
The University of Guyana has obtained universal institutional accreditation for the first time in its 62 year history.
While several programmes at the University have enjoyed individual programme accreditation for specific disciplines, this is the first time the University applied for and received universal institutional accreditation.
Chief Executive Officer of the National Accreditation Council, Dr Marcel Hutson explained that a team of international evaluators spent two weeks in Guyana to get first hand knowledge of the University’s operations. The team awarded the University of Guyana 97% of the total score for meeting or excelling in 16.5 of the 17 standards.
Those standards include Governance and Administration, Teaching and Learning, Readiness for Change, Quality Enhancement, and Mission and Vision.
“I want the world to know that this accreditation was not an incestuous approach where persons
right from within Guyana came and put a stamp of approval. But these persons, they were external to this country,” Dr. Hutson noted.

UG Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Engagement, Prof. Emanuel Cummings, said the accreditation will set the stage for the University of Guyana to be more attractive to prospective students, who will now see it as an indicator of quality and value.
He said it will also enhance the global recognition of the University and its degrees, making it easier for students to transfer credits or pursue further studies internationally.
“If your institution is not accredited, they will not be accepted as a transfer student. They cannot come with their credits. Now that University of Guyana will achieve institutional accreditation, it means that credits from the recipient can be transferable to other institutions within the region as part of the revised Treaty of Chaguaramas,” Mr. Cummings said.
Additionally, UG’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Paloma Mohammed said the University in recent years has been making positive strides, and the accreditation forms part of a list of successes that the University has achieved recently.
She noted that the University has risen in international rankings by over 3,000 places in the last four years due to the collaborative efforts by stakeholders. She said the main focus for UG now is to “punch above its weight” to keep up with the country’s development.
Education Minister, Priya Manickchand in her remarks, spoke of the importance of the University in the Guyanese society and charged those in the management of the institution to ensure that value for money be a critical factor of the University’s endeavor.
The Government has returned the University to being free of tuition fees.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login