{"id":90110,"date":"2025-08-17T11:24:45","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T11:24:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=90110"},"modified":"2025-08-17T11:24:45","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T11:24:45","slug":"stop-using-unearned-academic-title-or-face-us-in-court-gtec-writes-to-chief-of-staff-on-deputy-minister-of-health-grace-ayensu-danquahs-title","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=90110","title":{"rendered":"Stop using \u2018unearned\u2019 academic title or face us in court \u2013 GTEC writes to Chief of Staff on Deputy Minister of Health Grace Ayensu-Danquah\u2019s title"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), currently on a national campaign to prevent the use of unearned academic titles in Ghana and enforce the law on the abuse, has concluded that the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah does not hold the academic title \u201cProfessor in any capacity\u201d.<\/p>\n

GTEC has consequently written to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, as her employer, to ensure that she ceases presenting herself as such.<\/p>\n

GTEC has also threatened that, should Dr Ayensu-Danquah continue to use the title \u201cProfessor\u201d, the Commission may be compelled to pursue legal action on grounds of public deception.<\/p>\n

This was contained in a letter dated August 12, 2025, from GTEC, addressed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, a copy of which has been sighted by\u00a0Graphic Online.<\/p>\n

The first correspondence was in a letter dated August 4, 2025, from GTEC to Dr. Ayensu-Danquah, with the Chief of Staff and Clerk of Parliament copied.<\/p>\n

In that letter, reference was made to a personal interaction between the Board Chairman of GTEC and Dr Grace Ayensu-Danquah regarding her use of the academic title \u201cProfessor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the said letter, the Commission requested Dr Ayensu-Danquah to provide verifiable evidence of her appointment to the rank of Professor with a deadline of August 11, 2025.<\/p>\n

Subsequently, on August 8, 2025, solicitors for Dr. Ayensu-Danquah, represented by David K. Ametefe, responded to the Commission.<\/p>\n

In their correspondence, they stated that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah had\u00a0been appointed as an Assistant Professor of Surgery by the University of Utah, USA.<\/p>\n

They also questioned the authority of GTEC to request such evidence, given that the appointment was made outside the jurisdiction of Ghana.<\/p>\n

According to GTEC, \u201cinstead of documentary evidence of a Professorial appointment, the solicitors submitted a letter from the University of Utah, signed by Prof. W. Bradford Rockwell, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs of the Department of Surgery, dated August 7, 2025.<\/p>\n

And that letter, a copy of which has also been sighted by Graphic Online, indicated that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah was appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSir, the Commission wishes to clarify the following key points:<\/p>\n

1. Contrary to the assertion in the letter from her solicitors, Dr. Ayensu-Danquah was not appointed as an Assistant Professor but as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, as clearly stated in the letter from the University of Utah. The omission of the word \u201cAdjunct\u201d by her legal representatives is both misleading and troubling.<\/p>\n

2. According to the letter from Dr. Rockwell, the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor is not a tenure-track role. He further explains that academic position titles used by the University of Utah may not directly correspond to those within Ghana\u2019s academic framework.<\/p>\n

3. For clarity, within\u00a0the context of Ghanaian higher education, an Adjunct Assistant Professor is\u00a0roughly equivalent to a\u00a0Part-time Lecturer<\/strong>, and not even comparable to the rank of\u00a0Senior Lecturer<\/strong>, let alone\u00a0Professor,\u201d\u00a0<\/strong>the letter stated.<\/p>\n

4. GTEC indicated that it was based on the above that the Commission has concluded that Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah does not hold the title of Professor in any capacity.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe therefore respectfully call on you, her employer, to ensure that she ceases presenting herself as such. Should Dr. Ayensu-Danquah continue to use the title \u201cProfessor\u201d, the Commission may be compelled to pursue legal action on grounds of public deception,\u201d the GTEC letter signed Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai as Director-General added.<\/p>\n

Dear Madam,<\/em>
REQUEST FOR DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE OF ACADEMIC TITLE (PROFESSOR)<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

We refer to your recent engagement with the Chairman of the Board of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), during which preliminary discussions were held concerning the basis on which you currently bear the title of \u201cProfessor.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Following this engagement, the Commission is formally requesting that you submit official documentary\u00a0evidence of your appointment or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor through a recognized academic process.<\/em><\/p>\n

For the avoidance of doubt, GTEC is deeply concerned about the inappropriate use of academic titles that\u00a0have not been duly earned or conferred by accredited academic institutions. The use of such titles \u2013 especially where they lack formal academic validation-is misleading and contrary to the established\u00a0academic protocols and standards governing the conferment and usage of academic ranks in Ghana.<\/em><\/p>\n

Hon. for your information and guidance, the standard academic progression in Ghana follows this<\/em>
sequence:\u00a0Lecturer \u2192 Senior Lecturer \u2192 Associate Professor \u2192 Professor<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It is acknowledged that in some countries, such as the United States, academic titles may be used more\u00a0informally, and many teaching staff may be referred to as \u201cProfessor\u201d regardless of their official rank.<\/em><\/p>\n

However, such informal conventions do not align with the formal academic ranking system recognized\u00a0and upheld in Ghana.<\/em><\/p>\n

In light of the above, the Commission respectfully requests that you provide the following documentation\u00a0by 11th August, 2025:<\/em><\/p>\n