No deferment of 4-year, 2-year degrees: HEC

ISLAMABAD:

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Tuesday clarified that all news items circulating in the press and electronic media regarding deferment of the four-year undergraduate and two-year associate degree programmes by HEC, published in context of the Vice Chancellors’ Committee Meeting held on July 2, were misleading and incorrect.

In a statement issued here, the HEC said that both the programmes were intact and would continue as usual.

The enforcement of the policy prescribed in the HEC’s notification dated July 11, 2019, regarding “Transition from BA/BSc Programme to Associate Degree Programmes: Phasing Out of MA/MSc Programmes” shall continue in letter and spirit.

The meeting was convened on the request of vice chancellors who raised issues in the implementation of HEC’s Undergraduate Education Policy and Policy on PhD Degree Programmes, 2021. The recommendation for deferring implementation of both the policies until Fall 2022 may be placed before the commission, HEC’s governing body, for consideration. A committee of vice chancellors would meet in the fourth week of July for three days to debate issues and come up with practical solutions.

The summary based on the recommendations of the Vice Chancellors would be taken to the commission, highlighting the factual position and requesting for allowing proposed amendments to facilitate implementation of the two policies.

The universities that are willing to adopt or have already adopted the policies may continue with their implementation diligently, it noted.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2021.