DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL AND LIBERAL STUDIES

The Department of General and Liberal Studies (DGLS) has a trenchant focus on the arts and social sciences. It concentrates on teaching and research related to communication and health, as well as African studies and orthopedic practices, among others. As well, the Department offers support for the teaching of University-wide courses that are intended to widen the academic focus of all undergraduate students, especially in the areas of writing, referencing, documentation and critical thinking. The courses include Academic and Communicative Skills, African Studies, Functional French, Community Entry and Organization, Information Literacy, Medical Sociology, Medical Terminology, and Health Care System in Ghana. Thus, DGLS equips students with the skills to be able to read, listen, write and speak English, as well as document and retrieve information intelligently and in an intelligibly way. Through studies in Medical Sociology and African studies, the department shapes students to become meaningful participants in their communities.

VISION

1. To empower all undergraduate students of UHAS to appreciate the nexus between science, culture and health, as well as nurturing and nourishing them to develop keen sense of social responsibility.
2. To equip them with knowledge-based learning skills that will enable them acquire robust transferable intellectual and practical skills such as communication, referencing, analytical and problem-solving skills
3. To engage and collaborate with other researchers and scholars in public-facing initiatives that help in tackling pervasive health challenges using humanities and social science interfaces.

OBJECTIVES

1. To foster a multidisciplinary environment that enables both faculty members and students to thrive, stimulating creative energies that underpin enhanced performances in the health sector, with a sharp focus on service for humanity.
2. To prepare all undergraduate students in the University with academic and communicative skills that will empower them to effectively engage in their communicative tasks in the University environment.
3. To help the students develop a deeper appreciation for African systems of thought, knowledge, belief and cultural practices as foundations of life, focusing on how they can use this knowledge to develop analytical, social and verbal skills that will enhance their professional practice at the world of work.
4. To introduce students to various approaches of working with communities, equipping them with the skills that will enable them to become resourceful, humane, tolerant, considerate and caring.
5. To equip students with the skills that will enable them to navigate the complex information landscape, becoming critical thinkers who are able to function effectively in the academic and scientific environment, especially as this relates to using information resources to tackling health issues.
6. To equip students with in-depth knowledge of the health system in Ghana as it has developed over the years and the challenges that attend such a system.
7. To empower the students to view health as multidimensional, subsisting on cultural, political, economic and environmental factors.
8. To seek support for the establishment of a language laboratory and a centre for the teaching of French, English Language, Ewe, Akan, Health Communication and Dramatherapy.
9. To serve as a sub-regional centre of excellence for the research and teaching of Health Promotion, Advocacy and Behavior Change Communication.