scholarly journals Foremost causes of high academic turnover rate at some South African universities

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 106-114
Author(s):  
Solly Matshonisa Seeletse ◽  
Joel Lehlaba Thabane
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Turnover Rate ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Monetary Cost ◽  
Exit Interviews ◽  
The Poor ◽  
South African Universities

The paper focuses on experiences of resigning academics in higher education institutions (HEIs) of South Africa. The concern was the huge monetary cost involved, and student delays due to these resignations. The networks of the researchers benefitted this study by being alerted to resignations of academics in HEIs and arranging some of the interviews that were held. In some cases, exit interviews were also used. The study shows that these HEIs are negligent by failing to develop the appropriate policies for the new dispensation, and the bad practices of appointing managers. In addition, the improperly appointed managers lack skill and knowledge in management. As a result they discriminate, victimize and make job unbearable for some employees. Some of these employees who end up rising. Moreover, the decisions taken by the improperly appointed managers are also not monitored. Hence,the poor decisions made are not being over-ruled. The recommendations are that policies should be designed to align with the laws stated, and suitably experienced and qualified officials be appointed to enforce the policies. Also, interventions are needed regarding the powers given to improperly appointed managers

scholarly journals Embodying human rights in #FeesMustFall? Contributions from an indecent theology

2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Grassow ◽  
Clint Le Bruyns
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Human Rights Abuses ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
The University

This article focuses on the #FeesMustFall (FMF) movement and the question of a human rights culture. It provides evidence from the specific context of FMF at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, which exposes human rights abuses and violence to the dignity of protesting students. To advance a human rights culture within the higher education sector in the context of FMF, the article highlights the role of theology – ‘indecent theology’ (as espoused by Marcella Althaus-Reid) – in revealing the problem and promise of higher education institutions in the quest for a more liberating and responsible society. It is only through interrogating the narratives that sustain the current university structures – and continue to oppress the poor and the marginalised – that South Africa will be able to begin to construct a society that is respective of the rights of all.

The role of business intelligence in sustainability reporting for South African higher education institutions

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1185-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andre Calitz ◽  
Samual Bosire ◽  
Margaret Cullen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Business Intelligence ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Satisfaction ◽  
South African Higher Education

Purpose This paper aims to show that business intelligence (BI) is a key component of a sustainability-reporting framework for higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach Four questionnaires were administered to Registrars and managers at 21 South African HEIs and at selected international HEIs. The data analysis entailed both descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings The study confirmed that factors such as management buy-in, the availability of BI reports and the provision of reporting guidelines were positively related to effective strategic planning. The study shows that the use of BI by South African HEIs is still at a low maturity level. Research limitations/implications The case study used is the Nelson Mandela University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The implications are relevant for all 26 HEIs in South Africa. Practical implications HEIs must invest in technological tools, including BI to provide information in understandable and usable formats for management and other relevant stakeholders. Social implications BI reporting can assist all stakeholders to obtain the relevant and required information relating to HEI operations and strategic management initiatives and activities. Originality/value The study concludes that HEIs ought to invest in BI technologies that can assist the sustainability reporting process to ensure stakeholder satisfaction and regulatory compliance.

scholarly journals An investigation of students’ experience of service quality delivered by administrative staff at one site of a South African comprehensive university

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Mxolisi Walter Ntoyakhe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
South African ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Comprehensive University ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Perceptions And Expectations ◽  
The University

