The Management of Makerere University has said that it is following up with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) to ensure that the pending issues of ‘expired degrees’ are completed without further delay.
This follows a controversy where the University of Bristol in England allegedly rejected an application for a graduate programme on grounds that the undergraduate Biomedical Laboratory Technology degree programme at Makerere University had expired.
The incident has caused concern and anxiety among the public.
In a statement dated May 23, Prof Henry Alinaitwe, the acting Makerere University Vice Chancellor, reassured stakeholders that all the 331 academic programmes offered at the University and its affiliated institutions including Makerere University Business School (MUBS) are accredited by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
He noted that the schedule of the reportedly expired programmes circulating in the media includes 89 programmes that were phased out and are no longer offered at Makerere University.
“The remaining programmes either completed the review or are at different stages of the review process, including at the NCHE.”
He explained that Makerere University periodically reviews its academic programmes as a quality assurance mechanism of the University which confirms continuous relevance of the curriculum and complies with the NCHE requirements.
According to Prof. Alinaitwe, the periodic review of academic programmes is a rigorous process involving the departments, schools and colleges of the University.
He further explained that the review also includes the University Senate, a specific University Council Committee dedicated to quality assurance, and the University Council.
The professor emphasized that the review is consultative and includes stakeholders from industry, the Government, civil society, local and international partner universities, professional bodies and the NCHE.
He said that as a result of the review, the curriculum for some academic programmes is adjusted, maintained or merged and some programmes are phased out entirely.
“The University Management wishes to reassure its alumni, current students and stakeholders that all the University’s academic progammes are accredited by the NCHE. Management is following up with the NCHE to ensure that the pending reviews are completed without further delay,” he said, adding that the ongoing engagements with the NCHE will provide further clarification on the inaccurate information circulating in the media.
The National Council for Higher Education conducts regular re-assessment and review of programmes every five years for masters, bachelors, and diplomas, and every ten years for PhDs.
According to a statement posted on NCHE’s website, expiry of accreditation means that the programme needs re-assessment to establish whether the key aspects upon which accreditation was granted are still in place.
The re-assessment process evaluates various factors including the programme’s relevance to the market and the nation, compliance with standards, the quality of graduates, and adherence to the programme’s design and content, among others.
