Varsity College Accreditation brochure 2017 41720VC_Accreditation_brochure_2017

WHAT YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU CHOOSE AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION Your education is an incredibly important investment of time and money. The importance of registration, accreditation and licensing of institutions, qualifications and conferring bodies cannot be over- emphasised. However, these things can be fairly confusing – a fact that some institutions will regrettably trade on with misleading communication and even illegal presentation of credentials. In addition to the many highly recognised and accredited higher education institutions in South Africa, there are also a few unscrupulous providers and poor quality programmes. Armed with the right information and a few key questions you will be well-positioned to acquire all the facts you need to be certain you are making wise decisions. You will then be able to explain this to your peers and others who do not have this information. It is important to understand the difference between Higher Education (HE) and Further Education and Training (FET) We are a Higher Education Institution – that is, we offer qualifications of the same type and level as other Higher Education Institutions like universities. There are several private education institutions that offer qualifications that are Further Education and Training (FET). The Department of Higher Education and Training manages both these sectors and it also maintains two registers for private education institutions – one for Higher Education and one for FET. One of the first things you need to check is which level the institution is registered on as if what you want is a Higher Education qualification. You can only get that from a registered Higher Education institution. Just for information – Further Education and Training Qualifications are “non-school” qualifications at NQF level 1 to 6 and they are accredited and quality assured by Umalusi or the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) (normally done through their Assessment Quality Partners, the SETAs). These are valuable qualifications in trades and occupations but they are not Higher Education. Higher Education qualifications are accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) for both public and private Higher Education institutions (so that includes universities). They are all post- school level and are on levels 5 to 10 of the Higher Education Qualifications Framework (which is the top part of the National Qualifications Framework). GAUTENG SANDTON Waterstone Drive, off Benmore Road Benmore Gardens, Sandton 2196 Tel: (011) 784 6939 Fax: (011) 784 9161 Email: [email protected] WATERFALL Janadel Avenue 11 Riverview Park Midrand 1686 Tel: (010) 224 4300 Fax: (086) 612 6058 Email: [email protected] PRETORIA 116 Clearwater Road, Cnr. Clearwater & Glenwood Roads, Lynnwood Glen Pretoria 0081 Tel: (012) 348 2551 Fax: (012) 348 2561 Email: [email protected] CAPE TOWN Varsity House, Belmont Park Belmont Road Rondebosch 7700 Tel: (021) 685 5021 Fax: (021) 685 3060 Email: [email protected] KWAZULU-NATAL DURBAN NORTH 12 Radar Drive, Durban North 4051 Tel: (031) 573 2038 Fax: (031) 563 2268 Email: [email protected] WESTVILLE 1 Link Road, Cnr. St James Avenue & Link Road Westville 3630 Tel: (031) 266 8400 Fax: (031) 266 9009 Email: [email protected] QUESTIONS TO ASK: PIETERMARITZBURG 1. Is the institution registered by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) as a Higher Education Institution? Pietermaritzburg 3201 Tel: (033) 386 2376 Fax: (033) 386 3700 Email: [email protected] All providers of Higher Education MUST be registered with the DHET. Remember that Varsity College is a brand of The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) so you will find our registration details in the Register of Private Providers of Higher Education under The IIE. The Register can be found on the DHET website at http://www.dhet.gov.za/SitePages/DocRegisters.aspx. All registered qualifications together with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) level and number of credits can be found on South Africa Qualifications Authority (SAQA) www.saqa.org.za, under The Independent Institute of Education. OW YOUR RIGHT TO KN WESTERN CAPE Harwin Road, Scottsville EASTERN CAPE PORT ELIZABETH 1st Floor, Mercantile Bank Plaza, Ring Road Greenacres, Port Elizabeth 6045 Tel: (041) 363 4223 Fax: (041) 363 5355 Email: [email protected] As part of Varsity College’s ongoing commitment to the environment, 2. If the institution is registered, great, but is the qualification I am studying or want to study registered? And at what level is it registered? A Higher Education qualification is one that has been accredited by the HEQC. Once it is accredited it can be registered by SAQA on the NQF. Only registered and accredited qualifications can be offered as Higher Education qualifications. - You can find a list of current registered qualifications on the SAQA website. Remember to look for ours under Originator: The Independent Institute of Education this is printed on Antalis Hi-Q Titan certified paper. www.varsitycollege.co.za Accredited by the British Accreditation Council Varsity College is an educational brand of The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd which is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997(reg. no. 2007/HE07/002). Company registration number: 1987/004754/07. 41720VC k Process colours for coated stoc 41720VC_Accreditation_brochure_2017.indd 1-3 2017/01/23 4:53 PM