DECEMBER 2010, Vol.4 No. 1
“Your Gateway to Global Recognition”
Awarding Body Recognized BY BARBADOS ACCREDITATION COUNCIL (BAC)
Pictured from left to right: Mrs Sharon Thomas-Alleyne, Executive Director (Ag), BAC; Mr Andre Bellefeuille, Director of Marketing and Business Development , CMA; Ms Yvonne Walkes, Chairman, BAC; Ms Nancy Foran, CEO, CMA and Mr Kenneth Walters, Deputy Chairman, BAC
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he Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) presented its first “Recognition of Awarding Body” Certificate to the Certified Management Accountants (Nova Scotia, Bermuda and the Caribbean) on November vem 26, 2010. WHAT’S IN INSIDE:
Ms Yvonne Walkes, Chai Chairman of BAC presented the Certificate to Ms. Nancy Foran, CEO of the Certified Management Accountants (CMA) who expressed gratitude and appreciation during her brief acceptance speech. Ms Walkes, in her Remarks, focussed on the importance of the recognition an awarding body and the qualifications that it awards. The Chairman provided reassurance to the public and prospective students that because of the recognition status of the CMA as an awarding body, “learners can be assured that they have access to a qualification from
Chairman’s Word
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BAC News
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From the Desk of the Executive Director
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CBET Curriculum Workshop
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Off-shore Medical Schools in B’dos
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Around the World
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Crystal Clear
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CHAIRMAN’S WORD
responsibility for assuring the quality and integrity of postsecondary/tertiary education and training in Barbados. Our mandate includes: • advising on the recognition of foreign based institutions and their awards; • enhancing the quality of post-secondary and tertiary education and training in Barbados; and • providing to the public, information on the quality and recognition of programmes of study and institutions.
Ms. Yvonne Walkes, Chairman
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t was indeed a great pleasure and milestone in our history in this region and in the life of the Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) when the BAC granted recognition status as an awarding body to the Certified Management Accountants (Nova Scotia, Bermuda and the Caribbean). I will focus on the importance of the recognition, particularly as it relates to the recognition of an awarding body and the qualifi q cations it awards. The BAC is the t sole government agency with
The BAC does not take this responsibility lightly. We have therefore undertaken a number of activities to ensure that this mandate is achieved. The recognition of awarding bodies is one such activity geared towards achieving this goal. The term “recognition” is defined as the formal acknowledgement by a competent authority of the appropriateness of a foreign qualification, which enables the qualification holder to access educational and/or employment activities in the receiving country.1 Recognition by an 1 Criteria and Guidelines: Evaluation of For-
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eign Qualifications-South Africa, http://www. logos-net.net/ilo/195_base/en/init/sa_19.htm
authorised agency such as the BAC, will give learners and the wider national community greater confidence in the validity of the qualification they intend to or are currently pursuing. It also signals to the international post-secondary or tertiary education and training community our commitment as a nation, to the provision of the highest quality post-secondary or tertiary education and training programmes, which will provide value for money. The recognition of the CMA signifies that this organisation has met the standards of quality established by the Barbados Accreditation Council for awarding bodies. Learners can be assured that they have access to a qualification from an organisation that is recognised nationally, regionally, and extra-regionally. They can also be assured that they are acquiring the same skills, expertise and competencies as learners pursuing the same programme in the awarding body’s home country of Canada. Recognition status signifies that the BAC will recognise CMA’s accredited qualifications which are delivered by registered education and training providers in Barbados. Therefore, as an awarding body recognised by the BAC, the CMA is now eligible to submit its qualifications to the Continued on page 8
FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
QUALITY MATTERS! A
