The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has announced a suspension of the processing of new accreditation applications for academic programs from all public universities, including technical universities.
This suspension is effective immediately and will last until January 1, 2024, with one notable exception: the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) at Somanya in the Eastern Region is exempt from this directive.
The decision to suspend accreditation applications comes as a response to the persistent non-compliance of some institutions with the accreditation requirements of the country. The aim is to streamline and improve the accreditation process, ensuring that educational programs meet the necessary standards.
John Dadzie Mensah, the Director of Accreditation at GTEC, emphasized that many public universities have been diligent in their accreditation processes, especially those with fewer programs.
However, he pointed out a significant challenge in the accreditation process, which is the overlap of accreditation periods for different programs within an institution.
Programs undergo accreditation at various times, leading to an overlap in the active and non-active accreditation status of programs. This means that programs require re-accreditation regularly, and new applications for accreditation or re-accreditation are continually received. To address this issue, institutions are encouraged to initiate the re-accreditation process a year before the active accreditation expires.
Mr. Mensah noted that by strictly adhering to this policy, the overlap issue could be minimized, and institutions would maintain a clean sheet of programs in good standing with valid accreditation status. Consequently, they would be eligible to submit new program accreditation applications after December 31, 2023.
The exemption granted to the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) reflects its status as a new tertiary institution that is just starting its operations. As a “baby institution,” it is encouraged to introduce more programs to establish a firm foundation.
The decision to suspend accreditation applications was prompted by public concerns arising from recent Auditor-General’s Reports on the accreditation status of programs offered by some public universities. This pause is viewed as a necessary step to assess the situation comprehensively, allowing both the regulator and the institutions to align with best practices in accreditation.
While the suspension will undoubtedly impact the affected institutions for a brief period, it is seen as a necessary step toward ensuring the quality and compliance of academic programs offered by Ghana’s public universities. The hope is that this measure will contribute to an improved and more efficient accreditation process in the future.
Source: GESHub.org
