DEVELOPING A NEW ACADEMIC ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE IN THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE

UNISA

DoE / HEQC Workshop 18 September 2005

Rosalie Finlayson & Chris Swanepoel

“The sensitive and intelligent pooling of the rich reservoirs of resources which come together when

institutions merge, could distinctively contribute to a successful Comprehensive.”

Professor Chris Swanepoel Convenor: Priority Task Team (Alignment of VUDEC &

UNISA programmes for 2004)

Structure of the presentation

• Introduction – Pre-Merger Phase

• Governance & Managerial Characteristics

• Faculty vs College

• The Concept “College”

• Comprehensive College Parameters

• Academic Structures

• Support Structures

• Internal Imperatives

Pre-Merger Phase – Former Minister Asmal

Restructuring process embodied in Education White Paper 3: A Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education (1997)

4 Comprehensive Institutions, 3 of which would be established through the merger of a technikon and a university and 1 through the redevelopment and refocusing of an existing university

National Working Group’s proposals “Transformation and Restructuring: A New Institutional Landscape for Higher Education” published in the Government Gazette in June 2002 (No. 23549)

Pre-Merger Phase • The merger of former TSA, UNISA and the distance

education arm of Vista (VUDEC) into a single dedicated distance education institution (SDDEI)

• Joint Declaration: Chairpersons of 3 Councils (July 2003) “take the best from the existing institutions and focus on the future needs of South Africa and its students”

• MoA – Interim Council, VCF, MIF, Joint Merger Office, Priority Task Teams: Academic, Finance, Learner Support etc

Governance and managerial characteristics

• Single Council • Single Senate • Unitary Management, with portfolios straddling technikon and university business • Executive Deans of comprehensive Colleges, each straddling cognate former technikon and university ‘faculties’

Structural Differences FACULTY COLLEGE

Main Focus Academic Total scope of activities Headed by Elected Dean Appointed Executive Dean Academic Scope ‘Single’ field of study Cognate grouping of fields of study

Academic Programmes

Either Technikon- or University-type

Comprehensive offerings including Technikon- and University-type and/or interfaces of both

Level of Autonomy Limited Considerable autonomy within agreed strategy and objectives

Academic Plan Managed by

Academic Structures Sub-Facs, Prog Groups, Depts (Institutes, Centres)

Schools, Depts, Institutes Centres

Business plan including Academic plan – 2015 Agenda for Transformation

Programme Mix

Technikon Sector

University Sector

NQF 10

Programmes Interfacing from both Sectors

Reciprocal Articulation

NQF 5

The Concept “College” within the Context

of a Comprehensive Institution

• Institutional characteristics – Single – Dedicated distance education – Open & distance learning

Comprehensive College Parameters

Some definitions:

– “An independent institution of higher learning offering a course of general studies and usually preprofessional training leading to a bachelor’s degree”

– “A part of a university offering a specialised group of courses” – “An institution offering instruction, usually in a professional, vocational, or

technical field: teachers’ -; business -; army war -; barber-” – Collegiate: “of a university; composed of several autonomous colleges;

marked by power or authority vested equally in each of a number of colleges”

Source: Webster’s 3rd New International Dictionary of the English

Language (1993: 445).

The College concept • Colleges create scope/space for a structure that brings together

both Technikon- and University-type programmes thus promoting the formation of comprehensive academic offerings across all fields of study

• The sheer size and complexity of the New Institution would have required 10 or more Faculties which may have been difficult to manage in the more decentralised approach proposed for the New Institution

• In a College structure it was possible to group old Faculties and fields of study into a logical cognate grouping within a College and create manageable structures that enabled focused leadership and management to be applied

Example: College • Smallest College: College of Agriculture &

Environmental Science (CAES) brings together: Former Vista Univ D E Campus (VUDEC) Former TSA Former UNISA Northwest University (Potch Campus – contract)

• Configurations – offered through distance education = first for HE in SA

COMMUNITY

AGRICULTURE/BIOME

NATURAL RESOURCES

HFS ITKS

*HFS -household food security *ITKS –indigeous technological knowledge studies

Comprehensive College Parameters • Management

– Each College is managed by an Executive Dean. S/he is a member of the Extended Management of the Institution, and is required to promote the

