The University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) has now been formally registered by the Jamaica Tertiary Education Commission (J-TEC) as a teaching university, the first private institution to be so registered/recognised in Jamaica, effective July 2022.

Making the announcement, Professor Dennis J. Gayle, president of the UCC, said: “We are very pleased to have satisfied the J-TEC’s detailed inspection and due diligence processes and to have received this registration status as a result.”

He added: “This adds to the recognition of higher education quality already earned by the UCC, including registration and institutional accreditation from the national accreditation body – the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ); institutional accreditation from the UK-based quality assurance body – Accreditation Services for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASIC) as well as recognition from the University of London and Sunderland University, which are both located in the UK and Florida International University in the USA.

“The UCC voluntarily submits to a continuous series of assessments by qualified local and international bodies, while also implementing a robust internal quality assurance and enhancement system, as we work assiduously to ensure our programmes and facilities are of the highest possible standards.”

J-TEC has been mandated by the Cabinet of Jamaica to undertake the registration and regulation of all institutions offering tertiary education level qualifications within Jamaica.

Accordingly, J-TEC undertakes inspection and the associated assessment of all aspects of an institutional establishment’s operations and levels of qualifications against established standards. 

Registration by J-TEC indicates that an institution has attained the minimum standards to operate and deliver the programmes and awards and facilitate the appropriate qualifications in keeping with the application for registration.

The J-TEC registration more than 35 degree programmes offered by the UCC, including several of current national relevance including undergraduate, graduate and master’s degrees in Hospitality and Tourism Management, executive master’s degrees in Business Administration or Public Administration, and Masters of Business Administration ((MBA) in Accounting, Finance or Health Care Management.