HEC asserts regulatory authority over accreditation councils, directs alignment with its policies

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Wednesday directed all accreditation councils to ensure that their standards, guidelines and accreditation criteria are fully aligned with HEC policies.

In a press release issued by the commission, the HEC stated:

"This includes ensuring that provisions concerning faculty qualifications, experience and research publications remain consistent with the criteria prescribed by the HEC to preserve national uniformity."

The commission reaffirmed its position as the sole national authority responsible for developing, notifying and maintaining the regulatory framework governing higher education in the country. This framework encompasses the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), curriculum development and faculty standards, the HEC said.

Letter to accreditation council heads

The HEC communicated its directives through a letter addressed to the chairpersons and heads of all accreditation councils operating across the country. In the correspondence, the commission underscored that while discipline-specific accreditation bodies serve an important function in undergraduate programme accreditation and the maintenance of professional standards, the broader policy and regulatory framework remains the exclusive domain of the HEC.

The move signals the HEC's intent to consolidate its oversight role and ensure that various accreditation bodies operating in different professional disciplines do not deviate from the nationally prescribed standards set by the commission.

National uniformity in higher education standards

The emphasis on national uniformity in the HEC's directive reflects the commission's concern that accreditation councils maintain consistency with its prescribed criteria, particularly in areas related to faculty qualifications, professional experience requirements and research publication standards.

By issuing this directive, the HEC has sought to clarify the hierarchy of regulatory authority in Pakistan's higher education sector, making it clear that while accreditation councils hold specialised roles within their respective disciplines, they are expected to operate within the parameters established by the commission's overarching policies.

The HEC's assertion of its regulatory primacy comes as part of its ongoing efforts to standardise higher education governance across the country and ensure that all stakeholders in the sector adhere to a unified set of guidelines and quality benchmarks.