Voices Magazine-Issue

VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | February 2018 18 ACCA Presentation: Prof. Colin Gyles, Deputy President, UTech, Ja., Prof. Paul Golding , Dean, College of Business and Management, Mrs. Maria Sookdeo, Business Development Manager, ACCA, Prof. Stephen Vasciannie, Mrs. Deonette Lambert, Associate Head, School of Business Administration (SOBA), Mr. Clavery Allen, Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies (Acting), SOBA and Miss Celia McKoy, Acting Head, SOBA. T he University of Technology, Jamaica has been granted Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Exemption Accreditation for up to a maximum of nine specific modules at the ACCA fundamentals level. Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Accounting programme will therefore only be required to sit the professional ACCA examination. The academic milestone was announced at a special ceremony hosted by the University at its Papine campus on Thursday, January 25, 2018. The ACCA Accreditation Certificate was presented to UTech, Jamaica President, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, CD by Mrs. Maria Sookdeo, Business Development Manager, ACCA. In welcoming the ACCA accreditation, Professor Vasciannie said that “the achievement of ACCA accreditation will open many doors for current and future students who are desirous of entering the accounting profession in Jamaica and overseas.” Professor Vasciannie thanked all persons who have contributed to the fruition of the signal achievement, led by Professor Paul Golding, Dean, College of Business and Management. Prof. Paul Golding in applauding the ACCA validation of the University’s Accounting programme, pointed out that UTech, Jamaica is one of only two Universities in the region to receive the ACCA exemption accreditation status for its accounting programme. He commended the leadership of the School of Business Administration (SOBA) led by former Head, Mr. Clavery Allen, Miss Celia McKoy, Acting Head, SOBA, Mrs. Deonette Lambert, Associate Head, SOBA, Mrs. Danielle Sawyers –Brammer, current Programme Director, Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Mrs Joan Lawla, former Head, SOBA, former Programme Directors, Mr Errol Branford and Mr. Lorence Brown, and lecturers, Mr. Kerwin Hamil, Mr. Roger Brown, Miss Michelle Thompson, Ms. Jacqueline Samuda, Ms. Majorie Clarke, Ms. Pat Roberts-Brown, Ms. Collette Folkes and Mr. Michael Nicholson. More Opportunities for Accounting Students In her remarks, Mrs. Maria Sookdeo, Business Development Manager, ACCA explained that “exemption accreditation enables ACCA to award a specific level of exemption to graduates of an educational programme following a full assessment of the programme’s regulations, syllabus and assessments.” She added that the “ACCA wishes to ensure that students’ entry points match the knowledge and skills they have gained from their previous qualifications and, in doing so, we aim to provide students with the quickest possible route to membership.” Mrs. Sookdeo noted that the ACCA’s partnership with UTech, Jamaica can facilitate more opportunities for its students through the development of initiatives and special offers that can assist accounting professionals to embrace the finance arena sooner than expected. UTech, Jamaica and the ACCA in 2015 signed a Memorandum of Association which offered both organisations the opportunity to collaborate on areas of mutual benefit. The ACCA is the world’s leading body for professional accountants with more than 20,000 qualified members and 486,000 students world-wide. Accounting Programme Receives ACCA Exemption Accreditation