The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has issued a stern warning to all public universities in Ghana against the normalization of the “Assistant Lecturer” rank within their academic structures.
In a letter addressed to Registrars of all public universities dated July 4, 2024, GTEC’s Acting Director-General, Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, emphasized that the Assistant Lecturer position is meant to be a transitional state, not a permanent rank.
The commission expressed concern over the increasing practice of public universities advertising for and appointing staff to this position, effectively creating a permanent “Assistant Lecturer” category.
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GTEC also made it clear that such appointments should only be considered under exceptional circumstances, such as a critical need for staff in disciplines where PhD holders are scarce.
“…appointments to this should be considered only when there is a genuine or critical need for additional staff in disciplines where terminal degree holders are hard to find,” GTEC posited.
“Even in such instances,” the letter reads, “appointments should be temporary, with the expectation that individuals will complete their PhD programs and progress to the permanent rank of Lecturer.”
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“All universities are therefore advised to desist from putting out advertisements seeking to recruit staff onto this state”
GTEC has urged all public universities to cooperate fully with this directive, ensuring that the Assistant Lecturer position remains a transitional stage and not a permanent rank within the academic hierarchy.
