The National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) has announced that it will soon begin a crackdown on bogus and substandard higher education institutions in Liberia.
Speaking at a press briefing, Dr. Edward Lama Wonkeryor, the Executive Director of NCHE, said the commission has outlined strategic objectives for 2024-2026 that will focus on ensuring compliance with standards by accredited institutions.
According to Dr. Wonkeryor, the NCHE’s Quality Assurance Department has already launched a vigorous campaign to identify and take appropriate action against quack colleges and universities that are “regularly creeping at all levels of the Liberian society, with some offering Master’s degrees and PhD’s.”
The NCHE’s strategic objectives include strengthening quality assurance for higher education institutions, establishing quality assurance cells at each accredited institution, and verifying the credentials of staff within the higher education sector.
Dr. Wonkeryor also revealed that the NCHE is facing challenges, such as a shortage of logistics, limited human resource capacity, and lack of training opportunities for its staff. He called for support to address these issues and effectively carry out the commission’s mandate.
The National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) is the statutory body responsible for regulating and accrediting higher education programs in Liberia. It currently recognizes 80 higher education institutions, including 2 doctoral degree-granting, 11 master’s degree-granting, 35 bachelor’s degree-granting, and 31 associate’s degree-granting institutions.