Accreditation board withdraws recognition of four institutions
The National Accreditation Board has withdrawn the recognition of qualifications awarded by four institutions.
According to the board, it was compelled to cease the recognition of Swiss Management Centre University, Institute of Professional Studies and Executive Development, Cambridge International College and CASS European Institute of Management Studies because of the institutions’ failure to comply with some of its directives.
“By this publication, the Board repeats its previous caution to prospective students and the general public to take note accordingly and desist from enrolling on programmes of the aforementioned institutions,” the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr Kingsley Nyarko, said in a statement.
Exemptions
It, however, granted exemptions.
“NAB, however, wishes to state clearly that those who graduated from SMC programmes on or before 31st August, 2018, possess valid credentials which are recognised unless incontrovertible evidence of fraud is established.
“In the case of CASS Europe, it must be noted that the qualifications of all students who enrolled after 2015 would not be recognised.
NAB and the SMC have had a running battle since 2016 over the latter’s qualification to run.
That year, the NAB withdrew the registration of the Swiss Management Centre (SMC), a private university in Switzerland, over expired registration.
However, the board gave the go-ahead for continuing students to complete their courses since the NAB has maintained the registration of the SMC for such students in the next three years.
However, NAB declared that the credentials of graduates from the SMC who obtained their degrees during the period the NAB registration.
Apart from the international accreditation, the school was accredited by National Accreditation Board of Ghana as a foreign University since 2012.
NAB renewed SMC University’s institutional Registration for another three years; August 2015 – July 2018. Information on the other three institutions is scanty.
The board’s latest challenge with the four institutions including the SMC is unknown.
Advice to employers
The board which has been combating fake degrees and honorary doctorates in the country urged employers and educational institutions to refer “all academic and professional qualifications to it [NAB] for determination of their respective statuses before accepting them for any form of admission, employment or job progression.”
In a related development, NAB also warned that the M-GIBES College of Business Management located at Achimota Mile 7 has not been accredited to operate as an educational institution.
“The general public, especially residents of Accra and its environs, are, therefore, cautioned to desist from responding to advertisements enticing them to enrol in this unaccredited institutions or the programmes they purport to run.
“Any person that does business with this institution does so at his or her own risk,” it cautioned.
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