About the Academic Registry
The Academic Registry acts as the custodian for student records and academic information at the University. Whether you are a student with questions about the registration process or an alum looking to get academic documents, our goal is for your interaction with the Academic Registry to be both efficient and helpful.
All requests can be submitted to the Academic Registry Office at: academicregistry@ashesi.edu.gh, or in person during regular operating hours in Radichel Hall 214.
Programme Structure & Pre-requisites
Nearly half of all students live in on-campus housing, with other students living in private housing facilities within walking distance of campus. Our dorms, just as the rest of campus, are built to foster community and cultural learning. With over 30 countries represented on campus, students will find many opportunities for making new friendships and learning about different parts of the world.
Grading Policies
Student work is evaluated throughout the semester through examinations, quizzes, research and writing assignments, projects and participation in class discussions. Final exams and/or projects typically comprise 40% of the final grade for a course.
The following guidelines* are not intended to dictate exact grade distributions in courses but are rather intended to prevent grade inflation and to provide useful benchmarks for the benefit of course instructors and external reviewers. Not all courses will assign A’s or E’s for instance, depending on the actual quality of work submitted by the students.
Grade | Score | Grade Point | Description |
A+ | 85-100 | 4.00 | Excellent |
A | 80-84 | 4.00 | Excellent |
B+ | 75-79 | 3.50 | Very Good |
B | 70-74 | 3.00 | Very Good |
C+ | 65-69 | 2.50 | Good |
C | 60-64 | 2.00 | Satisfactory |
D+ | 55-59 | 1.50 | Pass |
D | 50-54 | 1.00 | Pass |
E | Below 50 | 0.00 | Fail |
I | — | — | Incomplete |
A ‘D’ grade does not count towards credits in a major area of study, nor does it count towards prerequisites for other courses.
Grade | Quality of Writing |
A |
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B |
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C |
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D |
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E |
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Attending and participating in class, practical sessions and discussion sessions are essential to the process of learning at Ashesi. Students bene t from lectures and discussions with their teachers and classmates. By missing classes, students are failing to take advantage of and contribute to the full potential of Ashesi’s educational experience. As such, faculty members will take attendance and participation into account in assigning students’ grades. While each faculty will determine how class attendance affects students’ grades, general guidelines at Ashesi are as follows.
- An absence may affect the student’s grade. If an absence is due to illness, the student should bring documentation from a health professional to the faculty, and if approved, the absence should not affect the student’s grade.
- Faculty members are not required to administer substitute assignments or examinations for students who have missed class without prior notifcation and approval, or in the absence of approved documentation from a health professional.
- If a student misses the equivalent of more than three weeks of classes over the course of a semester, an instructor may fail the student in the course, or, in the event that the absence was due to a proven illness or other emergency, the student may seek permission from the Dean of Students or Provost for an Incomplete grade.
- Students are required to turn off cell phones and any other devices that could beep or emit other distracting sounds during class sessions. Note that the University imposes a ne of GHC50 on students whose mobile phones or other devices ring/emit sounds during class; the offender’s phone will be seized and released upon payment of the ne. This rule will be enforced strictly.
- Eating in the classrooms is prohibited whether or not lectures are in session. Students are however allowed to bring water to the classrooms.
Students will be placed on academic probation if, at the end of any regular semester, their cumulative grade- point average GPA is less than 2.0 (C average).
Students will be subject to dismissal from Ashesi University if (1) they fail to make normal degree progress, or (2) after one or more consecutive regular semesters on academic probation they have not achieved either a semester or cumulative GPA of 2.0.
Exiting probation (i.e., achieving a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher) is required for graduation.
A grade of at least a D+ is required in all classes that are prerequisites to other classes, and every class in the student’s major. A grade of at least a D is required in all other required core classes. A student who does not meet the minimum grade requirement for a core or major required class must repeat the entire class. Under no circumstance will a student be allowed to do partial work (e.g. a paper, exam, or project) to fulfil the requirements for a class he/she must repeat.
