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Accreditation of Colleges a Complex and Contentious issue

College accreditation has been a complex and contentious issue in Dubai, with several international colleges - some reputed and others little known - setting up base in the emirate.

Differences in the federal and local frameworks have left parents and pupils confused and, sometimes, even apprehensive, about colleges that do not have local accreditation.

Many people fear that the absence of a federal accreditation system might hinder opportunities for higher education, or even employment in the UAE or abroad.

Even as the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the federal body that monitors higher education, mandates licensure of universities and accreditation of individual programmes, the education free zones in the emirate have put in place their own licensing systems.

The Commission for Academic Accreditation, under the ministry, even urges pupils to enroll in accredited institutions in order to ensure international standards.

Accreditation: No, thank you!

Academic free zones have set up an independent quality-assurance body to review licensing applications and renewal of higher education institutes in the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and Knowledge Village (KV).

“The higher education department will work closely with KV and DIAC to identify new programmes that will increase choice for Dubai students, and also meet the industry’s need for graduates with particular skills,” said Dr Warren Fox, Executive Director of Higher Education in Knowledge and Human Development Authority(KHDA).

Institutes, however, do not have to pay for licensing and the process would be completed in a couple of months. Universities can go for a federal accreditation, if they choose to, even if they are located within the free zones.

Apprehensions at large Despite the emirate’s efforts to find a middle ground and win the confidence of parents and pupils, anxieties remain.

A BBA final year student, who didn’t want to be named, expressed concern that her college still had not been accredited.

“Before I took admission, the college authorities said that they were looking into the accreditation matter.

I thought it would happen soon, but nothing has materialised so far,” she said, adding that she was worried about whether she would be able to secure a job after completion of her studies.

Kate Saldanha, a BBA graduate, has faced problems in trying to secure admission for post-graduate studies abroad.

“They didn’t recognise my university at all,” she said. “That might have been different with accreditation. Finally, they accepted me only because of my job experience. Even then, I would now have to give several tests and do a year of foundation.”

Despite the problems pass-outs could face, reputed colleges like Mahe- Manipal University, Dubai, which has no accreditation, attribute the issue to the complicated federal and local laws governing accreditation by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.

Universities speak

Michigan State University Dubai, which opened this year, is accredited to various higher learning agencies and organisations in the United States.

“We are strongly accredited within the US and all our individual programmes, too, are accredited,” said Dr Brendan Mullan, Executive Director of MSU Dubai.“In Dubai, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority has licensed us after examining our accreditation process,” he said.

Dr Mullan added that while MSU Dubai respected the role and function of federal accreditation, the university was currently not looking at the ministry’s accreditation.“We might look at in the future,” he said.For many students, accreditation is a no-brainer.

“I would not opt for an unaccredited university,” said Jimmy Sadri, a graduate-level accounting major at the federally-accredited University of Wollongong in Dubai.

“In case I want to travel abroad for further studies or a job, I would feel much safer being from an accredited college.”

Academic City Needs More Course Options and Better Facilities

On average, a student spends only 20 per cent of his or her time attending classes at Dubai International Academic City; the remaining 80 per cent is spent on college grounds, a recent survey found.

It is this 80 per cent time that needs to be addressed by the authorities if they are to retain students or meet the target of 40,000 enrolled students in only seven years four times the current enrolment and realise the emirate’s dream of becoming an educational destination.

Students say that to meet the ambitious goals, colleges in the free zones need more and better facilities like libraries, housing, recreational centres, sports zones, student hang-outs and the all-important “campus feel” characteristic of the US and UK schools. They need more than vast expanses of sand.

Besides the lack of facilities, students and parents also see shortcomings in the quality of teaching, course options and visa restrictions ó the last one prevents students from working to help meet their expenses. Rising tuition fees are squeezing families, forcing them to ask whether they are getting good value for their dirhams.

Aarti Saundalkar, 21, a final-year media and communications major, typifies student dissatisfaction.

“Colleges should have more experienced and better qualified teachers from foreign universities. Colleges here should offer better courses,” she said. “For instance, no one offers courses like geology or archaeology.Weneed all that, and campuses should be bigger if they are to attract more students.”

Professor Raed Awamleh, director of the Middlesex University Dubai, attributes the brain drain to the preferences of expatriates to return home for degrees in specialised courses.

“Students get a good number of scholarships to study abroad. Even companies offer scholarships to their employees to study overseas,” he said. “Universities do not offer a whole range of programmes and universities havenít been here for long enough. It will take a while.”

Nonetheless, he added, “I see more high school students staying back here and overseas students also coming to Dubai since universities here offer programmes that aid development and are in sync with the economy.”Healso said universities would soon start sharing facilities such as libraries.

Prof Awamleh disagreed that satellite universities lacked credibility, noting that many had done well here in a short period.

As for attracting top faculty, he said the solution was to offer housing, given that many were put off by the high cost of accommodation.

The government has heard the concerns and is responding.

“We need to provide the learning environment. We are working towards the sports facilities like games rooms, faculty accommodation and a shared library,” said Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Knowledge Village. “We are looking at student unions.”

Teams are being sent to universities in East Lansing, Michigan, Singapore and Thailand to benchmark and create the necessary environment for students. Kazim said such an environment could be provided in the next two years.

He also conceded that housing is a “major obstacle,” especially for transnational students. In the next two-anda- half years, 2,500 housing units will be built for 5,000 students at Academic City, with the first 500 ready for occupancy by the end of 2009.

Officials also plan to focus on the local market and re-strategise to increase awareness and promotion of the colleges and the facilities in the free zones. Earlier visa restrictions on expat students did n’t permit them to work while studying.

However, the UAE is now government looking forward and has taken the cue from countries like United Kingdom and US to permit expat and transnational students to work part time or full time in the UAE, while pursuing college studies. An approval of a recommendation by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, early this week is making this also a possibility.

As for criticism about the quality and scope of programmes, Kazim said officials were working to address them, too.

One important solution is more funding for research and development. The Arab world now spends only about 0.8 per cent of its GDP on research.

“We are trying to look in to universities that are research- and-development intensive. The development of a nation can be assessed by the funds allocated to R&D,” Kazimsaid.

Developed countries allocate two to five per cent of their GDP to this field. We need to do the same in the Arab world for the development of different areas like health care, engineering and new technologies.

New Food Court for DIAC Soon

Affordable food at the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) has always been hard to come by and it is not uncommon for students to drive down to faraway petrol stations or food courts for lunch. The food available at the outlets or restaurants in the education zone is expensive, hence a strain on the students’ pockets.

The Academic City officials have plans to set up a new food court spanning 16,000 sq ft, which will provide more options.

Though a little behind schedule, the food court is expected to be operational in the next two months. Food may even be a trifle cheaper than what it costs outside.

“Six international brands will start operating in June at the new food court. We have requested these major brands to subsidise their prices as it is intended for students. We do not want food operators, who will hike prices and make it hard for students,” said Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of DIAC and Knowledge Village Dubai.

“We are extremely keen on focussing on student needs as the academic city is an education-oriented environment,” he said.

“This is the reason why we are setting up a larger food court than the one at Knowledge Village,” he added. This is part of the management’s efforts to make the environment more student-friendly and accessible.

“Four more outlets will be added to the food court later this year. Our emphasis is on affordability, hygiene and safety standards,” the Executive Director emphasised.

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