Post Date: 4th Dec, 2006 - 5:08pm / Post ID:
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University of Trinidad and Tobago - UTT
There is a big controversy whether the University of Trinidad and Tobago is an accredited Institution. Recently the Express published a letter where this person describes the ordeal of a cousin who tried to enter a Canadian University but was told the UTT is not accredited:
QUOTE We have heard it said again and again that "All that glitters is not gold". Having watched the UTT graduation ceremony last weekend on television I was saddened to see the sheer deception that was shown in the spectacular event that the "University" has put on. I am therefore compelled to write this to sensitise people to the biggest scam in town.
I am ashamed because you see, I have a cousin who is now with relatives in North America trying to get admission to a college there and who is having tremendous difficulty. Just this year, she obtained a Diploma in Computer Technology from the UTT and applied for admission to a renowned college in Canada, only to discover that even the piece of paper her diploma was printed on was worth nothing.
UTT has boasted the best degree programmes aligned to those in the US, UK and Canada. They even have a well known provost who was a big academic from a university in Canada, who is known to have taught Prof Julien and is supposed to be popular there. So my cousin thought knowing all this she would have a good chance. The Canadian college mounted checks, only to realise that with the UTT diploma no one can receive credits because first of all she has been told that UTT has no degree-granting rights officially given to it by the State in law.
Her father was made to understand that despite the fact that neither UTT nor the programme is accredited, a university is not recognised unless it has been given authority through a national law to give degrees.
Imagine, she had to pay a lot of money to go to Canada to investigate why they were not accepting her there and it was there that she found this out. She has been told that from their investigations, they have found that UTT is a non-profit company (like an NGO)Â and not a legally established university.
Hearing this, I went online to try to understand this more and I found that traditionally universities are given authority by laws of the land through charters. I then called someone at UTT to enquire and after having my call routed within the establishment for a few times, no one could verify that UTT has such authority. I also spoke to my former lecturer at UWI who said the same thing.
What I want to know is, how could the Government allow this to happen? So then what about all the degrees including those doctorates I saw people getting last weekend? Are they worth nothing also? What about all the money students and parents are spending? And even worse, the taxpayers' dollars they are pumping into GATE and the UTT, why are we allowing that? ....
QUOTE "Students who are leaving the University of Trinidad and Tobago are being put at a serious disadvantage. On the one hand they are being told that they now have tertiary qualifications, but on the other hand, the University has not secured accreditation for their degrees. This is a very grave disservice to our young people."
Dookeran explained that a contract with Cambridge University and its subsidiary, Cambridge Manufacturing Industry Links Ltd, stated the following: "For the avoidance of doubt, the Parties agree that UTT students shall not receive any University accreditation as a result of attending and successfully completing any courses developed under this agreement."
Post Date: 7th Jun, 2010 - 3:06am / Post ID:
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UTT Tobago Trinidad University
Name: Daniel
Comments: The link below shows that some courses are in fact accredited:
QUOTE She pointed out that UTT's Bachelor of Technology degrees in electrical and mechanical engineering were accredited by the Institute of Engineering and Technology about four years ago.