HEC panel finalises programme for non-professional undergraduate degrees

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission’s Outcome-Based Education Implementation Committee has finalised and recommended Programme Learning Outcomes for undergraduate degree programmes that are not covered by any accreditation or regulatory council, according to an HEC press release.

The commission said the recommendations will be shared with higher education institutions after approval by the HEC Commission, the body’s governing authority. In its first meeting, held on Tuesday under the convenorship of Prof Dr Samreen Hussain, the committee approved the proposed Programme Learning Outcomes along with an implementation approach and the Terms of Reference for working groups as part of the initial rollout of outcome-based education across disciplines.

Separate frameworks for disciplines

According to the press release, the committee reviewed and recommended two separate sets of Programme Learning Outcomes for undergraduate programmes outside the jurisdiction of accreditation and regulatory councils. One set has been prepared for Natural, Human and Social Science disciplines, while the second is designed for Art, Design and Media disciplines.

HEC said the two frameworks have been benchmarked against national and international standards to maintain consistency and comparability in graduate quality. The press release added that the committee’s convenor presented a progress report on a special task assigned by the HEC chairman.

Implementation plan and working groups

HEC stated that 12 councils without published learning outcomes had been engaged for the exercise. It said draft proposals were developed through research into international benchmarks and through consultative discussions, with the aim of aligning them with HEC-approved curricula and the competencies required for degree programmes.

The committee also endorsed a coordinated implementation strategy for all higher education institutions. According to HEC, the plan will be backed by capacity-building measures for faculty members and Quality Enhancement Cells, with a focus on direct assessment methods and continuous quality improvement to support the nationwide adoption of outcome-based education.

The press release said the committee also reviewed and approved the Terms of Reference for discipline-wise working groups. Under these ToRs, the working groups will mentor and support designated councils and higher education institutions in implementing outcome-based education and achieving Programme Learning Outcomes for programmes that do not fall under any accreditation council.