St. Augustine International University applies to get a charter

Kampala based St.Augustine International University has applied to the National Council for Higher Education seeking to get a charter.

According to the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act, a charter is granted as evidence that the university meets the requirements and standards of academic excellence set by the NCHE.

Furthermore, according to section 103(a) of the same Act 2001 as amended, a chartered university means a university that is comparable to a public university.

On Thursday, officials from St. Augustine International  University led by their chairperson who also doubles as the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem.

“The submission of this application is a great milestone for St. Augustine International University in our quest to multiply wealth and opportunities for our global society in critical sectors,”Oryem said.

He said that in line with achieving the country’s goal of vision 2040, the university is aligned well to fast track development and fostering transformation of the economy.

Established in 2010, St. Augustine International University was given a provisional license to operate as a private university by the National Council for Higher Education in 2011.

Section 131 of the Universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act requires all universities to have a charter, save for Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology.

However, despite being operational for decades, a biggest number of universities don’t have charters.

The National Council for Higher Education in January said over 30 private universities in the country are operating on provisional licenses adding that 26 of these have gone past the required three years of operation without permanent licenses.

The body threatened to close the universities operating on provisional licenses.

For a university to be given a charter, it must have presence of academic, administrative and other supportive services including; an administrative block, lecture halls, seminar rooms, special purpose rooms, library, laboratories, and workshops, staff housing and other facilities as per council’s checklist of capacity indicators.

The university must also have course programs, curricular, student assessment procedures, examination regulations for initial and future program approved by the institutions’ organs and ratified by the National Council for Higher Education.