The Eastern Cape-based University of Fort Hare has been rocked by its own qualification saga, with claims that it has been enrolling students in an unaccredited programme for the past 10 years.
Early this month, the university called off the graduation of students who enrolled for the BCom degree in general accounting at the 11th hour and informed them that the programme is not registered with the South African Qualifications Authority. It further informed them that it has made an application for a programme name change with the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and the Department of Higher Education and Training for a unique SAQA ID number because it is currently sharing the SAQA ID number with another programme.
Cancellation of the graduation resulted in general panic among students in the faculty of management and commerce about the status of their own programmes, while those affected by this saga left fuming and worried about their future.
A number of Fort Hare students who have been affected by this and whose identities have been kept anonymous expressed their disappointment to Sunday World, and said the university behaves just like its counterpart Walter Sisulu University, which has been rocked by a similar issue in its programmes.
Students said the university has not issued a formal statement to explain thoroughly to the students why it is finding itself faced with this issue and said it owes them and their families an apology.
One of the students said: “I feel like the university is trying to water this down. It is not concerned about the inconvenience and emotional trauma it has caused by cancellation of graduation with just a week to go, when we have paid for everything. They are disrespecting us because they don’t seem to think that they owe us and our families an explanation and apology.
“They have been ducking and diving and not willing to release a statement that explains everything thoroughly and commit to a date for when this mess will be sorted.”
Another student said she found out from other students that the graduation was called off and accused the university of not doing enough to reach out to the affected students.
“I was not aware that there was a virtual meeting with the dean of faculty on the 10th, that is where others were told that there is no graduation for us. I found out two days later. They are messing with our future because employers are going to start doubting the credibility of our qualifications.”
University of Fort Hare spokesperson JP Roodt said it is only one programme and it affects only 25 students and that all other university programmes are appropriately accredited. “The general accounting degree has similar outcomes to the accounting degree but is differentiated in the level at which the accounting subject is taught and assessed.
“The general accounting students do general accounting instead of accounting.
“As a result, the university applied for a name change and is awaiting the new SAQA ID before the affected students may graduate.”
Roodt said there are ongoing meetings between Fort Hare, CHE, DHET and SAQA and once the decision is made it will be communicated with students and other stakeholders.
The education department directed questions to the Council for Higher Education, which was yet to respond by the time of printing. Attempts to get comment from SAQA were also unsuccessful.
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