UCC cuts ties with Royal Nursing College

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has suspended its academic affiliation and mentorship arrangement with Royal Nursing College following the revocation of the college’s accreditation by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

The decision was announced in a press release issued over the weekend by the Directorate of Public Affairs of the university. According to the statement, the suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in place until further notice while regulatory issues concerning the institution are addressed.

University authorities explained that the move became necessary after the accreditation previously granted to the Kumasi-based nursing college was withdrawn by GTEC.

The withdrawal followed concerns that the institution had failed to comply with directives issued by key regulatory bodies overseeing tertiary education and professional training in Ghana.

In addition to the concerns raised by GTEC, the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana and UCC itself had reportedly issued regulatory instructions to the college that were not adequately adhered to, prompting the university to take action to safeguard the integrity of its academic programmes.

Affiliation arrangements between universities and nursing training colleges are a common practice in the health education system. Under such arrangements, universities provide academic mentorship, curriculum oversight, and quality assurance to affiliated colleges to ensure that training programmes meet national academic and professional standards.

However, UCC indicated that continued partnership with an institution that is not compliant with regulatory requirements could compromise the credibility of academic programmes run under its supervision.

“The University of Cape Coast remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of academic quality assurance and regulatory compliance in all programmes offered under the affiliation and mentorship arrangement,” the statement said.

Despite the suspension, the university has taken steps to protect the academic progress of students already enrolled in the programme.

UCC disclosed that it has initiated a teach-out programme for Level 300 students currently studying at Royal Nursing College.

The arrangement is designed to ensure that affected students are able to complete their training without disruption despite the regulatory issues affecting the institution.

A teach-out programme typically allows students to finish their academic programme under supervised arrangements when a school loses accreditation or closes certain programmes.

The university further encouraged the management of Royal Nursing College to take the necessary steps to address the regulatory concerns raised by oversight bodies. Authorities say the suspension could be reviewed if the institution succeeds in meeting the required compliance standards set by the relevant regulatory agencies.