139 UG students benefit from the Vice-Chancellor’s 1S1L Initiative
139 students from the University have benefitted from the Vice-Chancellor’s One Student One Laptop (1S1L) Initiative, a scheme targeted at enhancing the UG student experience through digitalisation.
At a brief ceremony held at the Cedi Conference Centre, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, presented laptops to the 139 beneficiary students.
This adds to the tally of over 300 laptops that have been presented to beneficiaries, since the first distribution exercise in August 2022. Two separate events were previously held for 50 students in the Department of Computer Science and 75 presented to Graduate Students by the West African Genetic Medicine Centre (WAGMC).
Welcoming attendees to the ceremony, the Director of the Public Affairs Directorate, Dr. Elizier Taiba Ameyaw-Buronyah noted that the 1S1L is a significant initiative in the University’s journey towards enhancing educational opportunities for students as well as enhancing the UG student experience through digitalisation.
She recounted the launch of the initiative on April 20, 2022, as part of the Vice-Chancellor's visionary 3-pronged tech-driven initiatives, which seek to equip students with a crucial tool for academic and personal growth. “To ensure equitable access to technology, a select number of laptops will be presented, entirely free of charge to the beneficiaries, taking into account the academic performance and financial need of the students. This assistance, facilitated through the Student Financial Aid Office, aims to eliminate financial barriers to our students' success,” Dr. Ameyaw-Buronyah added.
Outlining the purpose of gathering at the ceremony, Chairperson of the 1S1L Implementation Committee who doubles as the Director of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), Prof. Peter Quartey said it was the Vice Chancellor's vision of ensuring students are equipped with digital tools to improve the teaching and learning process.
He also mentioned that more initiatives would be introduced in the future to provide students with the necessary tools to prepare them for the professional world after graduation.
Prof. Quartey encouraged students to promote the 1S1L initiative among their peers, emphasising that it is aimed at benefiting students and not generating profit for the University.
Prof. Ernest Yaw Tweneboah-Koduah, Head of the Selection Committee, provided insights into the selection process. He explained that students eligible for the laptops were primarily undergraduates and graduate students involved in academic research. “An application process was conducted, with students ranked based on their grade point averages”, Prof. Tweneboah-Koduah detailed.
In presenting the laptops to the beneficiaries, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo said, "my vision as Vice-Chancellor is for us to train students who are critical thinkers, who are technologically adaptive and culturally sensitive and ready for industry in the 21st century. The student should be digitally set no matter your discipline to make ready for industry after school."
She also expressed her satisfaction with the progress made with the implementation of the initiative and the number of students who have so far benefited from the initiative.
Prof. Amfo expressed gratitude to the benefactors who have generously donated to support the initiative. She also commended the 1S1L Implementation Committee for their dedicated efforts in leading the charge for the implementation of the initiative.
Prof. Amfo also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the Students Financial Aid Office in the selection process, ensuring that deserving students have access to this essential tool for their academic journey, and the Public Affairs Directorate for supporting the initiative.
The Presidents of GRASAG-UG and UGSRC, Claudius Angsongna and Frank Tsikata respectively, in separated remarks, expressed their appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor, donors, and the members of the 1S1L Implementation Committee. They also urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the laptops, while ensuring that they are well kept.
The UGSRC President, Frank Tsikata on his part announced that plans are advanced for the SRC to support the initiative by making some donations to the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.
The Vice-Chancellor's 1S1L Initiative continues to make strides in supporting students in their pursuit of academic excellence and personal growth, enabling them to thrive in an increasingly digital world.