The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has directed higher education institutions (HEIs) to stop offering Associate Degree Programs (ADPs) through annual and private-candidate modes.
In a notification issued on September 25, HEC said some institutions continued offering ADPs through these modes even after the phase-out of conventional BA and BSc programs. The commission noted that some institutions had only renamed former BA/BSc programs as ADPs without bringing their structure and delivery methods in line with the HEC Undergraduate Education Policy.
According to HEC, such practices could create difficulties for graduates in degree attestation, equivalence, further education and employment. The commission has therefore directed institutions to submit consolidated, program-wise and session-wise data of students enrolled in such ADPs.
The required data must include the program title, mode of study, enrollment session or year, number of enrolled students and number of graduates. Registrars and Controllers of Examinations must verify the information, while vice chancellors or heads of institutions are required to countersign it.
HEC has clarified that universities and other higher education institutions must not make new admissions to ADPs offered through annual or private-candidate modes. Institutions continuing such admissions or offerings in violation of HEC policy may face regulatory action under applicable laws and regulations.
The commission has also instructed institutions to ensure that their admission advertisements, prospectuses and academic programs comply with the HEC Undergraduate Education Policy.
