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FINNISH-HEQC-HDI’s PROJECT

FINNISH-HEQC-HDI’s PROJECT. OUTCOMES, IMPACT AND CHALLENGES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND 20-21 OCTOBER 2008 COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND PROF CHANDRU KISTAN. BACKGROUND INFORMATION. Change of project managers. Three changes during the project.

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FINNISH-HEQC-HDI’s PROJECT

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  1. FINNISH-HEQC-HDI’s PROJECT OUTCOMES, IMPACT AND CHALLENGES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND 20-21 OCTOBER 2008 COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND PROF CHANDRU KISTAN

  2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION • Change of project managers. Three changes during the project. • Lee Sutherland designed and developed the proposal. She resigned in 2006. • Julian Vooght took over in acting capacity. • Prof Chandru Kistan appointed as Director of QPA in 2007 and had to take over the project. • Funding for one post in QPA

  3. Reconfiguration of the University • Report of the National Working Group and approved by the Minister of Education, that the University of Zululand “to be configured to become a comprehensive University offering technikon-type programmes”. • Move from traditional to comprehensive university offering both academic and professional and career -focus programmes • This involved curriculum reform, programme design and review.

  4. INSTITUTIONAL AUDIT • Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) informed the university of conducting an institutional audit in October 2008. • This meant that quality management systems are to be in place. • University academic policies, documentary evidence and review and survey reports have to be reviewed and developed.

  5. OUTCOMES OF PROJECT • Post of QA Advisor was filled in July 2007. • Twice this post was advertised, interviews were held but in the last minute the successful candidates turned us down. • Policy on Department Reviews was designed. • Database on all policies related to academic activities.

  6. OUTCOMES OF PROJECT • A graduation opinion survey was administered for the first time during the May 2007 graduation ceremonies. • The Report was completed and well received by Council and University community. • First time academic departments were reviewed on our campus from 2007. • Comprehensive reports were written on the departments reviewed.

  7. DEPARTMENT/PROGRAMME REVIEWS • Bachelor of Laws : 22-24 April 2007 • Department of Nursing Science: 15-17 Oct 2007 • Department of English : 14-16 Nov 2007 • Academic Development Unit : April 2008 • Human Movement Science : April 2008 • Social Work Department : 07-09 May 2008 • Industrial Psychology : 21-23 May 2008

  8. SCHEDULE OF REVIEWS FOR SECOND SEMESTER : 2008 • Department of Agriculture : 03 -05 November 2008 • Department of Business Management : 25-27 November 2008 • Department of Philosophy • University Library

  9. Programme Review • Draft policy developed and workshopped with the Faculty of Education : 29 September 2008. • Faculty of Education has to submit a Progress report to the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) 31 October 2008 … QPA active in the progress. • Three programmes will be reviewed in the Faculty of Education in 2009.

  10. Career-focused Programmes Design and Development • University commissioned a consultant with technikon experience to assist. • Project plan in place. • Commence with the Faculty of Commerce. • Programmes designed for Richards Bay campus. • Person on campus twice a week, assisting staff to develop diploma programmes.

  11. CHALLENGES AT UZ • Funding : Post of Quality Advisor: three- year contract. Post essential. University has to fund this post. • Capacity building: major challenge for rural based institution. Capacity building workshops organised by HEQC. Networking and sharing of initiatives by other colleagues and Finnish inputs was beneficial. Ideas picked up were introduced at UZ .

  12. CHALLENGES AT UZ 3. Quality Culture and awareness on campus. The department reviews and reports were seen as positive and developmental exercises. The impact was great. This momentum of this quality initiative has to be sustained as we prepare for the institutional audit. 4.The huge challenge is the establishment of a management information system at UZ. The HEQC workshops on MIS helped to see what other HEI’s were doing. Reliable data a challenge.

  13. CHALLENGES AT UZ 5. Establishing a documentation management system. There is no central repository for important documents to be filed and stored with easy access. Major part of institutional audit is evidence based. Further, electronic format of all documents is required to be set up.

  14. CHALLENGES AT UZ 6. Designing and updating the University’s webpage. The webpage is not user friendly and has been outsourced. No dedicated office/ person to update and offer assistance to departments and staff. 7. University in the process of appointing a Management Information Officer. 8. Investigating using the Evasys evaluation system.

  15. CONCLUSION • Appreciate the final workshop being held in a rural and former HDI institution. • The University of Zululand acknowledges the positive impact made on the quality management systems by this project. • The exposure, the sharing workshops, professional guidance made a huge impact. • Thank Dr Herman du Toit and Judy Mashego for their politeness and professional manner in which they interacted with UZ.

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