Council on Higher Education: Three-year Business Plan and MTEF Budget 2013-2016

1. Council on Higher Education: Three-year Business Plan and MTEF Budget 2013-2016 Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training 22 May 2013

2. Functions • Advise Minister on any aspect of higher education. • Quality Assurance – auditing of institutional QA mechanisms; programme accreditation; promoting QA. • Qualifications framework – development and management of HEQF; standards setting, including naming conventions for qualifications; maintenance of learner database. • Publish information/reports on developments in, and the state of, higher education: monitoring function.

3. Strategic Imperatives • (i) To contribute to informing policy and influencing the public debate on the policy framework for the transformation of the higher education system and to become a recognised centre for information and policy analysis on higher education. • (ii) To contribute to developing the role of quality assurance in conjunction with the steering mechanisms of planning and funding to enhance the quality of higher education and to enable the achievement of national policy goals and objectives.

4. (iii) To contribute to ensuring the currency and relevance of the HEQF to meet the human resource and knowledge needs of SA in the context of an integrated and articulated post-school education and training system, including the development and maintenance of standards to enhance the quality of higher education. • (iv) To contribute to building the intellectual capability of the CHE, including the development of an enabling and effective organisational climate, to enable it to discharge its mandate.

5. SG1: To contribute to the transformation of the higher education system through analysis and research to inform the development of higher education policy • SO1: Advice to MHET • Desirability and feasibility of introducing a 4-year undergraduate diploma/degree structure to address low throughput and graduation rates. • SO2: Monitoring the state of higher education • Performance indicators – VitalStats to be published annually.

6. Research • Review of the state of higher education: 2004-2014. • Institutional Governance and Management - institutions under administration. • Student governance. • The state of provision in private higher education. • Reflections on academic leadership and management by retired senior academic leaders. • Role of the National Benchmark Tests (NBTs) in admissions and placement in higher education institutions. • Changing trends in postgraduate education. • The changing nature of the academic profession.

7. SG2: To contribute to the development of qualification standards to ensure the relevance, comparability and currency of qualifications, incl. articulation of qualifications • SO3: Develop and manage the HEQSF • Alignment of category B programmes (i.e. less than 50% change). • Participate in SAQA processes re: RPL, CAT and Articulation and develop HEQSF specific policies frameworks.

8. SO4: To develop and implement policy, criteria and standards for the development, registration and publication of qualifications. • Standards Development Framework approved. • Pilot development of standards in selected qualification types/fields. • Conference on standards setting. • SO5: To maintain a database of learner achievements in higher education and to submit the data to the National Learner Records Database (NLRD), which is maintained by SAQA. • Ongoing submission of student enrolment and achievement data to NLRD. • Finalisation and phased implementation of new PHEMIS to monitor trends, including comparative analysis with public HE.

9. SG3: To promote quality and conduct quality assurance in HE, incl. enhancing quality of HE • SO6: To audit the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education institutions. • Ongoing: assessment and approval of institutional improvement plans, progress reports and post-improvement plan visits. • Framework for Quality Enhancement approved in Dec. 2012. • Focus on student success – finding common solutions to key challenges through institutions working together. • Focus group consultations, piloting of framework and development of implementation plan.

10. SO7: To accredit new programmes submitted by public and private higher education institutions and to re-accredit existing programmes offered by private higher education institutions • Routine accreditation and re-accreditation processes – 450 new programmes and 200 re-accreditation. • New Teacher Education programmes aligned with new minimum requirements for teacher education qualifications that were promulgated in July 2011. • Accreditation of programmes to be offered by the two new universities in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape.

11. SO8: To undertake national reviews of existing programmes in specific subject fields and qualification levels offered by public and private higher education institutions • High impact on quality improvement and contributes to standards setting. • Completing joint review of challenges facing undergraduate Physics education with the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP). • Bachelor of Social Work (B.SW) in process. • Bachelor of Law (LL.B) proposed for 2014/15 – finalising consultations with the South African Law Deans Association (SALDA).

12. SO9: To promote quality and to develop capacity and understanding of the role of quality assurance in improving quality provision in higher education at both the systemic and institutional levels • Teaching excellence awards jointly with the Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association of South Africa (HELTASA). • Training of institutional auditors and programme evaluators. • Quality assurance forums for quality managers at public and private institutions, including statutory professional bodies

13. SG4: To ensure the efficient and effective provision of corporate services – administrative, financial, technical and professional, to support the discharge of the core mandate of the CHE • SO10: To ensure the development of human resources management environment that enables staff to develop their full potential • Ongoing review and updating of policies, procedures and systems, including staff training and development. • Focused attention on staff recruitment and retention, including employment equity.

14. SO11: To ensure that financial, administration and supply chain management is compliant with the requirements of the PFMA, relevant Treasury regulations and laws. • Ongoing review and updating of policies, procedures and systems. • Ensure compliance with PFMA and Treasury regulations and laws.

15. MTEF Budget: 2013/14 – 2015/16