Institutional accreditation explained

THE EDITOR, Sir:

HAVING READ the letter titled ‘Accreditation purgatory’ by Michael McAnuff-Jones, published December 26 in The Gleaner, I am moved to add to this discourse.

First, let me congratulate UWI, NCU, and UTech, which have been granted institutional accreditation by the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ).

There are two types of accreditation, namely, programmatic and institutional. Accreditation is a status given to a programme or institution that meets or exceeds certain standards and criteria set by the quality assurance agency, UCJ.

I am compelled to explain this issue as an ISO-trained and certified academic quality assurance auditor. Mr McAnuffJones made mention of courses of study in medicine, pharmacy, and engineering. It must be understood carefully that the UCJ, which was set up 31 years ago by an act of Parliament as the quality-assurance agency in Jamaica to ensure quality in higher education, in granting programmatic and institutional accreditation would consult with the various stakeholders, so the members of the professions, the Medical Council of Jamaica, Pharmacy Council of Jamaica, and the Institute of Engineers would be consulted. Also, other stakeholders locally and internationally, would be consulted and would also form part of the team of assessors on the site visits to these institutions to ensure that there is quality and that they are complying with local and internationally standards.

I urge other tertiary institutions in Jamaica to prepare themselves and apply for institutional accreditation, which means a lot to students and employers locally and internationally. MICHAEL-ANTHONY DOBSONLEWIS

Academic Quality Assurance Auditor Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Specialist