Dozens of final-year students at the African University of Communication and Business (AUCB) have rejected the university’s decision to issue them AUCB degrees instead of certificates under the seal of the University of Ghana (UG).
They insist they were admitted under the University of Ghana affiliation and must graduate under the same framework. The affected students, 253 in total from the 2022/2023 admission cohort, say they enrolled when the institution operated as the African University College of Communications (AUCC) under UG’s academic mentorship and certification structure.
According to the students, management’s sudden move to replace the expected UG degrees with AUCB certificates breaches the understanding and representations on which they accepted admission.
The dispute follows an April 27, 2026 directive from AUCB management announcing that students would receive AUCB degrees after the institution secured a Presidential Charter in December 2024.
The charter granted the university autonomy to award its own degrees and marked AUCC’s transition into AUCB.However, the students argue the charter should not apply retroactively to those admitted before the institution attained its new status.
They maintain that throughout their studies, they operated fully under the UG affiliation system. They cite “AUUG” index numbers, affiliate-related fees, UG-moderated curricula, and exams supervised under the UG affiliation structure.
Admission letters and institutional documents, they say, consistently referenced the UG arrangement, reinforcing their expectation of graduating with UG-affiliated degrees. Some students also point to provisions in the student handbook stating that graduates under the affiliation would receive certificates under the seal of the affiliate or mentoring institution.
“We were admitted under the University of Ghana affiliation structure and everything throughout our education reflected that arrangement. It is unfair to change the degree structure at the final stage of our programme,” one affected student said.
The students add that the timing of the announcement, weeks before final exams and without broad consultation, has deepened anxiety and uncertainty on campus. Several say the issue goes beyond the name on the certificate and touches on trust, institutional accountability, and the expectations under which they made financial and academic commitments.
The students are demanding that management rescind or suspend the directive and formally confirm that all 2022/2023 students admitted under the AUCC-UG affiliation will receive degrees under the University of Ghana seal. They are also urging the university to engage UG to resolve the matter amicably and protect what they call their “accrued academic rights.” Some students warn that if management fails to address their concerns, they may pursue further actions, including petitions and legal remedies, to challenge the decision.
