BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) – The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) said it has welcomed another partner into the fold with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Western Illinois University (WIU) that will see the American university recognising qualifications from the regional exam body.
It said that under the agreement, which was signed at a virtual ceremony on Thursday, Caribbean students seeking to take advantage of degree programmes at WIU will benefit from the matching of coursework requirements at WIU against the CXC syllabus, which will allow for more seamless matriculation.
The CXC Associate Degree and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) qualifications will also be recognised by WIU.
As such, students can use their CAPE qualifications to fulfil partial credit requirements towards their bachelor’s degree, allowing them to complete their degree in less than four years.
“This has significant cost-saving implications for students at the undergraduate level and means that the prospect of further studies for these students will be more easily within their reach,” CXC said in a statement announcing the signing of the MoU.
Registrar and CEO of CXC, Dr Wayne Wesley, noted that the signing was “in line with CXC’s transformational agenda and its commitment to the people of the Caribbean, and opens another pathway for students to receive quality tertiary-level education.”
In his remarks at the signing ceremony, Dr Martin Abraham, Provost and Academic Vice President of WIU, said he and his team were delighted to partner with CXC in recognition of the CAPE subjects and the CAPE Associate Degree.
“We recognise the quality and rigour of the curriculum, and we are delighted to ensure that the outstanding students from the Caribbean receive full credit for their hard work when they enroll at Western Illinois University,” he said.
Another key feature of the MoU is the collaboration between CXC and WIU on research for the digital transformation of the education system as well as the collaboration on faculty and staff development, to advance teaching, learning and assessment in the Caribbean.
