Government to Categorize Universities, Review Courses Every Six Years
The universities are on the verge of undergoing radical transformations as the government moves to classify institutions of higher education and mandate that they reevaluate their curricula every six years.
The proposed Universities Bill of 2024 suggests that the government is attempting to regulate renegade universities by increasing the stringency of accreditation requirements for institutions and courses.
The legislation was written by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry is currently conducting public participation prior to submitting the documents to Parliament for processing.
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The measure classifies universities into six categories, putting an end to the current system in which each institution offers a unique combination of programs.
Revised classification now includes research universities, universities of science and technology, comprehensive universities, and technical universities.
Graduate and specialized universities.
The bill prohibits converting a described category of a university to or offering a program provided by a university in a different category without accreditation.
A person, entity, or institution seeking accreditation for a program is required to submit an application to the Commission for University Education along with the prescribed fees, according to the legislation.
The Commission shall designate each academic program to remain in effect for a period of six years under the proposed law.
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“At least six months prior to the expiration of the validity period, any university that wishes to continue offering an accredited academic program shall conduct a review of the program to determine its continued relevance and the university’s capacity to continue offering the program,” the document states.
The provision states that universities must re-accredit their reviewed programs with the Commission. This action paves the way for the Cabinet Secretary to establish regulations that will streamline the application of this particular provision.
To combat the proliferation of “fake” universities, the bill stipulates that accreditation by the Commission is a prerequisite for providing university education in Kenya.
According to the legislation, the following entities are eligible to apply to provide university education: a chartered public university seeking to establish a constituent college; a person or entity intending to sponsor a university; or a body corporate with the provision of university education as one of its purposes.
Additionally, applicants may be established institutions aiming to transform themselves into universities.
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The bill states, “Under this Act, an instrument of authority in the form of a Letter of Interim Authority, legal order, or charter shall accredit a university in Kenya.”
Committee will impose severe penalties for university operations conducted without a license.
It states, “Upon conviction, a person who purports to provide university education without accreditation under this Act shall be subject to a fine of not less than Sh10 million, imprisonment for a term not less than three years, or both.”
As per the legislation, a proposed academic program is required to consist of the following elements: learning content, purpose and objectives, structure, delivery mode, mode of assessment, and learning environment within a university setting.
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The learning facilities, credit transfer policies, and co-curricular activities provided by a university, in addition to adherence to the National Qualifications Framework, are additional factors to consider.
Government to Categorize Universities, Review Courses Every Six Years
