PETITION OF VVU AUTHORITIES AND TEACHING PRACTICE BROUHAHA

Teaching Practice for level 300 came with numerous challenges right from the issuance of the teaching practice letters to the number of credit hours to be registered for the said course
The "Tag of War" is now centred on the number of credit hours legitimately allocated to the OFF CAMPUS TEACHING PRACTICE.
Some course representatives in the course of ensuring an effective discharge of their roles  decided to petitioned the school authorities so as more clarification is given to the entire domain of the students they represent

Below is the full statement

PETITION FOR THE SCRAPPING OR INJUNCTION OF THE IMPOSED OR
INTENDED IMPOSITION OF AN EXTRA 3-CREDIT HOUR TO THE OFF-
CAMPUS TEACHING PRACTICE COURSE( EDST 374)
We, the undersigned, write this petition for the scrapping or injunction of the imposed or yet
to be imposed extra 3-credit hour to one of our level 300 courses – Off Campus Teaching
Practice (OCTP).
Background: On the 28th February, 2017, we received a notification on our watsupp group
page dubbed “VVUSA SRC and Course Reps.” from one of the lecturers who happens to be
on the page, Mr. Abraham Okrah, also one of the organizers of the OCTP programme, to the
effect that the course is going to cost us an extra 3-Credit hour, a departure from the original
3-credit hour earmarked for the course.
The implication of this notification is that, the course is now worth 6-credit hour instead of
the initial 3-credit hour we have already registered for, during the first session of the second
semester, in conformity with the university’s financial policy on page 74 of the Academic
Bulletin.

In fact, this decision comes to us as a big shock since we always budget ahead of every

We, the undersigned in all humility call for the reversal or injunction of this decision for the
reasons stated below:
Rationale for reversal:
• The decision’s breach of the fundamental principle of the law of contract: We hold the
view that the whole process of securing admission into an educational institution is a
contract between the students on admission and the admitting authority or institution
who grants the admission. In addition to this, we maintain that documents such as
admission brochure and academic bulletins serve as the primary documents of
admissions, which ought to be adhered to religiously by both students on admission
and the school authorities and the institution as a whole.
In fact, apparent in the Valley View University Academic Bulletin, which covers the
duration between 2013-2018, the OCTP is to be taken as 3-Credit hour course, and
could not have justified the above stated decision or action.
Again, the admission brochure and forms were silent on the review of fees and credit
hours, let alone state the duration for such reviews and even the percentage of
increment. Relevant information of this nature would have influenced our decision
whether to enroll on a programme at Valley View University or otherwise. If there are
any doubts about admission of students into educational institutions being a contract, I
respectfully refer you to the law of contracts Act 1960(Act 25), section 11, which
states that contracts need not be in writing except in certain cases.
• The impromptu nature of the notification and the breach of natural justice: We are of
the considered view that a proper and prior consultation and notification of the Valley
View University Sandwich Students Association, of which we are automatic members
before the commencement of the first session of the second semester would have set
the tone for the incorporation of this decision stated supra into our personal budget
and hence accorded the decision some legitimacy.
Moreover, to the extent that the inability of a student to pay for the cost implied by
this decision could prevent him or her from graduating, we thought it would have
been in order for the authorities to have given us not less than a month’s notification
before the decision and its implementation.


Furthermore, the means, diction and nature of communicating this solemn decision, a
Whatsapp platform, with no letterhead, but mere messaging is palpably unofficial,
especially in the light of no prior knowledge of the decision by us.
• The decision’s proclivity to blemish the good reputation of Valley View University:
We maintain that Valley View University’s reputation which is anchored in
Excellence, Integrity and Service would be badly bruised if this decision is to prevail.
This is because the bitterness and rancor the decision generated in the hearts and
minds of the current level 300 students pursuing their OCTP course, would have a
trickle-down effect, in the form of disinterest and dissatisfaction among prospective
VVU students, especially, if you view it against the backdrop of the VVU policy that
induces continuing students to persuade prospective students to enroll on admission
into the university.
• The high cost already being incurred by students pursuing the OCTP: we also contend
that, the high cost of commuting from our basic schools of work to the Senior High
Schools of practice is imposing a lot of financial burden on us already, and therefore,
an imposition of an extra 3-credit hour, which will translate into some Ghȼ 165.00,
would be akin to giving three bags of cement to an already drowning person to carry.
We urge your high office and for that matter all the authorities of Valley View University that
in future when decisions of this magnitude is to be taken, there should be proper, prior and
official consultation and notification of the students’ representatives to an extension the
students body.
We are of the strong conviction that VVU remains arguably one of the best private
universities in Ghana which it must jealously guard. And we, the current crop of level 300
students will do everything it takes, now and in the future, to project the integrity and good
image of the university, so as to make it attractive to all manner of persons. It is with this
spirit that we issue this petition.
Long Live VVU. We thank you for your attention.
Note: The hard copies of the Watsapp page notification, the Students’ Brochure and pp 258
of the Academic Bulletin are attached to this document for your perusal.
Salu Divine – Stud. VVU.
 All level 300 Course Reps.
 Contacts:
 0242844136- Eng. Course Reps.
 0246675419- Social Course Reps.
 0246683506- Rel. Couse Reps.
 0240330170- Mngt Course Reps.
 0244166459- Maths Course Reps
 0244551908- Acct Course Reps.

cc:
 H.O.D- ART, SOCIAL SCIENCES AND RELIGION.
 SRC, PATRON.
 THE COORDINATOR, OCTP.
 Prez, VVU, SRC.
 Prez, VVUSSA.