Objectives

Quality Assurance:

It will be our endeavour to establishment and maintain high standards of academic excellence in all higher education institutions. This partakes of promoting continuous quality improvement through accreditation, evaluation, and monitoring. It will also be imperative to ensure compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks and standards.

Accessibility and Equity:

This Directorate will promote equitable access to higher education for all eligible students, regardless of their socio-economic background. This entails development of strategies to address disparities in access and outcomes and introduction of support initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Affordability:

To make education accessible and equitable, it must also be affordable. We continue to explore ways and means to reduce the financial burden of higher education on students and their families through cost-effective and efficient delivery of education. Some of these initiatives include easy access to scholarships, financial aid, and student loans.

Relevance and Innovation:

In order to foster a culture of innovation and research excellence in higher education institutions, alignment of higher education programs with the needs of the state’s economy and society. This will be achieved by encouraging interdisciplinary research and collaboration between different institutions of higher learning, research institutes and the industry.

Governance and Leadership:

As the core administrative and planning agency in the field of higher education, it is imperative for the Directorate to provide effective leadership and governance for higher education institutions. We are continuously in the process of developing policies and guidelines to support institutional autonomy and accountability through good governance practices and ethical conduct.

Human Resource Development:

Higher Education is primarily concerned with the growth and development of our human resource, be it students, teachers or the office staff. Policies and practices to support the professional development of students, faculty and staff have therefore been our priority over the years. The Directorate has adopted processes of staff recruitment to attract and retain qualified academic and administrative personnel. We also seek to provide and promote a positive and supportive working environment.

Infrastructure and Resources:

As a funding agency of the state government for higher education, it has been our continuous endeavour to ensure adequate infrastructure and resources for higher education institutions.
Facilitation and the development of new campuses and facilities and to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly practices in tune with national and international bench marks as reflected in higher educational policies of the governments at the state and the centre is the keynote of policies and practices adopted by us.

Internationalization:

The Directorate also encourages international collaboration and exchange programs to promote the global competitiveness of higher education institutions and to attract international students and faculty.

Community Engagement:

In order to make higher education relevant for the community, we recognise the need to foster partnerships with industry, government, and civil society organizations to promote the social and economic impact of higher education and to contribute to community development and well-being.