DACE SRC

Because one can do very little alone in leadership but a lot together, there was a desire for a united front known as the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), a common platform for the collective representation of students in decision-making.

Dambai College of Education SRC has existed since the College’s inception and has always served as the students’ voice, championing the interests and seeking the welfare of the College’s student body.

Membership in the SRC is open to accredited and registered students of the Dambai College of Education; that is, anyone admitted to the College as a student is automatically a member of the SRC and is eligible to participate in programs and activities of the SRC. Every member of the SRC has the right to be listened to and heard at all times. Members of the SRC (students of the College) pay annual dues to the SRC, which are used for projects and administration for the efficient functioning of the SRC.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aims and objectives of the SRC includes;

a. Seek the interest and welfare of the students of the College.

b. Serve as the mouthpiece of the students of the College.

c. Serve as a link of communication between the students and the College authorities in all matters affecting the student body thereof.

d. coordinate with students of other institutions in Ghana in matters of mutual interest. e. Promote good relationships between students of this College and the outside world.

THE SRC’S STRUCTURE OR LEADERSHIP

The Dambai College of Education Student Representative Council, like other student organizations in the country, operates under a democratic administration or system. The highest decision-making body of the SRC is the General Assembly, which comprises SRC Executive Officers, Hall Presidents and Secretaries, two representatives and one secretary of all programs at all levels, and Chairpersons and Secretaries of all Committees and Commissions under the SRC. It is also the final authority on all issues concerning the SRC and the students of the College. It is constitutionally advised to meet at least twice every semester. After every general assembly, communiqués and resolutions are sent to the student body as notice. The SRC’s leadership also serves College management, which receives the same communications and resolutions as the GA through the Dean of Students Affairs Officer, who is also the SRC’s patron, for further engagement or redress on issues affecting students.

That notwithstanding, below are other bodies or organs in addition to the General Assembly that help ensure the efficient functioning of the SRC.

The SRC Cabinet consists of nine members: the SRC President, the SRC Vice President, the SRC General Secretary, the SRC Financial Secretary, the SRC Organizing Secretary, the SRC Welfare Officer, the SRC Women Commissioner, the SRC Public Relations Officer, and any elected executive co-opted by the SRC President. The cabinet serves as the central coordinating organ of the SRC and the advisory body of the Constitutionally, the cabinet is advised to meet at least once every two weeks.

The SRC Executives Council: This consists of all SRC elected officers, ranging from hall presidents to entertainment and sports prefects, and so on. The executive council is also chaired by the SRC president and meets at least twice a month. Issues bothering students at halls of residence, health and academic-related issues, and the general progress of the school as well as the students are discussed. Issues discussed at meetings are presented to the College authority through the dean for redress.

The Judicial Committee commonly known as the JC, is an independent body of the SRC, comprising one Chief Justice from each hall of residence. From among them, the SRC President, in consultation with the Cabinet and with the approval of the General Assembly, appoints the Chief Justice and the Judicial Recorder. Its primary function is to resolve conflicts between students or groups of students and to interpret and enforce the constitution of the SRC.

It is worth noting that the College’s first Judicial Committee of the SRC began operations under the administration of Bunju Meshack in the 2012-2022 academic year.

Aside from the aforementioned, the SRC has numerous outstanding committees, commissions, and boards chaired by other SRC elected officers, all of which are overseen by the SRC President. They include the Organizing Committee, the Entertainment Committee, the Programs and Projects Committee, the Academic Affairs Committee, the Women’s Commission, the Sports Commission, the Audit Committee, the Welfare Committee, the Electoral Commission, and the Library Board. All these committees deal with issues coming under their jurisdiction and help strongly in championing the course of the students of the College.

WORKS AND ADVOCACIES OF THE SRC FOR STUDENTS AND COLLEGE.

The SRC of DACE has played and is still playing key roles in the development of the College and the well-being of the students. The Dambai College SRC has completed the following projects for the College and students over the years:

SRC PROJECTS

The SRC provided plastic chairs for the College.

The SRC also donated a car to the College.

The SRC provided a borehole that supplies water to students and even tutors at the College.

The SRC built and roofed a sick bay, which, when completed, would be a health center for students and the entire College community.

The SRC also provided WiFi for the students.

The SRC championed the creation of the student portal.

The SRC built a summer hat for the College.

The SRC provided a TV for students for entertainment purposes.

The SRC also purchased mowers and uses a portion of its dues to cover sanitation costs. This, with the help of the current principal (Dr. Mrs. Benedicta Awusi Atiku), has curtailed student labor on campus.

The above-listed projects are general and not specific to any year group. It is generally described as some SRC projects for the College from its inception to the present. Most were completed a long time ago and are being renovated by successive administrations, while others began and are still ongoing.

More examples include school fee advocacy, student feeding, academic challenges, and so on.

SRC weeks are celebrated annually in the College to support and recognize its operation. It is unfortunate that, for about three years now, it has not been celebrated again due to the COVID-19 outbreak and its disruptions, even though the advocacy and project work of the SRC kept going.

CONCLUSION

The SRC of Dambai College of Education has always been and shall continue to be the mouthpiece of the students of the College. Championing the course of students and seeking their welfare and interest has always been the core mandate, coupled with executing policies and projects that help the development of the College and the success of students on campus.