In response to a recent report about the funding of its new programmes, the International University of Management has sought to provide clarity and context regarding the accreditation process and funding of new courses by the Namibia Students Financial Assistance Fund.
New Era yesterday reported about frustrations of new IUM students who complained about not being funded by NSFAF.
Gerry Munyama, IUM spokesperson issued the statement to provide clarity on the matter.
“IUM wishes to make it categorically clear that applications for accreditation for all its new courses have dully been submitted to the Namibia Qualifications Authority (NQA) and the university is just waiting on the finalisation of the NQA accreditation process,” said Munyama.
IUM introduced several new programmes for the 2023 academic year, including Transport and Logistics Management, however, NSFAF has stated that it will not fund these new programmes, which may have created a misleading impression about IUM and its offerings.
IUM highlighted that NSFAF regulations dictate that funding is only provided for programmes accredited by the NQA.
The NQA, as the national body responsible for accreditation, has its own regulations, which stipulate that an accreditation visit cannot be conducted until there are students enrolled in the new programme and the programme is running.
“This presents a dilemma for both students and IUM as an institution since NQA requires students to be enrolled before conducting an accreditation visit. Consequently, NSFAF cannot provide funding for students enrolled in a new programme that has not yet been accredited. Moreover, the accreditation process itself can be lengthy, taking up to a year before the NQA issues the final accreditation
certificate.”
IUM assures the public that applications for accreditation of all its new courses have been duly submitted to the NQA, and the university is awaiting the finalisation of the accreditation process by the NQA.
“This predicament affects not only IUM students but also other institutions in Namibia that introduce new academic programmes. IUM believes that a resolution to this persistent issue can only be achieved through collaborative discussions involving institutions of higher learning, the NQA, and the NSFAF.”