Introduction

The University of Cape Coast was established in October, 1962 as a University College affiliated to the University of Ghana, Legon. On 1st October, 1971, the University College became an autonomous institution with the authority to confer its own degrees, diplomas and certificates by an Act of Parliament - The University of Cape Coast Act, 1971 [Act 390]. The first Act was subsequently replaced with the University of Cape Coast Law, 1992 [PNDC Law 278]. The existing Law (P.N.D.C.L. 278) is under review after being in force for 25 years.

The University was established with an original mandate to train graduate professional teachers for Ghana's second cycle institutions and the Ministry of Education to meet the manpower needs of the country's accelerated education programme at the time. This original mandate was revised in the mid-1990s, and led to the University expanding and diversifying its programmes in response to changing needs.

Re-organisation of the University

The revision of the mandate also led to the re-organization of the management of the University, beginning with the creation of new faculties/schools. These new schools and faculties are the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Education, Faculty of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Science and Technology Education, School of Professional Development and Outreach, School of Business, School of Medical Sciences (SMS), School of Allied Health Sciences (SAHS), the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Faculty of Law.

As part of the re-organization, the schools and faculties in the University were grouped into five Colleges namely, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (CANS), College of Humanities and Legal Studies (CHLS), College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS), College of Education Studies (CoES) and College of Distance Education (CoDE). The main objectives for the change were to bring related disciplines together to promote collaboration, ensure efficiency and decentralise aspects of administration. To support and improve teaching and research, the Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance (DAPQA) and the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Consultancy (DRIC) were also created.

The Office of the Registrar has similarly undergone re-organisation with the originalfourdivisionsupgradedtoadministrativeDirectorates. These are the Directorate of Academic Affairs (DAA), Directorate of Human Resource (DHR), Directorate of Legal, Consular and General Services (DLCGS), and the Directorate of Public Affairs (DPA). In 2012, a new directorate, the Directorate of Information, Communication and Technology Services (DICTS), was created to reflect the role of ICT in the operations of the University. Prior to that, four sections of the Central Administration, namely; University Health Services, Physical Development and Estate Management, Finance and Internal Audit were elevated to the status of Directoratein2005.

As part of the transformation of its systems, the University established the Institutional Advancement Office (IAO) in 2014 to co-ordinate Alumni affairs, to be the link between the University and the outside world, and to undertake fundraising activities to support the University's Mission. Through the Office, Alumni Chapters have been established in Canada, United States of America and the United Kingdom. This has ensured a strong Alumni presence in the affairs of the University.

In furtherance of its internationalization agenda, the University reviewed and re- focused its collaboration and linkages with institutions of higher learning and industry at both local and international levels for teaching, research and capacity building for students and staff. This underscores the importance the University attaches to partnerships.