A student may take extra classes that are not core or major required classes. All grades earned in all classes taken at Ashesi, required or not, and even if E’s, will contribute to the student’s grade point average (GPA).
A student may repeat a class only if the grade on record is D+, D or E.
Students may take a class for the third time only after meeting with an academic advisor and obtaining written approval from the Provost. Students are not allowed to take a course for a fourth time. Students must register for repeated classes, and maximum class load requirements per semester must be fulfilled (see section 5.13).
All instances of the course will appear on the student’s transcript, however
the course will not be counted multiple times toward graduation requirements. The most recent grade of a repeated course replaces the earlier grade(s) for that course in calculating the GPA.
An Incomplete (“I”) grade may be assigned only if the student has been given permission for an Incomplete by the Dean of Students or the Provost because of an emergency or illness. An Incomplete is appropriate only if the student’s work in a course has been of passing quality and a minority of the work of the course is left outstanding, as determined by the instructor. The instructor must agree with the student on a date for the completion of the work, which must be approved by the Provost; an effort should be made to complete remaining work by the first week of the following semester. An Incomplete grade must be replaced by a final grade within two weeks of the completion of the work. If the work is not completed by the agreed upon date, either the grade will revert to an “E” or whatever grade the student earned assuming a 0 on the incomplete work, or the completion deadline will be extended by the Provost.
In the case of an incomplete grade being assigned for financial reasons, the fees must be paid and the course completed prior to the second day of class of the following regular semester (or the summer term if the student seeks to take summer courses). Otherwise all academic records for that semester will be nullified, and the student will have to repeat courses taken that semester.
(Note: some language adopted from Mount Holyoke College).
Registry Forms
All requests can be submitted to the Academic Registry Office or in person during regular business hours.
Our composite Petition Form has been designed to provide the following services to students: late course addition, late registration, removal of an incomplete grade, change of major, request for a make-up examination, waiver of a course pre-requisite, late drop requests for courses, auditing a course, and adding an extra course beyond required courses for any semester.You must obtain the required signatures before submitting the form to the Academic Registry. Petitions are subject to final approval by the Academic Registry, and it should be noted that petitions might not be approved.
Complete the Petition Form here to request for any of the nine services listed on the form.
An instructor who needs to change a student’s course grade after submission because of an error or omission must download and complete the Change of Grade and Completion Form, obtain a signature from the Provost, and return it to the Academic Registry which will process the grade change.
Are you in good academic standing and wish to take a semester or two away from Ashesi? Do you wish to withdraw voluntarily from Ashesi? Have you been suspended (not dismissed) or elected to defer your studies and you are ready to return to Ashesi? Download and complete the Interruption of Studies Form and return it to the Academic Registry.
The Registry provides various academic services to students. If you are in good financial standing with the University, you can request for any academic service you may need, such as transcripts, letter of attestation, proficiency in English and various forms of letters of introduction by downloading and completing the Academic Services Request Form.
Requests for Letters of Introduction require at least two days to process. However, requests for Letters of Introduction to embassies and/or high commissions should be made at least two weeks before visa appointment. Letters will be ready for pick up on Fridays if requests are made latest by Tuesday of that week.
For issues relating to transcripts, your first two transcripts are free. Additional transcripts cost $10 per copy. Payment must be done in advance, by cash or by check only, payable to Ashesi University. Do not mail cash.
- Requests must be received by Monday of every week, and will be ready for pickup by Thursday of the same week.
- If you wish to receive your transcripts via courier, you will be required to pay the courier rates.
- If you wish to pick up your transcripts in person, you can do so from the Academic Registry.
- If you wish to have someone pick up transcripts on your behalf, that person must bring a signed letter from you, indicating your student I.D. number and giving them permission to claim your transcript.
- Transcripts include all coursework attempted at the University (please verify in the Student Information System that all grades have been recorded before placing a transcript order).
