University Policies
Quality Assurance Policy
The Quality Assurance Policy document provides the broad framework for achieving Quality Assurance in service delivery, as the university community strives to abide by its statutes, to achieve its vision and mission, and adhere to its core values. Quality Assurance must, in particular, provide a way of translating the vision, mission and core values of the university into continuously improving achievements and outputs which should at all times exceed the expectations of clients and stakeholders.
Teaching and Learning Policy
The KNUST Teaching and Learning policy seeks to provide the needed guidelines to ensure that the University offers innovative, demand driven academic programmes that facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and skills to contribute to the development of the nation.
Research Policy
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) recognizes and continues to create the right environment to promote research and scholarship that is informed by the principles of honesty, integrity, trust, accountability and collegiality. The University has chosen to be research-driven by prioritising scientific research for the benefit the community it serves. The university seeks to distinguish itself by the quality of its research and by the way teaching is informed by research.
Peer and Professional Evaluation of Teaching Policy
The rationale of this policy is to ensure that best practices are shared among peers in teaching and learning settings such as classrooms, studios, laboratories, clinics, field work, etc. Thus, the KNUST as a service provider, has a professional obligation to explore means of enhancing its teaching to improve student learning experiences. This document is intended to be the basis for promoting and evaluating a transformational student-centered and problem-based teaching and learning as envisaged in the KNUST Strategic Plan.
Guidelines for Course Codes, Names and Credit Hours
In order to appreciate the structure of our academic programmes, we need to understand the principles under which our courses are assigned some codes, names and credit hours. The purpose of this publication to is to trace the development of the principles and practices of course coding and credit loading to ensure consistency.
Policy on Ethical Review
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that research is conducted in an ethical manner across the University. In light of this, all researchers must be subjected to ethical review and approval prior to the implementation of research protocols notwithstanding the sources of funding. Again, all Principal Investigators must receive training on research ethics. The principles espoused in this policy cover the use of both human and animal subjects for research.
Animal Research Ethics Committee (AREC) Standard Operating Procedures
The main aim of the AREC is to uphold all national and international guidelines for protecting the rights and welfare of animals for teaching and research. The objective of this code of ethics is to ensure that members of the KNUST treat all animals in their control with due care and consideration for the animals’ welfare, and to use them in research and teaching in such a way as to cause them minimal stress and suffering.
Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (HuSSREC) Standard Operating Procedures
This Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) is an Ethical Review Policy Framework (ERPF) which establishes the fundamental principles of research ethics and scientific integrity. It serves as the foundation for the Humanities and Social Sciences research at the KNUST.
Ethics Policy
KNUST recognises that it has an obligation to all its stakeholders to observe and maintain high ethical standards in all transactions. The rationale of this policy is to provide a document that will set the standard of behaviour for all members of the KNUST community with regards to ethical and morale issues as part of quality improvement.
Equality and Diversity Policy
The University upholds the principle that, in their areas of expertise, relevant staff of the University shall have freedom within the law to hold and express opinion, to question and test established ideas and receive wisdom, and to present controversial or unpopular points of view without placing in jeopardy their employment or any entitlements or privileges they enjoy.
Health and Safety Policy
The purpose of this policy is to demonstrate the University’s commitment to comply with the general requirements of Section 118 of the Labour Act, 2003 Act 651 on Occupational health and Safety and other statutory instruments to manage workplace hazards and provide an approved systematic approach and guidance to enable staff to effectively manage risk.
KNUST HIV/AIDS Policy
This policy document seeks to facilitate basic requirements of education and prevention, mainstreaming HIV/AIDS into university curriculum, peer counselling, blood safety and occupational health and safety, the impact of incidence of HIV/AIDS on the social and human resource capacity, comprehensive treatment including anti-retroviral therapy, post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The cost and benefits assessments, mechanisms of HIV infection prevalence and risk assessment and confidentiality management are also addressed.
Disability Policy
A disability policy has become necessary in order to provide a framework by which KNUST can adequately raise awareness and demonstrate commitment to disability issues as it integrates staff and students with disabilities into the university’s physical and social environment.
Intellectual Property (IP) Policy
The policy aims to create an enabling environment that will promote the progress of science, technology and innovation to ensure the protection of inventions, creations and new knowledge generated by the KNUST community for the greatest benefit of the public.
Maintenance Policy
The aim of the maintenance policy is to provide guidelines for actions that would ensure that the assets are efficiently and effectively maintained to support the University’s strategic objectives. This Maintenance Policy therefore seeks to systematically comply with the requirements of the disability law and in consonance with KNUST’s Disability Policy. KNUST recognises its role in valuing and promoting diversity, fairness, social justice and equality of opportunity by adopting and promoting fair policies and procedures, as provided in the Disability Policy.
Mentorship Policy
The overall goal of the policy is to empower new and continuing faculty by supporting their professional growth, renewal and development. It also seeks to promote faculty satisfaction through dialectical relationship with peers and senior faculty that can foster a sense of community.
Guidelines for the Conduct of Tracer Studies
Tracer studies seek to document changes in the lives of graduates of KNUST and determine the extent to which the training given during studies has contributed to the changes observed. It further influences the decision-making process or policy formulation through the provision of empirically driven feedback. This guideline is aimed at providing a broad unified framework to guide tracer studies at specific units in the university.
Gender Policy
The Gender Policy seeks to build an equitable University environment devoid of discrimination in order to harnesses the full potentials of all staff and students, regardless of sex or circumstance. It will furthermore promote the enjoyment of fundamental human rights by all in order to enhance the health, social, economic and political well-being of all members of the University community for the maximization and optimization of the full potentials of all for the institutional development of the University.
Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
The University is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all its students and employees free from discrimination and intimidation on any grounds and from harassment at work including sexual harassment. The University will operate a zero-tolerance policy for any form of sexual harassment in the workplace, treat all incidents seriously and promptly investigate all allegations of sexual harassment. All complaints of sexual harassment will be taken seriously and treated with respect and in confidence. No one will be victimised for making such a complaint.
Open Educational Resource (OER) Policy
KNUST envisions that it will be a leading developer of OERs while the use of its own as well as other OERs will become fully incorporated into teaching and learning at all levels within the institution to further ensure that the highest standards of education are achieved. This policy therefore guides the promotion, development and usage of OERs within all colleges and departments of KNUST.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy
To achieve the strategic objectives of the University, it is necessary that there must be ways of interactions and sharing of knowledge within the university as well as the outside world. Information and Communication Technology has been recognised as an efficient tool for achieving these objectives. The increasing role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a vehicle for teaching, learning and research, and also as an important key skill for everyday life, has led to ICT moving towards the core of the University curriculum and also responding to the vision, mission and strategic priorities of the University.
Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual
The accounting principles of the University shall be consistent with all applicable laws. These include Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and other laws and regulations relevant to the financial management of the University. The University is a public institution and complies fully with existing laws and regulations governing the conduct of public financial management. The existing regulations include the Financial Administration Act 2003. (ACT 654), the Public Procurement Act 2003, (ACT 663), the Internal Audit Agency Act 2003, (ACT658), the Internal Revenue Act 2000, (ACT 592), the National Pension Act 2008, (ACT 766) and the Statutes of the University.