ssuring the quality of tertiary educational provision in Barbados continues to be the primary focus of the Barbados Accreditation Council. At the end of December, the Council had registered twenty-six (26) tertiary educational providers; commenced its accreditation programme; recognized one awarding body and the qualifications which it offers, namely the Certified Management Accountants (CMA) of Nova Scotia, Bermuda and the Caribbean and provided support and assistance to tertiary providers through mechanisms such as developmental workshops and site p visits. Like the rest of the world, the Accreditation Council is Barbados Acc address the challenges seeking to ad cross border education1 posed by cros such as fraud fraudulent providers and degree mills. W We are urging members of the public - prospective students, employers, p professional bodies, 1 “Cross border education includes higher education tthat takes placed in situations where the tea teacher, student, programme, institution/provider or course materials cross institution/provide national jurisdictio jurisdictional borders. Cross border may include higher educahigher education m tion by public/priv public/private and not-for-profit/for profit providers. It encompasses a wide range of modalities, in a continuum from face-toface (taking vario various forms such as students travelling abroad and campuses abroad) to distance”(UNESC distance”(UNESCO/OECD, 2006)
government agencies - that before investing time and money that they should seek the services of the Council where advice can be given on the recognition of foreign-based institutions and their programmes of study. The Council has sought to take additional measures by providing some links to competent recognition agencies on its website at www.bac. gov.bb. Notwithstanding the challenges of cross border education, the World Conference on Higher Education in July, 2009 agreed that that this mode of delivery in higher education can make a significant contribution provided “(UNESCO, 2009). Local tertiary educational providers that are in the process of or/are currently offering programmes of study/courses via virtual/distance education are also advised that they should:: Choose appropriate media and offer balance in their use; Carefully time the provision of guidance to students, the level of skills development and amount and positioning of interactivity in a course; Manage the quality of interactive learning; Plan student and staff workloads carefully; Provide a high level of support; Allocate more time for research and development and for innovation in teaching because of the complexity and expense of virtual education; and ality Develop effective quality ill l assurance mechanisms thatt wi will Continued on page 9
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FOCUS ON REGISTERE
COVER STORY Continued ued from Front page (cont’d)
an organisation that is recognised nationally, regionally, and extra-regionally” and that learners “can also be assured that they are acquiring the same skills, expertise and competencies as learners pursuing the same programme in the awarding body’s home country of Canada.” In closing, Ms Walkes challenged the CMA “to continue striving towards excellence in the provision of the CMA Professional Programme qualification, which have brought the CMA to this point” of recognition by the BAC. The “Recognition of Awarding Body”service by the BAC examines the awarding body’s quality assurance systems against specific criteria, which must be met in order to be granted the Certificate of Recognition. The three (3) broad criteria statements under which the standards fall are as follows: • Governance: The awarding body’s corporate governance, strategic aims, objectives and policies are appropriate and are understood by all who refer to them, • Quality Enhancement: The awarding body has developed and implemented a robust quality framework that ensures a quality product is delivered to the candidates. The awarding body and its staff are committed to a quality culture of continuous improvement through review and evaluation, and • Administration and Support: The awarding body’s administrative and support arrangements have been designed to reduce bureaucracy, are responsive to stakeholders needs, and are cost effective. The awarding body continually reviews its qualification provision to ensure it has, and deploys, sufficient resources to administer and support its qualification provision. 4
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nterchange Language Institute founded in 1972, is the oldest, smallest, private, language school in Barbados, registered with the Ministry of Education and the Barbados Accreditation Council. English and Spanish are taught exclusively as foreign languages. Interpreting and translating are offered in these two languages only. ENGLISH ~ Foreign students have come from as far afield as: China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium and from this hemisphere: Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Over the years, it has been proved that there is no better advertisement than ‘word of mouth’. VISION STATEMENT ~ “The ultimate aim of the school is for the students to experience a true INTERCHANGE of ideas, a sharing of knowledge and an understanding of the language and culture.” In addition to their English language tuition, the students enjoy cultural / tourist activities: visits to the museum, the Concorde Experience, Island Safari, Segway, catamaran outings, etc. SPANISH ~ These courses are specifically designed towards promoting a better understanding of the language and communicating with our Latin American neighbours.
