National Council for Higher Education speaks out on Outdated University Courses

WATCH VIDEO: Venansius Baryamureeba, a prominent Ugandan Academician explains the Expired course dilemma

Following an ongoing saga where a couple of university courses offered unaccredited  courses, National Council for Higher Education has finally broken the silence on the matter saying all qualifications obtained in all the previously accredited courses are valid. 

The body that is mandated to regulate and guide the establishment and management of higher education institutions gave all affected institutions to put their acts together.

UNCHE however did not explain how the said  courses are now valid even when they have not duly been re-accredited in line with quality assurance requirements as required by the law.

“NCHE wishes to assure the public and all stakeholders around the world that qualifications of graduates on programmes that have received prior accreditation, in accordance with the NCHE minimum standards and regulations by NCHE, are valid.” a statement issued by the body's Executive Director Prof. Mary Okwakol read in part. 

She further noted that the institutions with the courses in question should go for reassessment as soon as possible - in any case before November 30. 

Following the controversy that was birthed by a move by Bristol University to deny admission to an Alumna of Makerere University for an upgrade on grounds of their course being expired. 

Since then, more victims have since moved to the media about their predicament with our computations based on NCHE listing showing up to 2,260 across 47 universities and dozens of tertiary institutions expired eight to a dozen years ago, raising questions as to why they were still being taught.

Heads of varsities on Monday argued that they are in good standing with the law and the Council information contained inaccuracies, leading to national anxiety among students, alumni and households.

The vice chancellors in interviews with this newspaper said the procedure for re-accreditation of programmes is cumbersome and expensive and that the law does not explicitly provide that a previously accredited academic programme expires when under review or unaccredited. 

In her statement, Prof Okwakol noted that the qualification of students enrolled on the expired programmes are recognised since they were accredited in the first instance.

The Executive Director said they are investigating claims that foreign universities were turning away some Ugandans applying for graduate studies.