The document discusses the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC). It provides the following key details: 1) VUSSC is a network that helps countries collaborate and strengthens national education institutions, rather than a standalone university. 2) It builds ICT capacity and supports institutions in creating online education programs. 3) A management committee governs VUSSC, comprising representatives from different Commonwealth regions. 4) Workshops have trained over 130 participants from 26 countries in online materials development and course design. 5) VUSSC has launched a website and begun offering courses, with the aim of increasing access to education in small states.

6. Is it a University? Will it offer courses? When will it offer courses? Who gets to DECIDE management and staff? Who PAYS the management and staff? What does MY country get out of IT? How can I benefit?

7. Will NOT become a UNIVERSITY The VUSSC

8. A network rather than an institution Helps countries collaborate Strengthens the capacity of national education institutions AND will be as much concerned with adding value to conventional on-campus instruction as it is with serving learners at a distance.”

9. ICT Capacity Building Institutions that have online programmes Institutions create online programmes TQF & Portal TQF Meeting TQF work party

10. Six Interlocutors; representation from all three regions , 2 from each, forms the Management Committee Chairperson (elected by consensus of members) COL staff - ex officio member Term: 3 years Meetings: virtual (quarterly) and face-to-face (annually)

11. Management Committee Country Teams COL Advisory Committee TQF Management Committee Country Interlocutors

13. Commonwealth of Learning The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation The Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation

14. 2006 2008 2012

15. 2010 Interlocutors’ Meeting

16. Professionals in small states gained relevant ICT skills Professionals developing DE materials One institution in each region gained skills to begin implementing ODL Contextually relevant learning materials (OER) from workshops used by institutions Process to create a Transnational Qualifications Framework started TQF Implementation document being finalised VUSSC Website launched Course offering started VUSSC & TQF Management Committees set up

19. 2006 - Mauritius: Tourism and Entrepreneurship 2007 - Singapore: Professional Development of Educators 2007 - Trinidad: Life Skills 2007 - Samoa: Disaster Management 2008 - Seychelles: Fisheries 2008 - Bahamas: Construction 2009 – Samoa: Maritime Industry 2010 – Maldives: Agriculture and Agro Industry 2011 – Lesotho: Business and Entrepreneurship

21. The Instructional Design (ID) Template used by VUSSC

22. All rights reserved Creative Commons: Attribution Share-Alike No Derivatives Non-Commercial

25. Country X Country Y The pitching of qualifications on TQF NQF Qual At Level 5 NQF Qual At Level 7 TQF Qual At Level 6

26. Level Qualifications Titles Minimum Credits 10 Doctoral Degree 360 9 Masters Degree 240 8 Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma; Bachelor’s Degree with Honours 120 7 Bachelor’s Degree Graduate Certificate and Diploma; 360 6 Advanced/ Higher Diploma Associate Degree/ Foundation Degree 240 5 Diploma 240 4 Advanced Certificate 120 3 Certificate III 40 2 Certificate II 40 1 Certificate I 40

27. TQF Official Launch, Namibia April 2010

28. Financial support is crucial at this stage Member states taking ownership via VUSSC Management Committee Regional and national relationships to promote participation and facilitate funding Rate of course development/course offerings via INSTITUTIONS The continued support of the 32 Small States

29. VUSSC Learning Management System

30. VUSSC OER

31. http://www.vussc.info