Regulator mum on troubles facing American University of Malta

The National Commission for Further and Higher Education has not replied to questions on whether it is probing AUM in light of the troubles that have dogged the institution

The university licencing body is silent on the troubles facing the American University of Malta despite the onerous conditions it had imposed on the institution.

Dogged by a low student intake that forced it to axe all full-time academic staff at the turn of the year, the AUM has had to lower its own expectations by half. The university only attracted 23 students last September, despite having projected an initial intake of 300.

It is now targeting a student intake of 150 for the next academic year. AUM hired fewer academics most of whom were on a part-time basis for the spring semester that started in the second week of January.

Questions sent to the National Commission for Further and Higher Education last week have remained unanswered.

The NCFHE is the regulatory body that issued AUM with a university licence in September 2016 after the company behind the project, Sadeen Educational Services, accepted a list of strict conditions. These included yearly financial and educational audits.

However, this newspaper only received an acknowledgement that its questions had been forwarded to NCFHE chairperson Godfrey Vella.

MaltaToday asked whether the NCFHE had queried AUM’s decision to axe all its faculty earlier this month. According to the licence conditions, all academic staff have to be approved by the regulator.

This newspaper also asked whether the commission was concerned with the developments at AUM, including the institution’s inability to attract enough students.

Another question asked whether the commission was performing an audit of AUM’s operations to ensure the university was adhering to its licence conditions.

It remains unclear whether the AUM’s troublesome start has caused it to breach any of the conditions imposed on it by the regulator.

Sadeen was granted a 99-year concession to run two university campuses in Bormla’s Dock 1 and Zonqor Point, Marsaskala. The university had to cater for 4,000 students over the long term.

However, the Opposition has filed a parliamentary motion asking for the land in Marsaskala to be returned to the people, given the project’s failure to attract enough students.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Education Minister Evarist Bartolo have both said the development of land in Marsaskala should not start until the Bormla campus is working at full capacity