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By Isaac Ato MENSAH<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Accra – Thursday 20 January, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does Ashesi University have a writing centre and a customer service protocol? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I went to Ashesi University at Brekuso, on Monday 17 January, but was turned away by a hostile trio of security guards or gatemen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ashesi has branded itself as an atypical ghanaian institution so I went there to seek a collaboration with their Writing Centre for my writing consultancy business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On reaching the main entrance, to my shock and dismay, a security guard told me emphatically, \u201cThere is no writing centre here\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I asked them whether it was their expectation that the taxi driver should park outside and I enter, but they declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They asked if I knew the director of the writing centre personally. I said “No”.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you have an appointment?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I said “No”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Then you cannot enter,” said the guard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I told the taxi driver, “Let’s leave, I’m not wasting my time here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then two students, a male and a female, arrived at the gate, coming from outside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I asked them: “Is there a writing centre here?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They said “Yes, the Writing Centre,” in unison. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I told them: “Your security men say there’s no writing centre here, and I have no appointment, but a university is a public place, isn’t it?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They both said “Yes”, appearing shocked by the attitude of the security guards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I said, “I’m leaving” and told the students my name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later I got down, put on my jacket and went back to the gate to ask the name of the security guard who had approached my taxi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All three on duty asked why I wanted his name?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I saw the name of their security company printed on the badges on their uniforms, and I left them alone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine someone coming into a university – public or private – and the gateman says if you don’t know anyone there, you cannot even enter the reception\/administration to make any enquiries!!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Universities have significant relevance for their localities\/communities as places of learning, and are thus welcoming of any law abiding person who seeks to share knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In December 2019, I had made a presentation to the Writing Across the Curriculum hiring team of Ashesi University at Brekuso including a prominent lady scholar and university administrator of at least 30 years standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I’m completely satisfied with his delivery and answers,” the lady professor said on the call from South Africa as she listened in to my presentation and asked questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone was “satisfied”, were their comments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Director of the Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)\/Writing Centre role was a position for a PhD holder, and there was no vacancy yet for any adjunct lecturers for which I could otherwise be considered. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I was quietly informed by the hiring staff that the search team was curious about my body of work hence my being shortlisted and invited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having seen an advertisement for a similar role – Co-Director of the Writing Centre including adjunct lecturer\/Reader roles this week, therefore, I wanted first to talk to someone, anyone who would listen about what exactly they needed at the Writing Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This line in the advertisement for co-director of the Writing Centre arrested my attention:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The search committee is especially interested to hear from candidates who will bring diverse perspectives to their administrative work and teaching, from non-traditional educational backgrounds or an understanding of the experience of those under-represented in higher education.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is refreshing to see such enlightened perspective since it shows that the traditional academic is ready and willing to play ball with other scholars\/public intellectuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My mentor has always insisted: “Based on biological models alone, inbreeding will lead to genetic anomalies”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if the security guards say “there is no writing center,” that implies a lot for my integrity – and the impact\/presence of the Writing Centre within Ashesi. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My terrible experience is perhaps what a mystery client may experience on a random basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the private security company staff do not know about the existence of the Ashesi Writing Centre, then that tells a lot about both Ashesi University and the security company, doesn\u2019t it? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did I hear anyone say I should have switched my mission to now say, for example, “I am a parent, I’m here to enquire about admissions?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I expected that the gatemen\/security guards would call someone at the administration and tell them there was a gentleman here without appointment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Relying on mystery clients \u201ccan also be an illuminating data collection strategy in development research,\u201d wrote David Evans on blogs.worldbank.org on 29 April 2015. \u201cTwenty-five to thirty years ago, studies were using mystery clients to evaluate family planning programs in Ghana, Morocco and Haiti.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The taxi driver explained they drive into Ashesi all the time from Kwabenya Junction with passengers; they, the drivers are known to the security so parking the car outside was not the sticking point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I asked the gateman to consider my long distance travel and let me enter to ask at the administration, but that too was declined. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Was I supposed to plead or pamper them or offer them tips to let me enter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine if I had the contacts, but no calling credit, or there was poor network connection, or someone who should answer my calls had gone for lunch or was not at their desk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This horrible experience has serious implications for the business\/management faculty at Ashesi, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Embarking on the dusty laterite 12Km Kwabenya Junction to Ashesi road for 30 minutes either way, showed my respect and esteem for Ashesi and its pioneering role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this experience is for me yet another example, of the ghana with the small “g” that annoys us daily and which must improve forthwith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everywhere you turn\u2026…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Feedback: ato@writersghana.com; www.writersghana.com; LinkedIn, Isaac Ato Mensah; Instagram, @atomenswriters; Twitter, @Atomens; Facebook, Writers and Shakespeares Ghana; Telegram, Isaac Ato Mensah; Quora, Isaac Ato Mensah; WhatsApp, (+233) 020 022 0353.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Writers and Shakespeares Ghana Limited exist to be a moral and intellectual guide to the best practice of PR and integrated communications around the world, beginning with Ghana. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"