KAMPALA:
Makerere University’s vice-chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, has addressed the recent allegations that the university offers non-accredited courses, following media reports that some European universities have denied admission to a few Makerere University graduates seeking higher degrees.
In an internal memo to the university staff, Nawangwe acknowledged the issue and assured them that corrective measures were being taken.
Nawangwe stated that Makerere University, along with other Ugandan universities, has faced criticism due to some academic programs lacking accreditation from the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE).
This deficiency has resulted in European universities rejecting applications from a small number of Makerere University graduates, understandably raising concerns among the public.
The vice-chancellor admitted that both Makerere University and NCHE share responsibility for the problem. On their part, the university has experienced unacceptable delays in reviewing programs for re-accreditation, as required by law.
At times, this delay occurs at the department, school, college, or even the Senate level. On the side of NCHE, there have been delays in the accreditation process and updating their website.
Nawangwe assured the staff that efforts were being made to rectify the errors on the NCHE website promptly. However, he emphasized the need for Makerere University to take responsibility for the issue. Colleagues whose programs’ accreditation has expired have been notified by the Academic Registrar and given a deadline to submit their reviewed programs. It is crucial for those individuals to meet the given deadline.
Additionally, Nawangwe revealed that Makerere University lacked a proper system to track the expiry of program accreditations, resulting in some programs being overdue for accreditation for up to six years, which he deemed unacceptable. Nevertheless, the Academic Registrar has now developed a database to monitor the status of program accreditations.
The vice-chancellor urged responsible colleagues to actively monitor the accreditation status of programs under their jurisdiction to prevent a recurrence of such an embarrassing situation.
Despite the negative press, Nawangwe expressed confidence in the international reputation of Makerere University programs and assured the staff that they would overcome these challenges as they continue to build for the future.