Professor Opadeyi Misled Public About ISDC’s Authorisation to Offer Degree Programmes

The Illusion of Legitimacy: ISDC’s Lack of Accreditation and Its Implications for Staffordshire University’s Degree Offerings.

Abstract:

This article critically examines the accreditation status of the International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC) and its purported collaboration with Staffordshire University. Professor Jacob Opadeyi has publicly claimed that both institutions are accredited, misleading the public into believing that ISDC is authorised to offer degree programmes.

However, a thorough analysis of UK higher education regulations reveals that ISDC lacks both a royal charter and accreditation from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the only UK government-recognised accrediting body for degree-awarding institutions.

In the UK, a royal charter is mandatory for an institution to award degrees, granting the legal authority to do so. Accreditation, on the other hand, is technically optional, but most universities seek it as a badge of quality and to ensure global recognition of their degrees. Accreditation validates the academic credibility of a degree, while the charter confers the legal right to grant it. Without a charter, an institution cannot legally award degrees. Without accreditation, its degrees may lack credibility and recognition.

Since ISDC has neither a charter nor accreditation, it cannot legally offer degrees or even deliver degree courses on behalf of an accredited institution. If Staffordshire University were to allow ISDC to provide instruction for its degree programs, it would be in direct violation of the conditions of its charter, which prohibits outsourcing educational delivery to an unaccredited entity. Consequently, any degree issued through such an arrangement would be invalid and unrecognised.

Introduction:

Accreditation serves as a hallmark of academic credibility, assuring students, employers, and regulatory bodies that an institution meets established quality standards. However, before accreditation even becomes a consideration, an institution must first possess the legal authority to award degrees, granted through a royal charter.

Professor Jacob Opadeyi has claimed that both ISDC and Staffordshire University are accredited, seemingly to justify ISDC’s involvement in delivering degree programmes. This claim, however, is highly misleading, as ISDC lacks both the legal standing to offer degrees and the quality assurance oversight needed to confer recognised qualifications.

This article examines the legal framework governing degree-granting institutions in the UK, the critical distinction between a charter and accreditation, and the implications of ISDC’s misrepresented role in delivering degree programs.

The UK’s Degree-Granting System: The Role of Charters and Accreditation:

In the United Kingdom, the right to award degrees is not automatic. Institutions must meet two key requirements:

1. A Royal Charter or an Act of Parliament – This is a legal mandate that grants an institution the authority to award degrees. Without it, an institution has no legal right to issue degrees, no matter its academic quality or partnerships.
2. Accreditation by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) – QAA is the sole UK government-recognised accrediting body for higher education institutions. Accreditation is optional, but institutions seek it to ensure their degrees are internationally recognised and maintain high academic standards (QAA, n.d.).

While accreditation is not legally required, it serves as proof that an institution’s programs meet rigorous quality standards. Most universities undergo QAA accreditation to ensure their degrees are widely accepted by employers, other universities, and professional licensing bodies.

Why ISDC Fails to Meet Either Requirement

• ISDC has no royal charter, meaning it has no legal authority to award degrees in the UK.
• ISDC is not accredited by QAA, meaning any programme it delivers is not quality-assured or internationally recognised.
• If Staffordshire University were to outsource educational delivery to ISDC, it would violate its own charter, rendering any degrees issued through ISDC unrecognised and invalid.

Staffordshire University: Accreditation and Collaborative Partnerships:

Staffordshire University is a public university in the UK that holds a royal charter and is accredited by QAA. The university has the legal authority to award degrees and can enter into partnerships, but only under strict conditions that align with its charter and accreditation standards (Staffordshire University, n.d.).

Collaborative partnerships must maintain academic oversight and quality control, ensuring that only accredited institutions are involved in the delivery of degree programs. If Staffordshire University were to delegate teaching responsibilities to ISDC, an unaccredited entity, this would breach the conditions of its charter and risk the university’s own accreditation.

ISDC: An Unauthorised and Unaccredited Provider:

ISDC operates as an educational services company, not a university. It does not possess a charter, which means it has no legal authority to offer degrees. Furthermore, a search of QAA’s official accreditation database confirms that ISDC is not a recognised or accredited institution (QAA, n.d.).

Even if ISDC were to claim approval (not accreditation) from the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) as an awarding body, this would not give it degree-awarding powers. SQA approval is limited to non-degree qualifications, such as Level 1 to Level 7 certificates (SQA, n.d.). These qualifications may be equivalent to degrees in difficulty but do not have the same legal standing and cannot be marketed as degrees.

The Key Distinction: Levels vs. Degrees

• SQA awards qualifications that are structured in levels, such as Level 4, Level 5, or Level 7.
• These are not degrees but are often referred to as “equivalent” qualifications.
• Only chartered institutions can legally award degrees, and only QAA-accredited institutions can offer quality-assured degree programs.

Thus, even if ISDC were approved by SQA (the awarding body as distinct from SQA, the accrediting body) to offer level-based programmes, it would still lack the legal authority to offer degrees or teach degree courses on behalf of a university.

The Consequences of ISDC’s Misrepresentation:

The implications of ISDC’s misrepresentation are significant:

1. Degrees issued under ISDC-led programmes would be invalid and unrecognised.
2. Staffordshire University could face legal and regulatory consequences if it is found to be violating its charter by outsourcing degree delivery to ISDC.
3. Students who enroll in ISDC programmes under the impression that they are earning a legitimate degree risk obtaining a worthless qualification.
4. Employers, universities, and professional licensing bodies may reject degrees issued through ISDC due to its lack of accreditation and regulatory oversight.

Conclusion:

The distinction between a charter and accreditation is crucial in understanding the legitimacy of a degree program. A charter is mandatory, it gives an institution the legal right to award degrees. Accreditation is optional, but most universities seek it to demonstrate the quality of their programs.

ISDC lacks both. It has no charter, no accreditation, and no legal authority to offer degrees or deliver degree programs. Its misrepresentation creates a false sense of legitimacy, misleading students into pursuing qualifications that may ultimately be unrecognised.

Moreover, if Staffordshire University were to allow ISDC to deliver its degree programs, it would be in direct violation of the conditions of its own charter, invalidating any degrees issued under such an arrangement.

Prospective students must be extremely cautious and verify the accreditation status of any institution before enrolling in its programmes. (Contributed- writer’s name withheld)

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