UCC commissions Dominase campus to expand access to higher education

The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has commissioned its Dominase campus in the Ashanti Region, marking another milestone in the institution’s drive to expand equitable access to higher education.

Funded by the College of Distance Education (CoDE), the new facility boasts 11 lecture halls, 27 offices, two libraries, one ICT laboratory, and three ultramodern science laboratories. It also provides two residential blocks for students, a market shed, and group study spaces, giving the campus full academic stature.

Currently, the Dominase campus runs a Bachelor of Science programme in Medical Laboratory Technology. From the next academic year, it will admit students into Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, and Home Economics programmes.

Commissioning the project, UCC Vice Chancellor, Professor Johnson Nyarko Boampong, described the campus as a “beacon of academic excellence, innovation, and community development,” emphasising the university‘s commitment to broadening access nationwide.

He recalled that although the project commenced in 2012 and was first commissioned in 2016, defects and neglect caused extensive deterioration. In December 2021, management re-awarded the contract, leading to major renovations including a complete roof replacement, rehabilitation of electrical systems, paving of compound and parking areas, and construction of septic tanks, a security post, and a perimeter fence.

Prof. Boampong urged students, faculty, and the Dominase community to protect and maintain the facility so it could yield lasting benefits for learners and the nation.

Provost of CoDE, Professor Anokye Mohammed Adam, highlighted the campus’s accreditation by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), stressing that plans were underway to expand facilities further, positioning it to eventually stand as an independent university.

Director of the campus, Prof. Siaw Frimpong, encouraged prospective students to choose Dominase for its conducive learning environment, while Nana Ntim Banahene, Krontihene of the Esumaja Traditional Area, expressed gratitude for hosting the community’s first university campus and appealed for equal quality standards as in Cape Coast.

The Dominase campus adds to a number of key projects completed under the tenure of Prof. Boampong.