• core values • strategic goals, including fiscal discipline • and management philosophy of the Institution as open

and distance learning institution, representing both technikon and university sectors and offering programmes from both

Comprehensive College Parameters Generic Responsibilities of Executive Dean include

– integration of programmes – strategic alignment with market and environment,

nationally & internationally – resource management – products delivery - academic programme planning,

marketing and communication – student management – contextual relations – change and technology

Comprehensive College Parameters • Executive Dean drives the vision, mission and business plan of

the College and reports annually according to the performance management requirements for senior managers

• Management of the learning programmes of the College are twofold 1. running the current programmes from both the technikon and university

sectors (until 2006 and for pipeline students until 2008) 2. engaging in the task to integrate/merge programmes from both sectors,

where feasible/possible/necessary - for commencement in 2006 or as soon as possible thereafter

COLLEGE OF ECONOMIC & MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

Office of the Executive Dean

School of Management

Sciences

School of Accounting

Sciences

School of Economic Sciences

C P R No of Posts: 1 2 3

1 2 2

1 2 2

Executive Dean Deputy Executive Dean Directors (Tuition & Quality Assurance; Programmes, Student Affairs & Change Management)

C P R No of Posts:

2 2

1 1

1 1

Director Secretary

• BMR

• CCC

• BBS

C P R No of Posts:

1 1

1 1

1 1

Director Secretary

C P R No of Posts:

1 1

1 1

1 1

Director Secretary

INM

C P R No of Posts:

2 2 2

2 2 2

2 2 2

Senior Lecturer Lecturer Admin

Support Staff

C P R No of Posts: 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 2

3 2 1 1? 1? 1 1 1? 3* 1 2* 2

3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 2 2

PA’s Secretary’s College Secretary HR Officer Financial Officer PRO Marketing Officer Student Councillor S.Adm.Off.(Students) Under G, WIL & Post.G Acad.Co-Ord.FET Admin. Officers Admin.Asst.

School of Accounting Sciences

Department of Financial

Accounting

Department of Management Accounting

Department of Taxation

Department of Auditing

HEAD:

Professional Qualifications

Comprehensive College Parameters • Tasks

– Each College offers fully integrated academic programmes based on the HEQF/SAQA framework. Programmes include certificate programmes, diplomas, degrees (under- & postgraduate) in combinations that will maximize government subsidy as well as non-subsidy income (e.g. Short Learning Programmes)

– Each College maximizes its research output & community participation i.t.o. policy & in collaboration with central support facilities & managerial structures & initiatives

Comprehensive College Parameters

• Tasks – Each College is establishing its learner support

structures and mechanisms in close collaboration with the support structures and facilities from the merging institutions and central managerial initiatives

– Each College will have an administrative support base including functions such as PAs, administrative officer/s, an HR, a Marketing and Financial Officer, and a Research Administrator

Director: Quality Assurance & Accreditation

Secretary

Personal Assistant

Director: Short Learning Programmes & Learnerships

PA

Secretary

VICE-PRINCIPAL

ACADEMIC & RESEARCH

Executive Director Research

Director: Research Dev & Admin

CAES Executive Dean, Deputy Dean, Director of Schools Heads of Department

CEMS Executive Dean Deputy Executive Deans, Directors of School Heads of Department

CHS Executive Dean Deputy Executive Dean Directors of School Chairs of Department

CLaw Executive Dean Deputy Executive Dean Directors of School Heads of Department

CSET Executive Dean Deputy Executive Dean Directors of School Heads of Department

SBL Executive Director Head of Programmes

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE : Position UNISA as a leading provider of quality distance education programmes through an academic product range that expands on its comprehensive character.

