What VUSSC is or isn’t?

VUSSC is not a university!

Ironic?

If not, then what?

What VUSSC is or isn’t?

VUSSC is not a university in the traditional sense. There are no:

• faculties• departments• schools, • classrooms or • lecturers

What VUSSC is or isn’t?

VUSSC can best be described as a concept!

What does this mean?

What VUSSC is or isn’t?

• An initiative of the education ministers of the 32 small states that account for two-thirds of the Commonwealth member states.

• To make available post secondary and tertiary level qualifications available to member states.

• To share post-secondary and tertiary level qualifications among member states.

What VUSSC is or isn’t?

• VUSSC is “collaborative network” contributing to the strengthening and development of the tertiary education sectors in participating states.

• VUSSC is a “clearing house” for “collecting” and “registering” qualifications.

• VUSSC is a platform for “storing” qualifications.

Participating countries

• Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Lesotho, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, The Bahamas, The Gambia, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

• Montserrat, The Cayman Islands (non-Commonwealth).

• University of Zanzibar, Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth

The TQF

What is the VUSSC Transnational Qualifications Framework (TQF)?

The TQF

• is a translation instrument for the classification of VUSSC qualifications to improve credit transfer and promote common accreditation

mechanisms between participating VUSSC countries

The TQFTQF as a mapping instrument

• Improve credit transfer and articulation between countries

• Promote common quality assurance mechanisms

• Does not replace existing qualifications frameworks

• Unified, credit-based with 10 levels• Sectoral and incremental implementation• Non-regulatory

Level Qualifications Titles Minimum Credits

10 Doctoral Degree 360

9 Masters Degree 240

8 Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma;Bachelor’s Degree with Honours 120

7 Bachelor’s DegreeGraduate Certificate and Diploma; 360

6 Advanced/ Higher DiplomaAssociate Degree/ Foundation Degree 240

5 Diploma 240

4 Advanced Certificate 120

3 Certificate III 40

2 Certificate II 40

1 Certificate I 40

Referencing the TQFLevel Qualifications Titles Minimum

Credits

10 Doctoral Degree 3609 Masters Degree 240

8Postgraduate

Certificate and Diploma;

Bachelor’s Degree with Honours

120

7Bachelor’s Degree

Graduate Certificate and Diploma;

Referencing the TQF360

6Advanced/ Higher

DiplomaAssociate Degree/ Foundation Degree

240

5 Diploma 240

Level Qualifications Titles Minimum Credits

4 Advanced Certificate 120

3 Certificate III 40

2 Certificate II 40

1 Certificate I 40

Level Qualifications Titles Minimum Credits

10 Doctoral Degree 360

9 Masters Degree 240

8Postgraduate Certificate and

Diploma;Bachelor’s Degree with

Honours120

7Bachelor’s Degree

Graduate Certificate and Diploma;

360

6Advanced/ Higher Diploma

Associate Degree/ Foundation Degree

240

5 Diploma 240

4 Advanced Certificate 120

3 Certificate III 40

2 Certificate II 40

1 Certificate I 40

Underlying Principle

TQF Referenced to MQF & EQF 

TQF Referenced to CQF

The VUSSC Transnational Qualifications Framework (TQF)

RQF

MoUGuidelines forRecognition

Registration of courses onto TQF

Note: Dotted lines refer to registration process of courses that have already been quality assured by the NQAA or other recognised authority

Providers

VUSSC

Conduit coordinated by COL

Optional

Course material developed using ODL

mode

PROVIDERS

offer a range of courses

REGIONAL QA REQUIREMENTS

(RQF, where applicable)

Optional

TRANSNATIONAL QA REQUIREMENTS

Optional

National recognition

National and regional

recognition

National, regional and transnational recognition

No/very limited recognition (non-

(formal)

Ministerial request,

transnational needs

NATIONAL QA REQUIREMENTS

(NQF or MOE)

Compulsory

Benefits of the TQF• Increase access to online

learning• Promote life long learning• TQF is voluntary – not

replacing existing system• Enhance transnational

education and training system

VUSSC OER CYCLE

The TQF Management Committee

• Oversee the development and implementation of the TQF

• Oversee the evaluation of programmes to be registered on the VUSSC TQF

• Communicate and advocate the TQF within Small States of the Commonwealth.

• Recommend the appointment of external observers, technical experts and external evaluators to COL when required

• Develop and maintain appropriate strategic networks to enhance the objectives and performance of the TQF.

Challenges of the TQF• Registration of Qualifications on the NQF/TQF• Ventilation of the TQF• Referencing of the TQF with other meta-framework

like the EQF• Involvement of all stakeholders• Other countries that wish to use TQF• Certification

www.col.org/vusscwww.vussc.info

www.facebook.com/vussc