THE CHALLENGES AFFECTING THE GROWTH OF CHARTERED PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA

Abstract

Purpose - This study investigates the challenges confronting chartered private universities in Ghana.

Methods - Random sampling and purposive techniques were used to select a sample size of 287, representing 63% of the academic staff from the selected institutions. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using a sequential mixed-methods approach. The Relative Importance Index (RII) was used to rank the challenges, while qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach to interpret the responses.

Findings - The findings revealed that the lack of government support for chartered private universities was the most pressing concern for the management of these institutions. The second major challenge was increasing competition from other universities in Ghana and internationally. It was also observed that the substantial financial resources required to operate private universities ranked third among twelve key decision-making concerns. Meeting the regulatory requirements set by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) was ranked sixth, indicating a relatively cordial relationship between private universities and the regulator.

Conclusion and Recommendation - Private institutions should use their cordial relationship with the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) to seek for more funding. Furthermore, GTEC's expertise can help private institutions build strategic initiatives that lessen their dependency on tuition fees by allowing access to alternate financing sources and income generation options. But all of this is limited by a shortage of funds, as school fees remained the primary source of revenue and were unsustainable.