By: Joseph Kerkula
The National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) has issued ultimatum to several higher learning institutions in Liberia to regularize their operational status and meet required standards.
According to Dr. Edward Wonkeryor, the head of the NCHE, many of these institutions are operating under serious challenges and lack critical academic and infrastructural requirements.
As a result, the Commission is granting them grace period to make necessary improvements.
Among the institutions allowed to continue operations during this period are the University of Liberia, African Methodist Episcopal University, Cuttington University, and William V. S. Tubman University, among others.
He maintained that these universities must focus on enhancing their facilities and meeting the minimum standards set by the NCHE.
He warned that failure to comply within the given timeframe may result in further regulatory actions.
At the same time , The integrity of Liberia’s education system, Dr. Wonkeryor disclosed is under severe threat from the rampant proliferation of “for-money” honorary degrees, with no academic requirements.
He indicated that the Commission has expressed deep concern over said practice, asserting that it is fundamentally undermining the credibility and value of educational qualifications across the country.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing in Monrovia on Tuesday, Dr. Edward Wonkeryor, Director General of the NCHE, strongly condemned the use of these “fluidity titles, arguing that such practices actively devalue legitimate academic achievements and the rigorous processes traditionally associated with higher education.
The NCHE’s concerns highlight a growing problem within the higher education landscape, where individuals are reportedly acquiring prestigious-sounding titles without having met the necessary academic or scholarly contributions that typically warrant an honorary degree.
