Why is it important to obtain the right qualification?
Degree programs with specialisations and endorsements are a good opportunity for students to differentiate themselves from others in the market! Undergraduates often tend to register for any available program or famously followed academic and professional qualifications following merely what their friends do or famously advertised.
But the truth is, it is important to acquire the right qualification that may help you in succeeding in the respective career you’re interested to be engaged.
Degree programs with specialisations and endorsements are a good opportunity for students to differentiate themselves from others in the market to become a specialist in the field one is planning to join or is already working in
For example our specializations and endorsements at graduate and undergraduate levels on banking and finance, entrepreneurship and innovation, marketing, logistics management are a few key programs which are unique in design directly supporting a kick start in respective career field.
VHEC: the highest quality of education delivery
Victoria Higher Education Campus (VHEC) has rapidly established itself as one of the foremost educational institutions in Sri Lanka and a primary reason for its popularity has been the overall quality it offers students in the delivery of education.
The management of VHEC has understood that quality is a crucial component of a good education and that as an academic institute it has a huge responsibility towards the next generation. Being affiliated with the prestigious University of Greenwich, one of the top universities in London UK, it aims to provide the same quality of education for which Greenwich is renowned. These quality standards are maintained at VHEC by the British academics who manage the institute, making VHEC the only higher education institute in Sri Lanka to be managed by British academics.
The University of Greenwich validates and checks all the programmes of VHEC and the standards expected of the institute by the university are regularly satisfied. In fact, VHEC often exceeds the quality standards laid down by Greenwich, thereby positioning itself as a model campus for University of Greenwich affiliated institutes around the world.
Right education aims to help students to be the most that they can be and assists the development of a person’s social, intellectual, emotional, physical and creative potentials. Holistic education is also considered a thoughtful response to the ecological, cultural and moral challenges of our age. It aims to inspire young people to live wisely and responsibly in a sustainable and compassionate way, and to be positive contributors to their community and society as a whole. It also seeks to engage students in the teaching / learning process and encourages personal and collective responsibility.
Responsible educationalists understand how to respond to the personal, emotional and societal needs of the younger generation. The University of Greenwich and VHEC address these needs through additional courses and special lectures, extracurricular activities, its culture of respect for others and a positive attitude to learning, and by embedding certain learning attributes into the actual courses and programmes. These characteristics are referred to by the University of Greenwich as the “Greenwich Graduate Attributes”. These are subdivided into three main categories: Scholarship and Autonomy, Creativity and Enterprise, and Crosscultural and International Awareness.
VHEC prides itself on its high ethical standards and excellence in teaching. A major pillar of VHEC’s educational philosophy is the assurance that all its graduates should benefit from a fully rounded, holistic approach to learning. This is the reason that VHEC encourages students to involve themselves in extracurricular activities and “soft and life skills” learning over and above the standard syllabus. The campus has several societies and clubs for games and extra-curricular activities.
VHEC includes additional student training and courses over and above the official requirements of the internal degree programmes offered from the University of Greenwich, London. In this way VHEC strives to cultivate well-rounded individuals with not just strong academic skills and knowledge, but also general skills for life and work.
The management of VHEC believes that there is no short-cut or genuine fast track to achieve excellence, and in the future employers will appreciate the difference that the graduates of VHEC will bring to their businesses when compared to others.
Student to teacher ratio
A much neglected factor when students decide on the best institution for their higher education is class size or the student-toteacher ratio. Budget constraints, for both state and non- state institutions, and improved revenues for non- state institutions, place a premium on playing down the impact of large classes which usually contain 25 or more students per class.
Having a low student-to-teacher ratio creates a better academic environment for both teachers and students alike. Studentfaculty ratios and class size matter to students and it has been found that teachers prefer teaching in smaller classes as well, and that the best tend to move to those institutions that promote small classes.
A National Survey of University student engagement in the USA reported that the overall educational experience is directly impacted by a student’s ability to discuss class assignments and career plans with instructors, receive prompt feedback, and have opportunities to work on research projects with faculty. Small classes mean that all students get an opportunity to speak and be heard by their professor and their peers. A more recent report in the USA stated that eight of the top 10 ranked colleges boast that 70% of their classes have fewer than 20 students per class. Therefore all the available recent research points to class size as a significant factor in student success and satisfaction.
With this in mind, the management of Victoria Higher Education Campus has ensured class sizes of less than 15 students and in a recent survey on satisfaction and quality of teaching experience over 95% of its students rated VHEC as ‘excellent’.
Facilities
VHEC offers a modern, air conditioned and pleasant environment for students and staff. The campus policy is to teach in small classes and the size of classrooms accommodates between 15 and 25, all equipped with installed audio- visual facilities.
There is a student lounge where students can relax and rest and a dedicated classroom just for students to study or to read books in their free time. Students can use the study area to practice their presentations, group work or project work and use these specially designated areas for the required purpose instead of doing everything in their classrooms itself.
The campus also has a library with relevant textbooks, CD ROMS and PCs for research as well as books recommended by the University of Greenwich, with multiple copies of recommended core texts for use by students. The Library includes study tables, study PC terminals, a journal display and book stacks. The library is open from 9am until 9pm on weekdays and it will have a sales outlet for student text books in the near future. The library has a group work room attached for discussion and collaborative student work.
In addition the campus has purpose built computer labs installed with commercial software for research and assignments. There are two modern computer laboratories which are used for general access as well as classroom use. Computers are equipped with the hardware and software needed to support teaching and research in the areas of expertise at the campus. VHEC plans to develop a strong research capability which will drive students to aspire to great academic and professional achievements in the classroom.
There is a board Room and a meeting room with multimedia facilities and well equipped lecture rooms and seminar rooms. All the computers within the campus are connected to the Local Area Network (LAN) and there is free Wi-Fi access throughout the premises. All students have their own University of Greenwich email account, which is created automatically upon registration.
The rooftop restaurant serves staff, students and visitors and the terrace overlooks the sea and has facilities for social activities. The Campus is working with local sports and fitness clubs and other organizations to provide students with access to facilities for sports, clubs and societies and other extracurricular activities.
The institute is fully owned by EDNET, a Dubai based company in the Edulink Group, a global corporation which has an expertise in setting up higher education institutions around the world with its footprint in Dubai, Mauritius, Uganda, Kenya and Central Asia. EDNET provides the long-term financial stability and backing needed for VHEC to deliver best practices in education in Sri Lanka. VHEC is able to draw upon EDNET’s many talented practitioners with experience of setting up and managing university campuses internationally, especially as a few of these campuses have established international partnerships and collaborations that have proven to be successful and stand today as international hallmarks of excellence.