PRESS OFFICE: Boston City Campus & Business College (Boston) has been recognised and awarded accreditation as an Independent Higher Education institution with the British Accreditation Council (BAC) in May 2018.
The BAC is recognised globally as an influential voice on standards and quality for the education sector, and provides continuing improvement in the general standard and quality of further and higher education in the UK, as well as in the global education market.
The BAC currently accredits more than 230 institutions in 19 countries. Boston is one of only two Higher Education Institutions to have achieved the BAC accreditation award in South Africa.
The BAC is additionally a full member of the following international organisations, which provide Boston students with additional confirmation of the standards of quality, as well as international recognition, of our programmes:
- European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA);
- European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education;
- The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE); and
- Council for Higher Education Accreditation (USA) (Affiliate Member).
“We are so proud to make this announcement!” So says Boston’s Dean for Institutional Advancement, Dr Linda Meyer. “Boston City Campus & Business College offers a range of qualifications. Prospective students should use the opportunity to reflect on higher education as a means to secure employment, and to ensure professional career advancement, by completing a Boston locally and internationally recognised programme. The biggest achievement for our institution in 2018 has been the awarding of accreditation with the British Accreditation Council – Boston graduates are now assured of exiting an institution that has international recognition.”
What does it really mean that Boston has been awarded accreditation by the British Accreditation Council (BAC)? Dr Meyer considers why accreditation with the BAC is significant for Boston as an institution, and outlines some benefits for the student.
According to Meyer, higher education institutions increasingly have to locate themselves within the global context of an ever-changing educational landscape. “At the same time, there is a strong drive to show how contextual realities shape educational theory and practices. In other words – higher education institutions such as Boston must stay in touch with the needs and skills demands of business to remain relevant.”
In this space, Boston needs to think local and act globally. Put another way, Boston must ensure that their approach to education is sensitive to the realities of life in South Africa while at the same time maintaining an active link with what is happening globally. Navigating between global and local is a delicate balance and manifests itself in a number of different ways. “Boston’s accreditation with the British Accreditation Council is a significant and strategic move for the institution. The accreditation gives expression to the Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) draft policy on the internationalisation of higher education”, says Meyer.
Institutionally, this means that Boston carries international recognition as an Institution of Higher Learning. Boston underwent a detailed audit that confirms our commitment to quality provision in South Africa, which meets international quality assurance standards.
Boston students will reap the benefits of accreditation with BAC. These benefits include:
- Boston is accredited as an Independent Higher Education Institution with the BAC, and has successfully been benchmarked against international quality assurance standards.
- Boston is accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) (local) and, internationally, by the BAC.
- The value exchange between Boston and students is amplified by the achieved international recognition by the BAC, when they apply to further their studies abroad.
- Boston is a BAC accredited International provider. The BAC accreditation is recognised by the UK Visas & Immigration, part of the Home Office, as a qualifying requirement for institutions wishing to enrol students on Short-Term Study Visas (the-bac.org/about/).
- Students will be part of an institution—Boston—that has credibility beyond the borders of South Africa.
- A positive perception of Boston qualifications by employers and stakeholders.
- Boston is now listed on the United Kingdom National Recognition Information Centre (NARIC), the designated U.K national agency for the recognition and comparison of international qualifications and skills. NARIC performs this official function on behalf of the U.K Government. https://www.naric.org.uk/naric/ . This achievement allows Boston graduates the opportunity to apply to U.K & E.U Institutions of Higher Learning.
“The future for Boston is exciting! “, says Meyer. “We will continue to pursue international relationships that will benefit students and enhance our approach to meeting the needs of students in the South African context, and open doors beyond our borders”.
Dr Deonita Damons is a management executive with 16 years’ experience in strategy design of innovative business processes, primarily in the private sector.
