During the closing decades of the past century the concept and practice of quality assurance have received much attention. Notwithstanding the spotlight which quality assurance is receiving however, there continues to be lack of clarity on the meaning of the term and lack of consensus on how it should be demonstrated. This paper attempts to look at what has been happening in recent times across the Commonwealth Caribbean in the area of quality assurance at the institutional, national and regional levels.

The paper takes the position that diversity is an endemic feature of Caribbean tertiary education in the region and that it allows for rapid and appropriate response to local and national needs. Coordination through articulation is useful, however, for promoting unity in diversity and facilitating regional mobility for continued employment or for studies, without loss of time or credit for past learning experiences. Articulation models vary and are influenced by philosphical orientation and stakeholders' interests.