The University of Ghana has suspended a senior lecturer and 16 students for their involvement in various acts of misconduct, in violation of the University’s Code of Ethics.
They were sanctioned for engaging in acts ranging from sexual harassment, falsifying of documents, plagiarism and clashes on the university campus.
This followed a shared notice of the suspension in a memo with staff and students.
Mrs Emelia Agyei-Mensah, the Registrar of the University said the lecturer, Dr Sampson Obed Appiah of the Sociology Department, had been suspended for two semesters for sexually harassing a member of the University Community.
His suspension is in accordance with Section 45(1)(g) of the Statutes of the University of Ghana.
Dr Appiah was found guilty of violating sections of the Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Policy as well as the Code of Conduct for Academic Staff.
He was expected to sign a written undertaking to be of good behaviour and refrain from engaging in similar conducts in a counselling programme.
Mrs Agyei-Mensah said he must issue a formal written apology to the complainant, be barred from applying for promotion for one year following the suspension, and undergo training on sexual harassment and misconduct, facilitated by the University’s sexual harassment committee.
However, among the students, one was suspended for two academic years for engaging in plagiarism, whereas two were suspended for one academic year for the possession of narcotics.
Two were also dismissed from their halls of residence for aiding and falsifying their residence registration documents, she said.
The rest were suspended for two academic semesters for threatening and assaulting other students, which resulted in the clashes between students of Commonwealth Hall and Mensah Sarbah Hall.
Mrs Agyei-Mensah noted that those sanctions were to serve as a deterrent to others, saying the University would not shield any member of its community involved in misconduct.
She stressed the appropriateness of the sanctions, which were in accordance with the University’s code of ethics in addressing misconduct on campus.