VP: Strategy P & P

3 Officers + 1 Admin

2 Asst Research Officers

2 Admin Assistants

VP: Learner Support

VP: Student Affairs & Alumni Registrar: Academic PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR

CARS Director Heads of units

Executive Director: Library Services

PA

Executive Director: Academic Planning

ISTE Director

PA

Secretary

PQM

• Rethink new institution’s academic offerings to 1.benefit from the pooling of offerings and resources 2.align, consolidate and integrate programmes which may

overlap, are duplicated; and/or 3.differentiate and diversify between technikon and university

type programmes 4.plan, develop & start offering new programmes/

qualifications 5.ensure most appropriate academic product range

Project Teams 1. Comprehensive within the context of the College 2. Academic process, procedures & quality assurance 3. Africanisation 4. Curriculum & External Liaison (Credits, course levels, funding

groups, tuition models, registration (SAQA/NQF), accreditation (HEQC/IJC))

5. Subsidisation of learning programmes (DoE/PQM/HEMIS), small disciplines & cross-subsidisation

6. Courseware Production (Academic programmes review cycle, scheduling of study material & prescribed books)

7. Defining/identifying “active student”: access, admission, through-put & pass rate

8. Qualifications Alignment & Review Panel

Academic Structure • 5 Colleges

– Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

– Economic and Management Sciences

– Human Sciences – Law – Science, Engineering and

Technology • SBL

– Graduate School of Business Leadership

• Bureaux, Centres and Other – Bureaux Market Research – Centre Business Management

1 955

101 966

62 399

28 043

13 717

Non-degree purposes 16 145

A Distance Learning University

• Teaching and learning are separated in terms of time, place and pace

• Learning materials are designed by teams and are primarily print-based

• A variety of learner support mechanisms are used to facilitate learning

Mega-university

Qualifications

Both vocational/professional and university type. From certificate programmes up to doctoral studies Housed in the 5 colleges

• College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences • College of Economic and Management Sciences • College of Human Sciences • College of Law • College of Science, Engineering and Technology

University of South Africa Two main campuses

• Tshwane/Pretoria Campus • Florida Campus

Five Hubs

• Coastal Hub • Gauteng Hub • KwaZulu–Natal Hub • Midlands Hub • North Eastern Hub

College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences

• School of Agriculture and Life Sciences • School of Environmental Sciences

College of Economic and Management Sciences

• School of Management Sciences • School of Accounting Sciences • School of Economic Sciences

College of Human Sciences

• School of Arts and Humanities • School of Social Sciences • School of Education • School of Languages and Literary Studies • School of Religion and Theology

College of Law

• School of Law • School of Criminal Justice

College of Science, Engineering and Technology

• School of Computing • School of Science • School of Engineering

Course Design and Development

• Programmes are designed using a team approach

• Teams consist of various specialists • Teams are flexible and are constituted

according to specific course design needs

Course delivery • Innovative delivery systems (eg interactive videoconferencing

and Online delivery) • Student support

– Learning centres – Tutors – Contact – Counseling

Distance Learning Delivery Systems

Print based materials • Tutors • Technology support

– Tele-conferencing – Video-conferencing – On-Line Learning

Learner Support Structure • Production of Study Materials • Dispatch of Materials • On-Line facility • Library • Examinations

1 007 201 340 pages per year (over a billion

pages) 133 000+ students Mail 2.5 million items per year

600 Examination centres worldwide

2,4 million items

The Internal Imperatives

• 2015 VALUES: Integrity, Social Justice & Fairness, Excellence

• Vision: The African university in service of humanity • Focus on protection of our assets as a comprehensive • Take advantage of opportunities

– optimise future opportunities – don’t miss out on these opportunties

• Strategic flexibility • Sustainability - plan, develop, integrate and implement! • GAPS = OPPORTUNITIES

Quote from Vice-Chancellor, Prof N B Pityana “We have understood the histories and cultures of our

different entities, out of which we seek to mould new and preferably different cultures. We have had to contend with people and their loyalties, their vested interests. We are engaging them about the shaping of a new institution, the sacrificing it might entail, and the challenges it poses for all of us, and the excitement of being part of something new. In fact, the new University of South Africa is history in the making.” 30 March 2005

Dankie! Ke a leboga! Ke a leboha! Ndza khensa! Thank you!

Enkosi! Ngiyabonga! Ndi a livhuha!