Examining the Variables of Interest in Selecting Institutions for Affiliation by Mentee Tertiary Education Institutions in Ghana

Abstract

The study sought to examine the variables of interest in selection of institutions for affiliation by mentee tertiary institutions under the affiliation policy implementation in Ghanaian higher education system. The study adopted the descriptive survey to collect data from 70 respondents in 6 private tertiary institutions selected from the Greater Accra region. The questionnaire comprises of mostly closed-ended items with few open ended ones and data gathered analysed descriptively. The findings revealed that private universities under mentorship perceive the policy of institutional affiliation as policy introduced by the government to enable chartered public higher education institutions to mentor newly established higher educational institutions. It also revealed that mentee institutions consider some factors when selecting an institution for affiliation. It was also revealed that mentee institutions encounter challenges including increasing cost of affiliation fees as well as inflexible entry requirements for prospective students imposed. Based on the findings of the study it was recommended among others that Government of Ghana through the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) should assist non chartered tertiary education institutions (especially the private ones) to be able to provide tertiary education at affordable rates to citizens. The National Accreditation Board should continue the affiliation policy to serve as a quality assurance check on newly established tertiary education institutions. The National Accreditation Board should develop a uniform affiliation guidelines to mentors and mentees in the affiliation process.