HEC warns students against obtaining degrees from 'unapproved sub-campuses'

After citing academic irregularities and maintaining educational quality, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has issued a warning for students about those degrees obtained from unapproved sub-campuses of public sector universities.

A "Parent and Student Alert" message shared on its official Instagram account read that the HEC will not attest degrees obtained from unapproved sub-campuses.

“No university or degree-awarding institution is currently permitted to operate through sub-campuses by the HEC under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode,” it read.

“HEC does not endorse any such proposals due to a range of issues, previously observed in permitted PPP campuses established by certain public sector universities in Punjab, and subsequently closed, such as academic irregularities and concerns regarding educational quality,” it added.

The commission advised the students not to seek admission at any campuses not listed as "Recognised" on the HEC website. “Degrees obtained from unapproved campuses will not be validated by HEC for verification/attestation,” it concluded.

Earlier this month, the commission issued another alert warning for students against getting admissions in two-year programmes that have been phased out since the academic year 2019.

The alert highlighted that it had phased out "two-year BA/Sc and MA/MSc programmes with extended deadlines of the academic year 2019 and June 30 2022".

The notification revealed that some higher education institutions admitted students in these phased-out programmes after the specified deadlines despite HEC's directions.

It also urged students, parents and stakeholders to avoid getting admission in these programmes as "degrees obtained from such programmes do not qualify for recognition and attestation by HEC."

As per the HEC’s official statement, the decision of abolishing the two-year degree programmes was taken in 2004 with the aim of enhancing the quality of degree programmes as per international standards.

The commission, however, had granted a transition period until 2016 to the varsities for phasing out the said programmes.

The two-year associate degree programmes allowed by the HEC were a substitute for the bachelors of arts (BA) and bachelors of science (BSc) degree programmes and were equivalent to 14 years of education.

On the completion of an associate degree programme, the graduates can secure admissions to the fifth semester of a four-year BS programme.