Why the UG School of Law Endowment Fund Matters

It is interesting that a lot of articles defer to the coronavirus pandemic as a landmark period for significant changes in the way we do things. Of a truth, it will be disingenuous to discredit the rude awakening COVID-19 brought the world, particularly in terms of how much needed to be changed.  Elemental changes to processes that were hitherto, considered unamendable demonstrates the powerful social effects COVID-19 had. For what it’s worth, particularly in light of its deathly effects, there is grace to be inferred in the progressiveness that was forced out of us by the pandemic.

In September 2019, some four months before Ghana will begin to pay any active attention to the pandemic’s potency, the School of Law at the University of Ghana was drawing its strategic objectives that will be in force for the next five years. One of the objectives included “leveraging resources and infrastructure for improving the Teaching and Learning environment”. This necessarily implied the school’s realization that it had a rare opportunity to make the study of the law easier for students. Of course, this may have arisen from several concerns from some students on the mental toll the study of law was having on them. It will justify the inclusion of a goal to “put student, staff and faculty wellbeing and welfare first” in this important set of strategic objectives the school was setting.

And then COVID-19 struck! Schools were shut! An entire academic year stood in limbo, unsure what the next course of action will be.

The details from this point are not as important as the necessity that was suddenly laid on the School of Law to move from 1% to 100% virtual teaching and learning. Maybe, the Zoom subscription was not going to be a challenge. However, there was new need to digitize all teaching and learning materials.

In our opinion, some of the real challenges will be seen in the internet connectivity issues that plagued the teaching and learning experience in this period. While we may not like to admit it, there were still students who struggle to own or have access to smart devices with which they could participate in these processes.

At the recently held Ghana Bar Association Conference in Bolgatanga, the Dean of the University of Ghana School of Law, Prof. Raymond Atuguba told the members of the Association that some students had to deal with new learning difficulties and psychological issues as a result of this new reality. Change is a difficult process and may be reacted to differently by different people. For some, removing the advantage of a physical teaching and learning process overcomplicates an already strenuous program and could potentially affect the ability of students to study.

It has been over a year now. Schools have resumed amid emerging strategies to protect ourselves against the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, we will be the lesser for it, if we do not take lessons from this experience and prepare ourselves to be able to deal with any such situation in the future that confronts our ability to teach and study in a hassle-free environment.

In any case, the School of Law at the University of Ghana is rapidly growing and constantly invites stakeholders to commit to its infrastructural expansion. This is why the Endowment Fund is important!

What is the Endowment Fund?

It is the audacity of students, trusting the inspiration of their leaders, in light of recent happenings, to raise $150 million dollars in 10 years that will be used to review the school’s curricula, expand the building and ensure the welfare of students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The Fund is expected to be launched by the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on the Future of Legal Education in Ghana/Africa.

Presently, the Endowment Fund receives contributions from the University of Ghana budget for the school, external partnerships the University has with other institutions, research grants that are awarded to the University, state institutions such as the Ghana Cocoa Board, private companies, educational nonprofit organizations and the legal confraternity.

Nonetheless, as is often the case, these are not sustainable sources because let’s face it, funds for tertiary education are dwindling and the monies obtained from grants and foundations almost, always have conditionalities. A need for constant stream of funds that are without these ties and obligations has never been more necessary.

What Donors Can Expect

The ambition has received enormous support from Judges, lawyers and law firms. With the President undertaking the launch, it is easy to describe the Executive’s unwavering support as well. Nonetheless, there is no mistaking the fact that this will require more than a few endorsements from the state’s big shots.

The University of Ghana School of Law has drawn a number of incentives for donors including unlimited access to library resources and rare legal materials.

Extraordinary donors can also expect that designated areas will be named after them. Meanwhile, all donors will be duly recognized and have their names displayed.

At a time where legal education in Ghana has consistently been in the news, mostly not for pleasant reasons, there is a spark of confidence in the fact that the Endowment Fund will significantly conclude the conversation on training quality lawyers to ensure the sustenance and righteousness of the legal profession.

This author believes that it will also be cool to have a law school that matches the best, internationally.

Learn more about donating to the Endowment Fund here; https://ugschooloflaw.org/