ERED EDUCATIONAL PROVIDERS The staff consists of a mother and daughter duo: Jocelyn Hunte, RIT (founder/ director/tutor/interpreter/translator) with 40 years bilingual experience; and Deborah Marshall, EFL Dip (deputy director/tutor/translator) with 20 years experience. There is also seasonal parttime staff. All teachers are dedicated professionals who enthusiastically co-ordinate teaching
strategies, students’ projects and assignments. The contact details for Interchange Language Institute are: Telephone / Fax: (246) 435–7481 Website: www.interchangebds.org Email: interchange_bdos@hotmail.com
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he Barbados Association of Office Professionals (BAOP) is very conscious of the need for ongoing professional training for its members and the wider administrative community. To this end, a standing Education Committee is chosen every year to oversee the education arm of the Association. This year, at each of our meetings this committee under the chairmanship of Mrs Sandra Griffith-Carrington presented topical and enlightening subject matters to cater to the internal training needs of our members. We were pleased to host Attorney-at-Law, Ms Shaunita Jordan giving some tips on Debating Techniques and Guidance Counselor, Mrs Margaret Grant sharing insights from her book A Survival Kit For Students.
hold the CPS designation and have been recertified with the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) will be rebranded and will automatically be allowed to use the CAP designation.
The BAOP’s annual conference held from 25-26 February 2010 catered to Administrative Professionals across Barbados and we were privileged to hear from many distinguished persons like Rev McAthin Hinds, Mrs Rosalind Jackson and Dr. Hensley Sobers, who engaged participants in thought provoking and meaningful discussions. International Certification is one of our goals and we continue to offer the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) Certificate to persons who have had at least 5 years experience in the administrative field. This course is sponsored by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) and the program is in the process of being upgraded to the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) status. Effective November 2011, all persons who presently BAOP’s Chairman of Programmes Planning Veronica King expressed thanks to Mrs. Grant for her presentation to the BAOP members
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ENLIGHTENING PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
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uring the past 6 months, the BAC participated in a number of educational fairs geared towards providing information for prospective students wishing to pursue tertiary education. On August 13 and 14, staff of the BAC mounted the booth at Norman’s Centre’s Career Fair. The two day event saw a steady flow of weekend traffic, comprising mostly of adults seeking general information for pursuing education and training at local educational providers, some of whom were also present at the Career Fair. In the picture at left, Ms Valda Alleyne provides empowering information to safe guard prospective students from
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enrolling in institutions that are not recognized by the BAC. In the month of November, the BAC attended the other three fairs. On November 2 and 3, the International College Fair was held at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC). Over 30 local and international colleges and universities were present exhibiting their offerings to dozens of secondary school students, their parents and the general public. The A-Neesh College Advising and Academic Planning Expo was held on Saturday, November 6 also at the LESC. The free event was packaged as a ‘one-stop shop for college advising’ for finding the right programme/university and online/distance programmes, v e r i f y i n g accreditation and financial planning. Following on the heels of the International College Fair from during the week, one would have expected a larger turn out. However, the small crowd was offered a number of services
ranging from insurance to advising and counselling for those persons interested in pursuing tertiary education/ training. Ms Valda Alleyne delivered a powerpoint presentation on the dangers of fraudulent qualifications, which was readily received by the audience. Ms Sheena Alleyne, the host of the event said that the presentation “was really great and the information provided left alot of persons with more food for thought.” The St Michael School hosted its annual Motivational Seminar geared at the fifth formers on November 11. The whole-day event, held at Mpower Conference Centre saw a number of presentations and exhibitions from various tertiary educational providers, businesses and the Barbados Guidance Counselors Association offering their services/ products and advising the students on their intended study/career pursuits.
