Caribbean Students to Benefit from CXC® MOU with Western Illinois University

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®) has welcomed another partner into the fold with the Thursday, 17 June 2021 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Western Illinois University (WIU). Due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions, this signing was held virtually and broadcast online on CXC® TV.

Under this agreement, 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.

Dr Wayne Wesley, Registrar and CEO of CXC®, noted that “the signing of this MOU is 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 noted that he and his team are “delighted to partner with CXC® in recognition of the CAPE® subjects and the CAPE® Associate Degree.  We recognize the quality and rigor 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.”

In addition to the opportunities provided for students, 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.

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