Factors Inhibiting Quality Higher Education Delivery: Empirical Evidence from the University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale, Ghana

A good number of scholars have espoused the need for public universities to position themselves strategically to provide quality higher education in the wake of increasing global competition. However, only a few have concerned themselves with managerial challenges encountered in quality higher education delivery, especially in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to examine internal stakeholders’ perspectives on the factors inhibiting quality higher education delivery at the University for Development Studies, Tamale. Questionnaires, interviews, and focus group guides were employed to collect primary data from students, principal officers, and members of staff who were randomly and purposively selected. The findings revealed that from the Internal Stakeholders’ perspective, such challenges as inadequate provision of physical facilities such as lecture halls and hostels, poor communication infrastructure and systems such as internet connectivity, financial constraints, bureaucracy, and unfavorable government policies all inhibit quality service delivery. Appropriate recommendations were made to management as a way of bridging the quality gaps identified by the study.