As part of our commitment to bridging theory and practice, students enrolled in the MPhil in Administration in Higher Education programme at the Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (IEPA), University of Cape Coast, embarked on an enriching academic engagement with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) in Accra.

The visit, which took place in the boardroom of the Commission, offered students a first-hand opportunity to understand the external quality assurance mechanisms used to regulate and monitor tertiary education institutions across the country. This interactive session formed a crucial practical component of the students’ course on Quality Assurance and Management in Higher Education—a subject that anchors the future of credible, accountable, and transformative tertiary education systems.

From Theory to Practice: Bridging the Gap
In a field where administrators are increasingly expected to understand policy, compliance, and institutional quality, the experience at GTEC allowed students to move beyond classroom theories and engage with real-world regulatory practices. GTEC officials provided an in-depth overview of their role in safeguarding quality through institutional accreditation, programme evaluation, and ongoing monitoring processes.

Students were particularly exposed to:

• The policy frameworks that guide quality assurance in Ghanaian higher education,
• Procedures for institutional accreditation and programme approval,
• How GTEC collaborates with public and private institutions to ensure compliance, and
• The challenges and emerging trends in higher education quality assurance, including digital learning and cross-border education.

The session also allowed for open dialogue, where students asked critical questions about the future of higher education in Ghana and the Commission’s role in strengthening institutional accountability and student outcomes.

Present at the session were Ms. Stella Affutu, a Research Fellow at IEPA, and Dr. Ansah, a Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer at IEPA, who both accompanied the students and facilitated reflections during and after the engagement. Their presence provided continuity between course content and the experiential learning process, helping students connect policy frameworks with lived administrative realities.

Appreciation and the Path Ahead
IEPA expresses profound gratitude to GTEC for their warm reception, openness, and dedication to shaping the next generation of higher education leaders. The Commission’s willingness to share institutional insights affirms the importance of collaboration between regulators and academic institutions in promoting effective leadership in the sector.

The MPhil in Administration in Higher Education is designed to develop critical thinkers, policy-aware practitioners, and skilled administrators equipped to lead tertiary institutions into the future. Experiences such as the GTEC visit are central to this mission.

As one student reflected after the visit:

    “This experience clarified so many things I had only read about. I now
     understand not just the ‘what’ of quality assurance, but the ‘why’ and ‘how’
     behind it.”

Interested in shaping the future of education?
IEPA invites aspiring education professionals to enrol in its range of postgraduate programmes designed to develop strategic thinkers and policy leaders in the education sector.

Visit iepa.ucc.edu.gh. to learn more!!