The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has disputed claims by Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah that she holds the academic rank of professor, urging her to desist from presenting herself with the title.
In a letter addressed to the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, GTEC explained that the Commission had earlier requested Dr. Ayensu-Danquah to provide documentary evidence of her professorial appointment by 11th August 2025.
Her legal team, led by David K. Ametefe, responded on August 8, insisting that she was appointed an Assistant Professor of Surgery by the University of Utah in the United States.
They further argued that GTEC had no authority to demand such evidence since the appointment was made outside Ghana.
However, GTEC noted discrepancies in the documents submitted. A letter from the University of Utah, signed by Prof. W. Bradford Rockwell, Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in the Department of Surgery, confirmed that Dr. Ayensu-Danquah was appointed as an Adjunct Assistant Professor, not Assistant Professor as claimed by her solicitors.
The Commission stressed that the omission of the term “Adjunct” was misleading. It further explained that the position of Adjunct Assistant Professor is a non-tenure track role, and within Ghana’s academic framework, it equates roughly to a part-time lecturer—not a senior lecturer, and certainly not a professor.
“Based on the above, the Commission concludes that Dr. Grace Ayensu-Danquah does not hold the title of Professor in any capacity,” the letter stated.
GTEC has therefore called on her employers to ensure she ceases presenting herself as a professor. It also warned that should she persist, the Commission may take legal action on grounds of public deception.
Attached to the letter were GTEC’s earlier correspondence dated 4th August 2025, the University of Utah’s clarification, and the response from Dr. Ayensu-Danquah’s solicitors.