Ugandan universities are grappling with a backlog of over 1,600 academic programs that have yet to be reviewed by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). This delay could result in students enrolling in “expired” programs unless approvals are secured by August 2024.
Universities were instructed to submit all programs for re-assessment by November 30 last year. Despite this deadline passing six months ago, NCHE’s website as of May 30 indicates that 1,629 programs are still pending review, with 171 currently under review and 2,804 listed as active.
Dr. Vincent Ssembatya, NCHE’s director of Quality Assurance, emphasized that no university will be permitted to enroll students in programs awaiting review. “The National Council was clear. No institution should enroll any student in a program that is due for review. We want to fix the problem in our country. It is painful, but this mess should be fixed,” Dr. Ssembatya stated.
Last year, NCHE warned that qualifications from unapproved programs would be rendered invalid. This means that students admitted under the unreviewed programs for the new academic year would have their qualifications questioned.
In a letter dated November 30, 2023, NCHE Executive Director Prof. Mary Okwakol affirmed the council’s stance, stating that new enrollments in overdue programs would be halted if submissions were not made by the deadline.
As of now, universities like Kyambogo University have the highest number of programs pending review, with 156 due and only 53 active. Other universities facing similar issues include Kampala International University (115), Makerere University (109), Ndejje University (94), and Uganda Martyrs University (75).
NCHE has scheduled a meeting in August to approve additional programs. Institutions submitting their programs now could have them reviewed before then, but NCHE acknowledges it cannot approve all 1,629 programs in a single session.
Most universities are currently in the admissions process, with deadlines for student applications falling around May 31. This means NCHE will only be able to address violations after students have already enrolled in these programs.
Financial constraints have hindered some universities’ ability to review their programs. Prof. Eli Katunguka, vice chancellor of Kyambogo University and chairperson of NCHE, cited government budget freezes as a significant obstacle. “Our staff are still working around the clock to have all our programs due for review worked on and submitted to NCHE for approval,” he said.
Makerere University, another major institution, has 109 programs listed for review. However, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, the academic registrar, clarified that only 60 programs are currently under review or pending NCHE’s final assessment. “Makerere has 300 programs, of which 240 are active and up to date. The remaining 60 are in their final stages of being re-accredited,” he stated.
Busitema University has 44 active programs, with 30 due for review and one under review. Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Waako confirmed that all their programs had been submitted for review, but they are still waiting for NCHE’s feedback. “We shall admit students on only fully accredited programs. If we do not get feedback on our programs for review before the admission board sits, we shall not admit students to those programs,” he said.
In July 2023, NCHE directed all institutions to submit programs due for review by November 30 of the same year, following several rejections of Ugandan graduates by international institutions due to “expired” programs listed on the NCHE website. This led to public outcry and the subsequent rephrasing of “expired” to “due for review.”
Since then, NCHE has reviewed and approved approximately 500 programs, yet many remain pending, leaving universities in a race against time to secure approvals before the new academic year begins.
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