Council on Higher Education:
Annual Report 2010-2011
Presentation to the Portfolio
Committee on Higher Education and
Training
12 October 2010
Functions
1) Advise Minister on any aspect of higher education.
2) Quality Assurance – auditing of institutional QA
mechanisms; programme accreditation; promoting
QA.
3) Qualifications framework – development and
management of HEQF; standards setting, including
naming conventions for qualifications; maintenance
of learner database.
4) Publish information/reports on developments in,
and the state of, higher education: monitoring
function.
Overview
2010/11 – period of transition:
• Organisational stability with appointment of
new management team.
• Review of organisational structure and
functions re: expanded mandate as QC; new
structure – National Reviews and Standards
Development.
• Focus on addressing weaknesses, which
adversely impact on operational efficiency
and effectiveness – revised HR policies,
including performance management;
benchmarking of salary structure;
comprehensive compliance audit.
Overview
• Two key challenges:
(i) Lack of systemic monitoring, in
particular, policy impact studies.
(ii) Challenge: QA not used as steering
tool to complement planning and funding.
Advice and Monitoring
Advice:
• No advice requested or provided; request at end of
March 2011:
 Establishment of a Central Applications Office.
 Establishment of a Community Service Scheme for
Graduates.
 Role of CHE in strengthening teaching and
learning.
• Facilitated Consultative Workshop on the
establishment of a National Stakeholders Forum.
Advice and Monitoring
Monitoring:
• State of Higher Education – Indicator project initiated
in January 2010.
•Research projects:
 Survey of Student Engagement – 9442 students
and 290 lecturers at 7 institutions.
 Effectiveness of the LLB – report not published;
quality concerns linked to methodology.
 State of Private Higher Education – no formal
report because of lack of robust data.
Publications
Higher Education Monitor:
• No 9: Access and Throughput in SA Higher
Education: Three Case Studies.
• No 10: Teaching and Learning beyond Formal
Access: Assessment through the Looking Glass.
•No 11: Report on the National Review of
Academic and Professional Programmes in
Education.
• Findings of the 2009 Student Engagement
Survey - Focusing the Student Experience on
Success through Student Engagement.
Institutional Audits
First cycle – 2005/11:
• Focus on institutional QA policies, procedures
and systems; 3 conducted – Universities of
Venda, Limpopo and Cape Peninsula University of
Technology; 2 improvement plans submitted –
UNISA and North-West.
• Draft UKZN Audit Report withdrawn.
•Walter Sisulu University and Mangosuthu
University of Technology audits completed in April
and may 2011.
•Second Cycle Framework finalised: focus on
teaching & learning – pilots in late 2012.
Programme Accreditation
• Accreditation of new programmes – 248 assessed; 130
private provider programmes evaluated for reaccreditation.
• Alignment of existing programmes – apprx. 20 000 with
HEQF; implementation plan finalised; time-frame 20122014.
Quality Promotion and Capacity
Development
• CHE/HEQC – Higher Education Teaching
and Learning Association of South Africa
(HELTASA) Teaching Excellence Awards –
4 awards made.
Qualifications Framework
•Review of HEQF:
 20 submissions received -end of
November 2010.
 Revised HEQF finalised and submitted to
Minister for gazetting for public comment.
• Standards setting: Framework finalised for
consultation; pilots in mid-2012.
Corporate Services
• Internal and external audit identified gaps and
weaknesses in the application and implementation of
systems, policies and procedures in finance, supply
chain and HR.
• Key issues:
 Lack of compliance with PFMA and other regulations.
 Policies not reviewed and updated regularly, including
gaps.
• Action plan developed to address findings – monitored
by Exco and Audit Committee.
Corporate Services
Employee Turnover
Occupancy Profile
Corporate Services
Race Profile
Gender Profile
Financial Statements
AG – 3 key findings:
(i)Irregular Expenditure: R6, 211 824 re: building
renovations undertaken in the 2008/09 & 2009/10
financial years.
 Condoned by Council following
investigation – indicated no deliberate
wrongdoing, self enrichment or fraud.
(ii)
Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure: R5
905.72 re: SARS interest and penalties for late
payment of taxes.
(i)Late and incorrect submission of financial
statements.
Income 2010-2011
Expenditure 2010-2011
Consulting Fees
• Programme Accreditation Evaluators R1 573 165 (33%)
• Institutional Audit Report Writers &
Panel Honoraria
906 068 (19%)
• SASSE Project and LL.B Survey
710 418 (15%)
• HEQCIS (SAQA)
633 000 (13%)
• Other (Seconded staff/payroll system)
987 893 (21%)
R4 810 544