UCJ Stages Quality Assurance in Higher Education Week from March 11 to 15

The University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) will host the 19th staging of Quality Assurance in Higher Education Week from March 11 to 15 under the theme ‘Empowering Higher Education Institutions to Respond to Changing Market Needs’.

Speaking with JIS News, Director of Public Relations and Communication at the UCJ, Najae Murray, said that the theme reflects the entity’s commitment to ensuring that Jamaica’s tertiary education remains agile, relevant, and responsive amid a changing educational landscape.

He noted that the annual flagship event of the UCJ is dedicated to fostering excellence and innovation in tertiary education across Jamaica and beyond.

“With a rich history of promoting academic integrity, institutional effectiveness, and student success, the UCJ continues to serve as a cornerstone of quality assurance in the Caribbean region. This year’s event is designed to raise awareness of quality assurance trends, provide training for institutions, and increase the agency’s visibility to our stakeholders”, he said.

Highlighting activities for the week, Mr. Murray said that these include a virtual micro-credentials workshop on Tuesday (March 12) and a webinar on Wednesday (March 13).

The workshop will provide representatives from public and private institutions with a general understanding of the requirements of the UCJ’s Standards and Guidelines for Micro-Credentials that was launched in November 2023.

Participants will be guided through the fundamentals of micro-credential design, development and delivery to enhance recognition and lifelong learning in Jamaica.

Facilitator will be Consultant, Workforce Development from Stone Academy New York, DeWayne Pryce.

The webinar, titled ‘Perspectives on Excellence: Applying Standards to Assess Qualifications in Institutions’, aims to provide participants with an awareness of quality standards for assessing qualifications and comparing academic performance across grading systems.

The main facilitator is Head of External Engagement, European National Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK ENIC/Ecctis), Chris Lyons.

Tertiary institution registrars, admission and human resource management personnel, heads of quality assurance agencies, tertiary-level students and other stakeholders are being encouraged to register to participate in the scheduled activities by clicking on the link https://forms.gle/yacHsiUhGQmZdXzQ7.

For additional information please call the UCJ at 876-618-4267 or visit the Councils website at www.ucj.org.jm.