University Council of Jamaica Hailed

Assistant Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, Dr. Phylicia Marshall, has underscored the importance of the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ) in creating a robust and reliable accreditation framework for higher education in Jamaica.

She noted the “excellent work” being done by the accreditation body in monitoring, auditing and assuring the quality of tertiary institutions and the programmes that they offer.

She said that the importance of the work of the UCJ “cannot be overstated, especially within the context of education and training being among the growth sectors of our society”.

“Employers, institutions and the general public [must] have confidence in the knowledge and competence of the graduates of our institutions for the various professions as well as for further studies,” Dr. Marshall pointed out.

“Students who seek to attend our institutions do so with the expectation that they will be receiving a quality educational experience, and that the certificates they obtain at the end of their programme of study will be recognised locally and internationally,” she added.

Dr. Marshall was representing portfolio Minister, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, at the UCJ’s symposium on quality assurance in higher education, held on Tuesday (March 12) at the Iberostar Hotel in Montego Bay, St. James.

The event was part of the council’s 14th annual Quality Assurance in Higher Education Week, which is being observed from March 11 to 15.

A statutory body under the Education Ministry, the UCJ is the sole accreditation body in Jamaica for tertiary-level education and training.

The body is empowered to grant and confer degrees, diplomas or certificates for accredited programmes, register tertiary institutions that have met the required educational standards, establish equivalence and facilitate recognition of foreign qualifications, and assure the quality of programmes being offered in Jamaica by foreign institutions.