Over the last decade the institutional framework within which most universities in South Africa operate has undergone major transformation forcing the higher education sector to become more competitive in its approach to attracting and retaining quality students. Against this background, service quality has been put forward as a critical determinant of competitiveness. Higher Education Institutions are increasingly placing greater emphasis on meeting students’ expectations and needs. As institutions of higher learning become more student orientated, student perceptions of higher educational facilities and services are becoming more essential. It is clear that there is a need to measure students’ experience of service quality in order to develop innovative academic structures, facilities and services to retain and attract new students. Therefore, this study used a mixed research approach and a nonprobability sampling technique to identify the sample size. The purpose of this study was to investigate the students’ experience of service quality delivered by administrative staff at one site of a South African Comprehensive University. Underpinned by the Gap Model of service delivery and an adapted SERVQUAL instrument, this study sought to determine perceptions and expectations of service quality across five dimensions, namely: tangibles; reliability; responsiveness; assurance; and empathy. Questionnaires were used as data collection instrument to collect data from two hundred and sixty (260) registered students; twelve (12) academic departments, residence and library administrative staff members. Questionnaires were used to gather data from administrative staff of academic department, library and residence; and registered students in one comprehensive university in South Africa. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 was used to analyse the data. Statistical tools that include frequencies, mean scores and tabulations were utilized to present the data from findings. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was also utilized to further analyse the significance of the gaps. Various gaps between students’ perceptions and expectations indicating dissatisfaction with administrative services particularly among the students were identified. The findings from the study indicated that, a negative service quality gap exists at selected site of Comprehensive University in SA. The findings further suggested that issues such as service quality planning and monitoring, establishing recovery mechanisms for service failures, and student- driven service design and standards need to be high on the agenda at higher education institutions to ensure service quality. All five dimensions of SERVQUAL indicated a negative score or quality gap suggesting that the administrators of selected departments need to urgently close the gaps that exist at their institution; key recommendations were thus made to improve the gaps identified. Frequent interaction between the administrators and the students is recommended for the university as it provides important information on student expectations and perceptions. Continuous employee training to improve the existing skills is also recommended for comprehensive university employees as it can have a good impact on meeting the students’ expectations of the service quality dimensions. The study therefore, concluded that the university needed urgent intervention in terms of developing proper academic support structures, facilities and quality services that would satisfy the needs of students.

scholarly journals Reimagining pedagogy for theological education at a South African University: An ethnographic exploration

2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindie Denny ◽  
Cas Wepener
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Practical Theology ◽  
Theological Education ◽  
Cultural Anthropology ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Curriculum Transformation

Curriculum transformation within Higher Education has been an ongoing process within South Africa Universities. For a long time, apartheid and the conception of race have shaped the education framework. Recently, decolonisation discourses have led to a rethinking about Curricula of Higher Education. Theological Education has been highlighted, as theological faculties within Universities perpetuate European epistemologies. In order to contribute towards curriculum transformation in South Africa, pedagogy for theological education within South African Universities is explored in this article, and a new praxis theory for a reimagined pedagogy is presented. This article presents only part of the research conducted within a South African University. A description and analysis of the empirical research are provided together with a reimagined pedagogy for theological education at a South African University.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The research was performed within the field of Practical Theology with a special focus on pedagogy; however, inter-disciplinary insights were gained from fields such as Education and History, and on an intra-disciplinary level, the research used qualitative methods from Cultural Anthropology and Rituals Studies to empirically study pedagogy as a practice.

scholarly journals MANAGING INFORMATION FOR WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING AT HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Mousaion ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 13-28
Author(s):  
Roelien Brink ◽  
Martie Mearns ◽  
Tanya Du Plessis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Information Management ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Phenomenological Research Design ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

Higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa require teaching and learning to include work-integrated learning (WIL) within specific learning offerings. The different learning options provided by various faculties have unique and diverse procedures which justify different WIL approaches at HEIs. A lack of structure regarding the information management (IM) for WIL across departments results in different processes being followed, which can impact negatively on the optimal utilisation of WIL. Frameworks for IM for WIL, however, have been developed at international HEIs. Using a qualitative approach and phenomenological research design and working with these frameworks as well as the Theory of Motivated Information Management, the researchers collected data using semi-structured individual interviews and group discussions from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and the Northwestern University (NWU) in Illinois, United States (US). This article presents the findings of an IM framework from these two US universities. After research was conducted at a South African university, a conceptual framework was developed for the IM for WIL based on the framework from the international universities that may be implemented at HEIs in South Africa. With time this framework could betested in a number of settings that could lead to the development of a model for IM for WIL in the South African context. The article, however, reports on the findings of the two international universities only and the conceptual framework requires further testing and validation before it can be published.

scholarly journals Anchored in Place: Rethinking the university and development in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie Bank ◽  
Nico Cloete ◽  
François van Schalkwyk
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Local Level ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Education Planning ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
The University

Tensions in South African universities have traditionally centred around equity (particularly access and affordability), historical legacies (such as apartheid and colonialism), and the shape and structure of the higher education system. What has not received sufficient attention, is the contribution of the university to place-based development. This volume is the first in South Africa to engage seriously with the place-based developmental role of universities. In the international literature and policy there has been an increasing integration of the university with place-based development, especially in cities. This volume weighs in on the debate by drawing attention to the place-based roles and agency of South African universities in their local towns and cities. It acknowledges that universities were given specific development roles in regions, homelands and towns under apartheid, and comments on why sub-national, place-based development has not been a key theme in post-apartheid, higher education planning. Given the developmental crisis in the country, universities could be expected to play a more constructive and meaningful role in the development of their own precincts, cities and regions. But what should that role be? Is there evidence that this is already occurring in South Africa, despite the lack of a national policy framework? What plans and programmes are in place, and what is needed to expand the development agency of universities at the local level? Who and what might be involved? Where should the focus lie, and who might benefit most, and why? Is there a need perhaps to approach the challenges of college towns, secondary cities and metropolitan centers differently? This book poses some of these questions as it considers the experiences of a number of South African universities, including Wits, Pretoria, Nelson Mandela University and especially Fort Hare as one of its post-centenary challenges.

