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NCHE Conducts HEAC Program Inspection at IUIU

• 14th January, 2025 12:20am

The Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) hosted a delegation from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE) at the main campus in Mbale on Monday, 13th January, 2024.

The purpose of the visit was to inspect the progress, enrolment trends, and graduation rates of the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC) program.

Academic Registrar Dr. Halima Akbar, representing the Rector, Associate Professor Ismail Simbwa Gyagenda, and department heads overseeing the HEAC program, received the team.

Dr. Jamil Sserwanga, Vice-Rector in charge of Academic Affairs, joined the meeting online. In his remarks, he commended the NCHE and FAWE for their continued support of IUIU and expressed hopes for productive deliberations.

Mr. Sewanyana Ahmed, Assistant Academic Registrar in charge of Admissions, highlighted the tremendous enrollment growth for the HEAC program. He emphasized that the program has made it easier for students to gain university admission. However, he noted challenges with language proficiency among some international students from non-English speaking countries.

Rev. Dr. Cyrus Ssebugenyi, head of the department responsible for standards recognition and qualification assessment at NCHE, affirmed that the HEAC program at IUIU meets national council standards. He acknowledged the university's strong support system for students and praised the program's contributions to higher education access.

Dr. Ssebugenyi highlighted that since its inception in 2015, the HEAC program has covered diverse fields, including humanities, biological sciences, health sciences, and physical sciences such as engineering. Graduates have successfully enrolled in professional programs like medicine, nursing, and law. He noted that NCHE is working closely with stakeholders to harmonize key issues surrounding the program.

Hajat Aiseta Aisha, Head Coordinator for Humanities at IUIU, explained that the HEAC program provides an essential bridge for students who have completed senior six but only obtained one principal pass. "Instead of repeating senior six, students can join HEAC as a bridging course to qualify for university entry," she said.

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