Executive Director, Ms Valda Alleyne provides empowering information to safe guard prospective students from enrolling in institutions that are not recognized by the BAC
BAC OPEN DAY & EXHIBITION
Information Officer, Ms Katrina Ifill of the BAC making her 5-minute power-presentation on the dangers of fraudulent qualifications at the Motivational Seminar of the St Michael School
Each presenter was given the task of delivering a 5-minute power presentation in which they would inform, motivate and/or persuade the students regarding the services/ educational programmes offered. The students were treated to interludes of inspirational, up-beat music between each presentation, which helped to build the ‘hype’ and charge the atmosphere. Students gathered around the BAC exhibition table
The Barbados Accreditation Council (BAC) hosted its first Open Day on November 12, 2010. The event attracted members of the public who were treated to manicures by Sab-ShanSadie School of Beauty and Salon, blood and sugar tests by the Diabetes Association of Barbados and were offered information for pursuing tertiary education. The Barbados Cancer Society’s Mobile Breast Unit was also on location offering their valued service and counseling. A number recognized
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providers exhibited their courses and offered one-onone advice to the public. These providers included REA Envirohealth International, Personal Body Health Care Clinic & School of Holistic Therapies, Insurance Institute of Barbados, Sab-Shan-Sadie School of Beauty and Salon, Pinnacle Safety Solutions and University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus. The BAC is looking forward to next year’s event which promises to offer more for the public and exhibitioners. The event by Purity Hill Dairy and had coverage.
was sponsored Bakeries, Pine and WIBISCO, excellent media
registered/ educational
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CANQATE’S THE 7TH ANNUAL CARIBBEAN AREA NETWORK FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN TERTIARY EDUCATION CONFERENCE The Caribbean was at its best during November 23rd - 26th when the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) hosted the Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE) 7th Annual International Conference Meeting at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Trinidad and Tobago. The theme of this year’s conference “Continuously Enhancing the Quality of Higher Education for Global Competitiveness”; generated lively discussions as presenters shared valuable information on best practice in quality assurance and tertiary education, while creating a nexus with academic trends globally. “Anxious”, “Excited”, and “Eager” were some of the adjectives that can be used to describe the feelings of participants during the PreConference Workshop facilitated by Dr. David A. Wissman. Participants were thrilled to hear from an expert on “Effective Governance and Administration at Higher Education Institutions.”
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The Conference also feature Institutional workshops entitled “After Self Study, What Next?” and “Big Quality for Small Institution”, which were led by Dr. Sandra Gift, Senior Programme Officer of the University of the West Indies, and Dr. Ruby Alleyne, Vice In President Quality Assurance and Pres Institutional Advancement of I the University of Trinidad and Tobago, respectively.
These two workshops were designed institutions to examine their operations with a view to improvement. Each day of the Conference and Meeting introduced participants to innovative ideas for bringing about positive changes in the management of Tertiary Education Institutions and Programmes. Many were confident that such ideas could be adapted an improved upon at their organisations. Also during the Conference the ‘new’ CANQATE website funded by GIQAC was launched. The Conference ended with the much anticipated Student Forum which was attended by both secondary and tertiary students across Trinidad and Tobago. This was conducted as two concurrent panel discussions on ‘What Role Should the State Play in Determining the Direction of Education?’ and The Role of students in Decision Making in Higher Education Institutions?’ Panellists included practitioners in the field as well as student body representatives. At the end presenters and participants agreed that the Caribbean region has the capability and capacity to develop a competitive education system. All look forward to the 8th Annual CANQATE International Conference and Meeting to be held in the Bahamas in 2011. Extracted from INQAAHE Bulletin, December 2010
CHAIRMAN’S WORD Continued from page 2
BAC for accreditation. To produce a globally competitive post-secondary or tertiary educational system in Barbados, the provision of high quality educational programmes of study and courses that can effectively compete based on international standards, remains a focal point for the Barbados Accreditation Council. It saddens my heart when I hear about graduates who have been unable to get a job or access higher levels of education because the qualification they possess was not issued by a recognised awarding body neither is it accredited. Therefore, the Barbados Accreditation Council continues to work assiduously to ensure that learners have access to recognised and accredited qualifications. We therefore take this opportunity to encourage other awarding bodies to step forward for recognition by the Barbados Accreditation Council.
Mission Statement “To be a high quality provider of registration, accreditation and related services in post-secondary and tertiary education and training in Barbados and beyond.”
