Unam puts out accreditation fire
'Quality over quantity'
The university said the curriculum transformation it embarked on since 2020 was necessitated by "the rapid change in the global higher education landscape" as well as "expectations and demands of the fourth and fifth industrial evolution".
The University of Namibia (Unam) this week held a press conference to address issues pertaining to the accreditation of its programmes. This after an article was published calling the university out for advertising unaccredited courses and not informing students about failed accreditation.
The university said it embarked upon an extensive curriculum transformation of its undergraduate and a few postgraduate programmes since 2020 for implementation this month.
“The curriculum transformation was necessitated by factors such as the rapid change in the global higher education landscape, expectations and demands of the fourth and fifth industrial evolution,” Frednard Gideon, the pro vice-chancellor of academic affairs, said.
The university submitted 83 programmes for accreditation at the end of August last year, and of these programmes only 64 were accredited. According to Gideon, 17 programmes failed accreditation and require action to address gaps the review panel has identified.
“The university has reviewed most of the 17 programmes, taking the comments of the review panel into account, and resubmitted them to the National Council of Higher Education in December 2022 for consideration,” he added.
He further said accreditation is not a test, but an assessment and validation process culminating in passing judgement on each programme.
“The assessments, amongst others, focus on curriculum aims and objectives, facilities and support systems to enhance teaching and learning, existence of an internal quality assurance system and financial resources required to implement the programme."
Meanwhile, Unam registrar Erika Maass added that students who applied for the programmes that failed accreditation were re-registered into the old curriculum.
Gideon further urged students to stop spreading misleading information on the matter of accreditation.
The university prides itself on providing quality education to its students, he said, adding that they will never offer unaccredited courses. “We mean business. We mean quality,” he stressed.
The university said it embarked upon an extensive curriculum transformation of its undergraduate and a few postgraduate programmes since 2020 for implementation this month.
“The curriculum transformation was necessitated by factors such as the rapid change in the global higher education landscape, expectations and demands of the fourth and fifth industrial evolution,” Frednard Gideon, the pro vice-chancellor of academic affairs, said.
The university submitted 83 programmes for accreditation at the end of August last year, and of these programmes only 64 were accredited. According to Gideon, 17 programmes failed accreditation and require action to address gaps the review panel has identified.
“The university has reviewed most of the 17 programmes, taking the comments of the review panel into account, and resubmitted them to the National Council of Higher Education in December 2022 for consideration,” he added.
He further said accreditation is not a test, but an assessment and validation process culminating in passing judgement on each programme.
“The assessments, amongst others, focus on curriculum aims and objectives, facilities and support systems to enhance teaching and learning, existence of an internal quality assurance system and financial resources required to implement the programme."
Meanwhile, Unam registrar Erika Maass added that students who applied for the programmes that failed accreditation were re-registered into the old curriculum.
Gideon further urged students to stop spreading misleading information on the matter of accreditation.
The university prides itself on providing quality education to its students, he said, adding that they will never offer unaccredited courses. “We mean business. We mean quality,” he stressed.
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