ISLAMABAD: Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed all higher education institutions to uphold their academic standards in order to ensure quality education and fulfillment of all the requisite criteria in quantitative and qualitative terms.
In a letter issued to vice chancellors, rectors and directors of all public and private universities, the commission expressed concerns that the certain universities announce admissions and admit students three-to-four times a year and even enroll fresh students in summer programmes which are meant only for improvement of the courses and fulfillment of deficiency.
“As per the policy, any educational institute can admit students in twice in one academic year i.e. spring and fall sessions,” reads the letter. “It is neither allowed as per policy nor administratively and physically viable to run more than two academic sessions in one year,” it explains. It advises all the universities to refrain from enrolling students more than twice in an academic year, rather advertise and enroll students in the spring and fall sessions as per HEC semester system guidelines.
Referring to financial regulations, the HEC has advised the universities to maintain proper and dedicated bank accounts for fee transactions of the students. The universities have been urged to ensure all fee transactions through the official bank accounts instead of collecting fee in cash or through any other method.
Many universities have been issuing academic transcripts to students from its principal seat without mentioning the actual place of study from where the students have completed their educational progress in actual. The letter emphasises that due diligence must be exercised in issuance of the degrees and the transcripts and the HEC-prescribed semester guidelines be complied with in letter and spirit before issuing any transcript or detailed marks certificate to the students.
“All transcripts must reflect the actual place of the study of the students accurately to save the students from inconvenience during their degree verification process,” the letter underlines.
