The UDS Directorate of Colleges Education (DCEA) has organized a capacity building workshop for administrative support staff of the affiliate Colleges of Education of the University for Development Studies. The event which came off at the UDS Tamale campus on 30th March 2023, brought together representatives from all affiliate Colleges of Education of UDS.

Present at the workshop were the Director of the Directorate of DCEA, Prof. Ebenezer Owusu Sekyere, and the Head of Training and Development Mr. Abdul Mumin Alhassan. The Resource persons who took the participant through various topics during the workshop include, a Deputy Registrar, Dr. Iddrisu M. Tanko, the Head of Department (HOD) Agricultural Education, Dr. Amadu Musah Abudu, the Vice Dean of the School of Public Health, Prof. Martin N. Adokiya, and the Head of Planning and Research Unit Mr. Ibrahim Alhassan.

The participants were taken through a series of training sessions, which covered topics such as Management of Paper Records for Effective administration, Electronic Data Management, Academic Writing, Professional writing and many others.

Participants having their session

The Deputy Registrar, Dr. Iddrisu M. Tanko during his presentation stated that staff are among the most important, and usually most expensive assets in any organization. He advised participants it is important to keep authentic files even after digitalization. “Even though we are in the digitalization system, but it is still necessary to keep the authentic document as they are hard to altercate” He said. Dr. Tanko advised participants to not create anything that they would not want a jury to see. Like references to an employee’s private life or political belief.

Mr. Abdul Mumin Alhassan enlighten the participants on the importance of maintaining proper filing and filing systems in the workplace. The facilitator emphasized the need for a well-organized and efficient filing system, which would enable employees to quickly and easily access important documents and information. He covered a wide range of topics, including the different types of filing systems, how to create a file classification system, and best practices for maintaining and updating files.

Another facilitator was the Vice Dean of the School of Public Health Prof. Martin N. Adokiya who took the participants through Academic writing; how to write proposals and publications. He took them through the rudiments of proposal writing and publication processes. Prof. Adokiya encouraged the participants to take full advantage of the training, as it would equip them with necessary skills to publish their research findings in reputable academic journals. The Head of Planning and Research Unit Mr. Ibrahim Alhassan also came through with Electronic Data Management. He took participants through how to use Microsoft Word and Excel Spreadsheet. Mr. Alhassan shared tips on shortcuts, best practices and innovative ways use the software tools.

Participants having their session

The next facilitator was the HoD Agricultural Education Dr. Musah Amadu who spoke on Relationship with College Principals and Staff. He emphasized the importance of fostering positive relationships between principals and staff members in the college. He encouraged all participant to take the skills and knowledge they have gained from this workshop and apply them in your schools. To climax the facilitation, the Director of the Directorate of Colleges of Education Affiliate, Prof Ebenezer Owusu Sekyere took the participants through the Procedure for appointment and promotion in the college system. He also took enlighten them on administrative procedures for communication in Higher Education Institution.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Owusu-Sekyere thanked the participants for attending the workshop. He encouraged the participants to put the knowledge gained into practice, assuring them that the University would provide the necessary support to ensure that they gain enough skills to operate efficiently at their various colleges.