QUALITY MATTERS! Continued d ffrom page 3 regularly provide feedback, and take action on the results of evaluation studies. (UNESCO/ IAU, 2002) As we come to the close of another year, on behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the Barbados Accreditation Council, I wish to extend best wishes for a healthy, prosperous and productive 2010.
CANQATE {Website Training} The Caribbean Area Network for Quality Assurance in Tertiary Education (CANQATE) launched its new website during the Annual CANQATE Conference 2010 in Trinidad and Tobago. The website was designed to meet best practice standards as stipulated by the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE) of which CANQATE is a member. The website promises
to be more user-friendly, interactive (with discussion boards) and current. Selected representatives from the regional Quality Assurance Agencies were trained in November in Trinidad in preparation for the launch and maintenance of the website. The website was built by Espirit Consultants Ltd in Trinidad and Tobago, and the address is www.canqate. org
One day website training in Trinidad for the CANQATE website
Valda V. Alleyne References United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)/ International Association of Universities (IAU) (2002), “Globalization and the Market in Higher Education: Quality, Accreditation and Qualifications”, UNESCO Publishing, Paris UNESCO/OECD (2006), “Guidelines for Quality Provision in Cross-border Higher Education”, Paris, UNESCO
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AROUND THE WORLD JAILED OVER BOGUS COLLEGE SCAM 14 December 2010
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of bedsits and there was no evidence of lessons being taught there. During a search a large number of documents were seized, including letters purporting to be from the ‘Academic College of Education’ and counterfeit qualification certificates.
hree people were jailed yesterday for a total of 18.5 years for setting up bogus colleges to help illegal immigrants remain in the UK, following an investigation by our London immigration crime team. 39-year-old solicitor Adeyinka Adeniran was later arrested Husband and wife Tiamiyu following a search of his office and Christiana Bello, aged 75 on Old Kent Road. Many of the and 67, were arrested following files seized from that address a raid on a property on New contained documentation from Cross Road in south London the Bellos’ college. in July 2007. Their scam, which continued Registered to the address were for several years prior to their the ‘Academic College of arrest, involved the supply of Education’ and the ‘Academic fake qualification documents College of Training and which were then used to support Recruitment’, institutions visa applications to the Home for which the Bellos were the Office. Many applicants were principals. then represented by Adeniran through his legal practice. Officers soon discovered that the building was a collection
Following an 11 week trial at Croydon Crown Court, Tiamiyu and Christiana Bello were found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration and conspiracy to possess articles for use in fraud. They were both sentenced to 5 years in prison. Adeniran was found guilty of conspiring to assist unlawful immigration. Described by the judge as a ‘disgrace to his profession’, he was sentenced to 8.5 years behind bars. Extracted from News from Accredibase, January 2011 issue Source: http://www.ukba.homeoffice. gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/2010/ dec/38jailed-over-bogus-college-scam
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CRYSTAL CLEAR CERTIFICATION The process by which an agency or an association acknowledges the achievement of established quality standards and usually grants certain privileges to the target individual (student or teacher) Competencies A specific and measurable pattern of behaviours and knowledge that generates or predicts a high performance level in a given position or context of responsibilities. They account for the identification and application of ideas and solutions in order to solve problems with maximum efficiency and minimum use of resources.
COGNITIVE COMPETENCIES Skills that contribute to the objectives of individual knowledge development, also serving as individual protective factors contributing to successful adaptation. These may include competencies like: reasoning, informationgathering, information analysis, systems-thinking and pattern recognition, theory building, problem-solving, decision-making, planning and goalsetting.
CRITERIA Checkpoints or benchmarks determining the attainment of certain objectives and/or standards. Criteria describe to a certain degree of detail the characteristics of the requirements and conditions to be met (in order to meet a standard) and therefore provide the (quantitative and qualitative) basis on which an evaluative conclusion is drawn. Source: UNESCO’s 2007 Quality Assurance and Accreditation: A Glossary of Basic Terms and Definitions; Bucharest, Romania.
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