scholarly journals Higher Education Cloud Computing in South Africa: Towards Understanding Trust and Adoption issues

2014 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Van Der Schyff ◽  
Kirstin Krauss
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Cloud Computing ◽  
Information Security ◽  
South African ◽  
Topic Area ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
South African Universities

This paper sets out to study the views of key stakeholders on the issue of cloud information security within institutions of Higher Education. A specific focus is on understanding trust and the adoption of cloud computing in context of the unique operational requirements of South African universities. Contributions are made on both a methodological and theoretical level. Methodologically the study contributes by employing an Interpretivist approach and using Thematic Analysis in a topic area often studied quantitatively, thus affording researchers the opportunity to gain the necessary in-depth insight into how key stakeholders view cloud security and trust. A theoretical contribution is made in the form of a trust-centric conceptual framework that illustrates how the qualitative data relates to concepts innate to cloud computing trust and adoption. Both these contributions lend credence to the fact that there is a need to address cloud information security with a specific focus on the contextual elements that surround South African universities. The paper concludes with some considerations for implementing and investigating cloud computing services in Higher Education contexts in South Africa.

Pedagogical Factors That Affect Technology Integration at Two Universities of Technology in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Xakaza-Kumalo
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Technology Integration ◽  
South African ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Central Research ◽  
Integration Of Technology ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Educational Factors ◽  
Technology In Higher Education

This paper reports on a case study that was conducted at two South African universities of technology to explore the integration of technology in higher education institutions. Fourteen participants from these two institutions provided their perspectives about the pedagogical considerations that were important educational factors in the integration of technology in higher education institutions. The framework proposed by Tedre, Apiola, and Cronjé was used as a measuring tool to determine pedagogical elements that were essential in the adoption of technology. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the said framework as an analytical tool, and to contribute to its refinement. The central research question concerned the extent to which this framework was useful for a situational analysis at the relevant two South African universities. Although the universities’ educational strategies and policies were found to be analogous, differences were identified in the manner of and approach to the implementation of educational technology. The pedagogical considerations for e-learning uptake in both universities were similar to a certain extent. The findings further showed that most of the educational factors that affected technology integration resonated with pedagogical issues experienced in other developing countries. It was concluded that students could determine the future of learning as they persistently engaged in potentially rhizomatic learning environments. This paper offers recommendations that address dramatic transformation in higher education institutions due to emerging technologies and radical changes that are experienced. The limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are also highlighted.

scholarly journals The influence of public procurement policies on the implementation of procurement best practices in South African universities

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Winnie Dlamini ◽  
Intaher M. Ambe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
South African ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Public Procurement ◽  
Related Literature ◽  
The Public ◽  
Environmental Development ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between public procurement policies and procurement best practices (PBPs) in higher education institutions is inevitable. Higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa play a crucial role in contributing to the economic, social and environmental development of the country. Hence the implementation of PBPs has a key role in creating a competitive advantage for higher education. The purpose of this article is to determine the influence of public procurement policies on the implementation of PBPs in the public HEIs in South Africa. The article employs a theoretical review of related literature on public procurement and PBPs. The article articulates that public procurement policies influence the implementation of PBPs in public HEIs in South Africa.

scholarly journals The expenditure and foreign revenue impact of international students on the South African economy

2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naum Aloyo ◽  
Arnold Wentzel
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Africa ◽  
International Students ◽  
South African ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Balance Of Payments ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
Nelson Mandela ◽  
Internationalisation Of Higher Education ◽  
South African Universities

In South Africa, there is still no clear policy of internationalisation of higher education, partly due to limited research. So far, only two efforts – at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in 2004 and Rhodes University in 2005 – have been made to determine the expenditure and foreign revenue impact of international students on South Africa. Each of these papers sampled only a single university, so they are of limited use for national impact analysis. To build on these studies, this research was conducted at six South African universities that admit the largest number of international students and also included the economic effects of spending items hitherto neglected. We show that international students (mainly from Africa) contribute significantly to South African GDP and balance of payments, but that South Africa still lags behind in exploiting and enhancing these benefits.

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