediately when a student knows they have failed a course. They should immediately check the university website and their emails for the announcement and links to register.
- Class attendance
- Currently, attendance at lectures nor IAs is not required for the Supplementary re-sit examination. The student’s examination script is scored out of 100 per cent (without IAs nor assignments). But this may be revised. *However, students should be discouraged to fail their main examinations on the belief that they would do better in the Supplementary re-sit examinations.
- Financial cost
- Students pay for the Supplementary re-sit examination. Please check with your College
- Academic Office for the correct fee and registration process.
Main re-sit examination
- Who is eligible
- A student who has taken a course and failed, or skipped a course and its examinations,
- can register for the course as a Main re-sit when it is mounted again.
Please note:
- A student can register for a Main re-sit examination only if this would not take their total credit hours for the semester above the required limit (i.e., If the student’s credit hours are full for the semester, they cannot register for a Main re-sit examination). A student whose credit hours are full can rather register for the Supplementary re-sit examination (Supplementary re-sit examinations fall outside the semester so there are no credit hour limitations). The Main re-sit examination is given within the semester, not after. This is why it is important to consider credit hour limitations.
Class attendance
- Students who have registered for the Main re-sit examination are required to attend lectures and take part in all assessments, that is, assignments, IAs etc. This means the examination script is scored according to the assessment criterion for the course.
Course options
- A student can register for a Main re-sit examination in a course they have taken previously or in a course they have not taken previously, with permission from their College Academic Office. E.g., if a student fails or skips the UGRC220, they have the option to register for and take the Main re-sit examination in another UGRC, once they are permitted to do so by their College Academic Office.
Financial cost
- Students pay for registering for Main re-sit examinations. Please consult with your College Academic Office for the correct fee and registration process.
Special studentship (Amnesty)
Who is eligible
An undergraduate final year student who has spent the duration of their programs but had skipped and/or failed courses thus, unable to graduate, has a total of 4 years to keep their studentship. They can register for a Main re-sit examination. Amnesty means when students spend the duration of their undergraduate programs but are unable to graduate, the University grants then the first 2 years after completion to re-sit all skipped and/or failed courses. Subsequently, the University grants another 2 years to re-sit all courses. Beyond these continuous 4 years, the student loses their studentship and cannot retake any courses and examinations in the University. *However, this kind of studentship will be discontinued after the 2025-2026 Academic year.
SPEAK TO US
- UGRC Unit’s Office
- Where to report concerns
- The UGRCs at the Institute of African Studies are coordinated together by the UGRC Unit office and the Academic office of the Institute of African Studies (IAS). For student concerns on any of the 20 UGRCs, the UGRC Unit office, or IAS Academic office should be the first point for reporting these concerns. The Academic Office very much encourages students to talk to us.
- Students can visit us in-person, at the UGRC office, between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday. We are located in the ISSER building on Main campus.
- Students can also just walk in to at the IAS Academic office, between 8 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday. We are located on the ground floor of the Institute of African Studies (Kwame Nkrumah Complex).
Students can also send us an email or call:
UGRC Coordinator’s Office
ugrc@ug.edu.gh
pnarh@ug.edu.gh
055 666 5501
IAS Academic office
ias-academic-office@ug.edu.gh