An Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies, University of Cape Coast, Ghana since 2016, Rev. Philip Arthur Hormenyoh Gborsong holds a PhD in English Studies from the University of Ghana, Legon, an M.Phil in English from the University of Cape Coast, a Masters Degree in Communication Studies (Public Relation) from the Graduate School of Governance, Accra, a B.A. in English, Diploma in Education as well as a MINI-MBA in Change Leadership and Business Transformational, Executive Masters in Business Administration, and an Executive Mastery in Oil and Gas Studies, all from the Graduate School of Governance, Accra. Having been appointed lecturer in 2002, he has engaged himself in teaching courses Communication studies and English, researching and extension service. He has diverse research interest in academic and health communication, advertising, teaching English as a second language and politeness strategies across cultures.
Currently, Prof. P. A. H. Gborsong is the Vice Dean of the faculty of Arts, the largest faculty in the University of Cape Coast. He is also the Head of the Department of Theatre and Film Studies. Earlier he was the Head of the Department of Communication Studies. Occupying these positions gave him the impetus to serve on a number of Statutory Boards in the University including, the Faculty of Arts Promotions Committee, Faculty Management Board and the Faculty Examinations Board. In addition, he serves on some boards of the College of Humanities and Legal Studies Management Board, the School of Graduate Studies Board and on the Academic Planning and Management Committee of the University. He has also represented the University of Cape Coast on the Institutions affiliation Boards.
Projects
Rev. Gborsong has been part of some book projects like the Cambridge Black Star English Series for Senior High schools in Ghana, the Art of Proofreading, Fundamentals of Communication Skills, books 1and 2 and has also been part of the international book project on the African Cultures and Performance Dynamics in the Dramaturgy of AbdulRasheed Abiodum Adeoye. This was a collaborative book project between the University of Cape Coast and the University of Ilorin
As Head of Department, he led the Department of Communication studies to build on the work of his predecessors by reviewing the Communicative Skills, the undergraduate Communication Skills programmes, and reviewing the M.A. programmes in Communicative Skills and Teaching Communicative Skills, starting a Writing Unit and drawing M.Phil programmes for the Department.
Rev. Gborsong has served on national and international councils. He has been the English Language Panel Chairman for drawing curricular for basic and senior high schools in Ghana since 2007, and has been the Panel lead for English expert reviewers for the current standard-based curriculum that is being developed for schools in Ghana. This, gives him an excellent knowledge of the educational development and activities in the country with regards to teaching and learning English as well as literacy. He was a member of the National Literacy Advisory Committee (LAC) for the USAID Partnership for Education, Learning in Ghana. Not only has he been concerned with teaching and learning, but also he has been actively involved in considering the assessment for Basic and Senior High Schools in Ghana as well as researching to improve student’s English language programmes.
In terms of Examining Experience, Prof Gborsong has served in a few areas including the following:
· Chairman, English Language/ Literacy Panel, National Curriculum Development, 2007- date.
· Zonal Leader, Examiner, English Language, West African Examinations Council, 2017- date.
- Member, Committee for selecting Needy Students for University Support. 2015 – date.
- Chief Examiner, English Semantics, Phonetics and Phonology, Varieties of English and Syntax, Advanced Writing in English, College of Distance Education (CODE), University of Cape Coast, 2005- date .
- Chief Examiner, English II and Communicative Skills (Centre for Continuing Education) 2004 - To date
- Member, Examination Board, Centre for Continuing Education, University of Cape Coast. 2005-date
- Supervisor, Institute of Education Examinations for Colleges of Education (Part 1 and Part 2) 2007 - date
- Team Leader and Vetter, (English Language) Basic Education Certificate Examination, West African Examinations Council, 1994 – 2016.
- Team Leader and Vetter, (English Language) West African School Certificate Examination West African Examinations Council. 1996 - 2016
· Examiner (Zonal Leader), Basic Education Certificate Examination for West African Examination Council, 2015 – date
- Team Leader, Examiner for Certificate ‘A’ 3 Year Post Secondary Examination under University of Cape Coast 1995 - 2002. :
- Team Leader, Examiner for General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level, Under the West African Examination Council (1991-1995)
- Team Leader, Examiner for General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level, under the West African Examination Council 1992 – 1995.
- Moderator/Assessor of examination questions, course outlines and marking scheme for some affiliated institutions, 2010 – date
- Supervisor, Athabasca University Examinations in West Africa. 2010 - date
- Examination Officer, Communicative Skills Unit, University of Cape Coast, 2007 – 2011.
On the international scene, Prof. Gborsong has represented Ghana (as Zonal Leader for English Language) at the West African Examinations Council international meetings since 2017, giving him the opportunity to study how students communicate using English within the West African sub-region.
Prof Gborsong has served as an editor of the Current Issues in Language and Literature as well as the Journal of Language, Literature and Communication and African Cultures and Performance Dynamics in the Dramaturgy of AbdulRasheed Abiodum Adeoye.
Being able to organize the first international conference of Teachers of Communicative Skills in Ghana, He helped in laying the foundation for the formation of the Association of Teachers of Academic Writing in Ghana. He is a member of the Linguistic Association of Ghana (LAC), The Ghana Association of Writers (GAW), the Communication Educators Association of Ghana. (C.E.A.G ) and the International Reading Association (ILA) and the Ghana Association of Teachers of English (G.A.T.E.).