UCC & CXC Sign New Historic Articulation Agreement
The University of the Commonwealth Caribbean (UCC) and the regional external examinations body, the Caribbean Examinations Council® (CXC®), have formally entered into a new articulation agreement. This agreement will facilitate the seamless transfer of successful candidates of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination® (CAPE®) and the CXC® Associate Degree to any UCC on-campus or online Bachelor Degree programme.
The CAPE® qualification and CXC®Associate Degrees are ideally positioned to further propel learners into the marketplace or towards higher education at an accredited university. Dr Carol Granston, Pro Registrar and Deputy CEO of CXC®, said, “CXC® is delighted to welcome the UCC as a partner as we seek to expand opportunities for candidates to achieve their goals of post-secondary education through certification at the CAPE® level and attainment of the CXC® Associate Degree.”
The CXC®Associate Degrees are awarded by CXC® based on performance at Grades I to V in clusters of ten units of its post-secondary qualification. The clusters refer to a combination of general, core, adjunct and elective courses which are typically pursued over two years. Under the agreement, successful candidates from some 16 Caribbean territories will now be able to easily transfer their credits into relevant UCC upper-level Bachelor Degree programmes, based on the mapping of the programmes and UCC's policy on advanced standing, thereby allowing them to complete their chosen degree in approximately two years.
“UCC is indeed delighted to execute this new articulation agreement with CXC®, as we now further expand our pioneering partnership,” said Professor Dennis J. Gayle, UCC President.
In turn, UCC’s Founder and Group of Companies Executive Chairman, Dr Winston Adams, called the expanded partnership a “critical milestone in the further growth and development of this Caribbean and Commonwealth higher education institution”.
“It is gratifying and exciting to be part of a truly Caribbean team embarking on this innovative collaboration. This will augur well for future generations of Jamaican and Caribbean students as the UCC continues to further cement its status as a Caribbean, academic-certifying institution that creates alternative pathways and opportunities for the success of all the learners enrolled at our University,” he said.
The CXC® Associate Degree programme began in 2005 and the first awards were made in 2006. This initiative was spearheaded under the leadership of then CXC® Chairman, former Governor General of Jamaica, and former Principal/Pro-Vice Chancellor of the UWI Mona Campus, Professor the Most Honorable Sir Kenneth Hall, ON, GCMG, OJ, who is also now Chancellor at the UCC.
The UCC will host a free Caribbean-wide webinar/virtual information session on Thursday August 20th at 3:00 pm local time in Jamaica (GMT-5). During this webinar/virtual information session, prospects from across the Caribbean will have a real-time, opportunity to learn more about this new agreement and how they can transfer their CAPE® or CXC® Associate Degree credits into a UCC bachelor degree programme, while exploring a wide range of scholarship awards that are available through the UCC Foundation-US Inc. Registration for this free webinar is now open on the University’s website at www.ucc.edu.jm.
The UCC was recently awarded Institutional Accreditation by the national Accrediting Body, the University Council of Jamaica (UCJ). This now positions the University as one of only four UCJ-accredited universities in Jamaica, out of the 80 tertiary institutions that have been formally registered by the Accrediting Body. UCC is also internationally accredited by the UK- based Accreditation Services for International Schools, Colleges and Universities (ASICS), and is Jamaica's largest, privately held, non-affiliated university, with an annual student population of approximately 5,000, operating seven campuses across the island, together with a Global Online campus.
