The Universities of Haiti: Between the General Average System and the ECTS (Credit) System

The article explains the difference between the two systems. In the general average system, a student whose average is below the institution's threshold repeats the whole year, including courses already passed. In the credit system (ECTS), the student retakes only the failed courses, an academic year is set at 60 credits, and credits are transferable between institutions and countries.

The author reports from exploratory surveys that more than 70 percent of Haitian universities do not use ECTS and that nearly 90 percent of the faculties and schools of the State University of Haiti use the general average system. The article lists ten recognized institutions that use credits best, among them ISTEAH, Université Quisqueya and the Université Chrétienne du Nord d'Haïti, and says fewer than 30 percent of the 138 recognized institutions use ECTS. It argues that grade repetition is one cause of university dropout and notes that Haitian universities mostly run two sessions a year, while ISTEAH runs three.