Running in Circles

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We spent most of the day in our office at Adult Education trying to get up to speed with registration. Making sure we have all the correct letters and paperwork needed to get this to all worked out and finalized.

Early that afternoon we paid another visit to the International office. There they gave us a package containing their letters requesting that the Graduate Studies and research Department be the ones that should register us. Of course, I do not really know the true contents of the envelope, it only an educated guess on the contents of the envelope they handed us, because the secretary made sure to thoroughly staple the envelop shut in front of Chantel and I. Thus only further sparking our interest.

Once again Reuben had Mr. Adota drive us to Graduate Studies and Research Department. We waited for Ms. Kwaa outside her office on the dusty floor. It never dawn us to call, to inquire about her availability. We were told bye the sectary on Friday to come during the early afternoon. I think we were slowly easing into and adapting to Ghana’s way of administration. And by ‘Ghana’s Way’ I mean slow, in circles, redundant, inefficient frustrating, time consuming, dead end, answerless and painful. Of course this attitude could just be from me placing my arrogant western standard of administration and paperwork on another system that is clearly culturally different.

After waiting outside Ms. Kwaa’s Office for 30 minutes, we saw her coming out of another room down the hall. She informed us that she was currently in a meeting and that we were luck to catch her, since she was only going got grab something for the meeting. We quickly explained to her, that we had an envelope from the International Office requesting our registration with her office. She told us she was currently in a meeting with the department’s Dean and Assistant Dean. We were asked to sit in the waiting as she re-entered her meeting and brief them about our request. Ten minutes later, she reappeared and asked us to join them.

CHANTEL - After all that we’ve been through and now we are being told that we have are to join a meeting with the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Not that we aren’t already under enough stress - I have another panic attack - what do we say? How do we defend ourselves? I am sure they are wondering what we’re up to, how often do you find two undergraduate Canadian girls wandering around campus saying they are doing “research” no wonder we get all these weird looks!!! All this pressure, since when did we become responsible adults? I haven’t had any say in any of this - I want to go back to being anonymous undergrads that just go with the program. Actual no I don’t. I am well known for liking the drama and this is our chance to prove that we can do this. Which I know we can. I am just being a spazz.

AN - The Dean asked us where we were from and what brought us to Ghana. When he found out we were Canadians, he said, “I studied in Saskatoon.” The Dean also asked us what our research intent was. Both Chantel and I went into our memorized spiel about our individual disciplines our goals while working with the Queen Mothers Association and the Theories we hope to discover. Both the Dean and the Assistant Dean listen intently. They were both very interested in what we had to say. After we were both done speaking the Dean of Graduate Studies questioned and commented on our research intent, quite extensively. It appeared that he actually listened and cared. He commented on our goals and asked us questions that helped me look at other variables that I may have overlooked. When the Dean was done with speaking about our research intent, he told us that unfortunately because we were not grad students, we couldn’t registered under his department, and that it should be the responsibility of the International office to register us. However he ended our conversation with, “But if you need any help, we are happy to help, we can help you in any way unofficially.”

When we left the office, Chantel and I felt we were at square one all over again. However, this time, instead of passing us off and dismissing us, the Dean at the Graduate Department was really nice and caring. So even though, we still got nowhere, it didn’t feel as awful this time.

CHANTEL - An and I feel fairly confident that if we do not go to grad school in Canada then the University of Ghana grad department will probably take us. We just have to remember to plan and get organized months and months in advanced.

AN - So Mr. Adotai drove us back to Reuben’s office, where we told Reuben what happened, and then were headed to the International office. When we got there and told them that Graduate Studies and Research will not register us on the account that we are not graduate students.

International office replay was, “Okay, we will write a letter for you to be registered under our office as special admission students.” They further explained that the letter will be sent to the registrars office. When they heard anything, they would call us. And that was it; it was currently no longer in our hands.

We left the office pretty upset, all those days that turned into weeks of running around, accomplishing nothing. And in the end the International office finally agreed to register us.

We experienced our second lights out ever. From six in the evening to six in the morning there is no poser and no water. This makes really smelly students and even smellier washrooms.

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Comments

[Marilyn]

masters in Ghana?
Might be very interesting?