The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has closed Iganga-based Busoga University citing unending irregularities at the institution.
According to a General Notice No.1065 of 2017 published in the gazette, dated December 1, the university is not allowed to advertise or recruit any students henceforth.
“Take notice that the National Council for Higher Education has revoked the provisional license of Busoga University and it has ceased to operate,” reads the notice addressed to the university Vice Chancellor.
“The revocation of the licence does not affect the validity of any certificate, diploma, degree or other academic award granted by the university when still under the provisional license.”
The notice further specifies that the reasons for revocation of the provisional license are; absence of adequately qualified staff, admission of students without the requisite admission criteria, illegal affiliation, poor financial health and teaching of unaccredited programmes.
Others are; lack of up to date student records, failure to conduct progressive student assessment and irregular graduation of students who do not qualify.
NCHE executive director, Prof John Opuda-Asibo, indicates in the notice that, the council shall set up a technical committee to work with the university to support their placement of eligible students to recognised higher institutions.
Last year, complaints were filed to the council that Busoga University awarded suspicious degrees to over 1,000 South Sudan and Nigeria nationals, which led to investigations into the matter by NCHE. It was alleged then that the students had only spent about four months at the university.
The recent closure means that Busoga University can only reapply for a license to operate again after two years from the date of revocation (November 27, 2017), according to Section 98 (3) of the University and Other Tertiary Institutions Act.
