Martha Nakayiza
The Academic sector statutory regulator, National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has declared over 2,000 programmes taught at 47 public and private universities in the Country expired, deeming a good number of undergraduate and graduate programmes pursued at these institutions null and void.
According to academic technocrats, an expired programme in this case is a degree or diploma course not duly accredited for teaching by the National Council for Higher Education. Such qualifications are “legally and technically null and void”. Said Prof Eli Katunguka, Chairperson of the Board at NCHE.
NCHE was established by an Act of Parliament to implement the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001. The act mandates the regulatory body to guide on the establishment of institutions of higher learning, their licensing as well as accreditation of their academic programmes.
On its website, NCHE entails three categories: “expired”, eluding to unaccredited; “active”, meaning authorised to be taught; and “under review”, implying accreditation decision pending.
It should be noted that majority of the expired courses were accredited for five years from March 2010, or earlier, meaning they ought to have been reviewed and re-accredited by or before early 2015.
High placed sources assert that an institution intending to teach a particular academic programme submits a proposal to NCHE. The Council then bases its approval on conformity of specified admission criteria to the law, suitability of the course components in fulfillment of knowledge and skill requirement for intended academic award and whether staffing, facilities and equipment are sufficient.
Degree programmes are to be regularly reviewed, in this case every five years, to incorporate any new knowledge or technology likely to affect delivery of teaching and learning. Reviews also aim at ensuring staff level often affected by brain drain, further studies and death are commensurate to the course requirements.
Section 119A and the accompanying statutory instrument oblige degree-awarding institutions to ensure that they, alongside their academic programmes, are accredited by the regulator.
However, a press release by NCHE indicates that up to 2,260 courses being taught at the 47 public and private universities expired close to a dozen years ago, raising questions as to why the institutions were adamant not to comply.
Makerere University has the highest number of courses categorised on NCHE website as