NIHERST: Accreditation

In the late 1970s, a Committee on the Recognition of Degrees (CORD) was established by government to provide expert advice on the recognition and equivalence of foreign qualifications held by nationals who were returning home to practice their profession or to seek employment. Initially, NIHERST performed the functions of a secretariat for the NIHERST Committee which included undertaking research on the accredited status of the relevant foreign institutions and programmes. As time passed, CORD became an integral part of NIHERST and a key support for NIHERST’s work in developing the tertiary education sector in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean through its involvement in ATITT (Association of Tertiary Institutions of Trinidad and Tobago) and ACTI (Association of Caribbean Tertiary Institutions) - NIHERST being a founding member of both bodies.

In introducing the accreditation process to Trinidad and Tobago, emphasis was placed on evaluating each course and programme leading to certification. Effectively, therefore, in the local context, accreditation implied that a specific programme had met or exceeded the minimum standards of acceptability. That is, each programme was individually assessed. The evaluation took into account the level of the courses that comprised the programme, as well as the qualifications of faculty, programme admission requirements, the suitability of the teaching/learning methods, and other factors. This approach therefore did not mean that all offerings of an institution were of equivalent quality. CORD’s role in accreditation was important to promote and assure the quality of education in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as to protect the public’s interest. CORD’s involvement in the setting of criteria to achieve quality improvements was also intended to facilitate the development of a coherent education system for Trinidad & Tobago.

In 1994 Cabinet empowered NIHERST to establish a national accrediting agency to perform "Full Accreditation Functions". In 2001, subsequent to NIHERST’s submission of several proposals for the establishment of an independent national accrediting agency, Cabinet agreed to the establishment of the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT), under which CORD will be subsumed.

On June 14th 2004 the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT) was established by Act # 16 of 2004.

Besides being instrumental in the establishment of ACTT, NIHERST was also involved at the regional level in the establishment of a regional accreditation mechanism.

What's On

Establishment of the Accreditation Council of Trinidad and Tobago (ACTT)

Accreditation Services

ACTT Contact Information