- Transcripts will not be produced for anyone who has past-due financial obligations to the University.
- Are you receiving a degree this semester? If so, transcripts ordered prior to the official date of your graduation will not include confirmation of your degree. Please wait until after your degree has been conferred to order your transcript if you want to have your graduation noted.
- For more information, please contact the Academic Registry at 030 2610 330 or send an email to academicregistry@ashesi.edu.gh to request for specific guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are committed to helping families provide a quality education for their wards. Making the transition from high school to university life can be overwhelming for students. However, with your support, we can make sure students have amazing experience at Ashesi. Here a few pointers, based on questions we have received from parents. The list below will be updated periodically, so do let us know if there is any information we should add.
I need help with classes. What resources are available?
There are many resources at the university to help students who are struggling academically. Ashesi has several teaching support centres to help strengthen a student’s competency in math, writing, computer science and research. Also, most classes have a faculty intern assigned to the faculty and course, who provides additional support both in and out f regular classroom sessions. The first step is for your ward to inform his/her faculty and faculty intern so that their situation can be assessed appropriately; and if the student still has challenges, they can go to their academic advisor for further assistance.
I feel very stressed out. What should I do?
In the transition from high school to university, most students experience some stress in adjusting. Ashesi has several counseling structures in place to help students settle – covering both academic and social life. However, if you believe you are not adjusting the way you expect, please contact the Counseling, Coaching, and Advising Office. The Dean will arrange to meet with you and/or your ward and help you determine necessary steps to be taken.
Ashesi has work study programs that provide students with the opportunity to earn money and work experience from interning with different university departments. Work study opportunities are open each year for students to apply. Your ward can contact the Career Services Center for more information.
If a student has adequate medical reason, they may be advised to withdraw from the University or take an Incomplete grade in their classes, to allow them to continue their academic work at a later time when they get better.
Getting an Incomplete Grade
For a student to get an Incomplete grade in a course, the student must be given permission by the Dean of Students or the Provost. An Incomplete grade in a course is appropriate only if the student’s work in a course has been of passing quality and a minority of the work of the course is left outstanding, as determined by the instructor. The instructor must agree with the student on a date for the completion of the work, which must be approved by the Provost; an effort should be made to complete remaining work within the first week of the following semester. An Incomplete grade will be replaced by a final grade within weeks of the completion of the work. If the work is not completed by the agreed upon date, either the grade will revert to a Failing grade or whatever grade the student would have earned based on their previously completed work. Within reasonable limits, the Provost may choose to extend the deadline to complete outstanding work.
Deferring Studies
A student who is unable to complete a substantial portion of a semester because of illness or other emergency, and can provide appropriate documentation, may be given permission by the Dean of Students or the Provost to withdraw from the university. The withdrawal will not affect the student’s academic standing. Students who withdraw must request to resume their studies in the subsequent semester at Ashesi from the Academic Registry. If the illness or emergency is still affecting the student at the start of the immediate subsequent semester, the student may request to remain absent from the University for up to 2 additional semesters, after which the student will be considered permanently withdrawn, and will have to re-apply to the University to resume their studies.
My ward is on academic probation. What does this mean?
This means your ward is close to being dismissed from the University because of lower than expected academic performance and needs to improve. Students will be placed on academic probation if, at the end of any regular semester, their cumulative grade point average (GPA) is less than 2.0 (C average).
Students will be subject to dismissal if:
(1) they fail to make normal degree progress, or (2) after one or more consecutive regular semesters on academic probation they have not achieved either a semester or cumulative GPA of 2.0.
What are the implications for starting a semester late?
All students have up to two weeks, at the start of each semester, within which to register for classes and report to campus. If the student is unable to do this, they need to provide adequate reason before the close of the registration window. Students who are unable to register within two weeks of a semester re-opening, may be required to defer their studies and resume school in a subsequent semester.
All students have secure access to their academic records electronically, from wherever they may be. This means you can ask them to show you their grades at any point.