I encourage you to engage with the recently released Council on Higher Education (CHE) UNISA Institutional Audit Report. This is one of the important peer review processes that UNISA has subjected itself to in April 2022.
My office received the report in the Month of June 2023. At is meeting of 13th June 2023, Unisa MANCOM approved a plan submitted by the Departments of Quality Assurance and Enhancement for the development of an improvement plan (IP) that will be submitted to CHE not later than the 30th of July 2023.
It is my pleasure to share this report with the University Community as it continues to reaffirm our quality provisioning at UNISA. It indicates that the academic project is still on track tack and that the University has a major role to play in providing access to those who would not ordinarily find opportunities in contact universities. Moreover, it acknowledges that the University is now an institution of first choice for adult learners, professionals, and first-time entering students in higher education.
Please note that the Institutional audits function of the CHE is in tandem with the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997 that grants the Council on Higher Education (CHE) a mandate to audit the quality assurance mechanisms of public and private higher education institutions in South Africa. The purpose of the audit report is to provide an overall evaluation of the institution’s quality management in the Focus Area(s) agreed upon for the audit as outlined in the CHE Institutional Audits Manual of 2021.
The institutional audits conducted by the Council on Higher Education has proven that UNISA’s quality arrangements in 10 out of 16 standards are functional, which means that the quality management system in the institution meets the expected thresholds in terms of the identified standard, but some minor areas may need further improvement. The regulatory body recommended that there is a need for focused attention in six of the 16 standards. It emphasised the importance of a collective reflection on issues raised by peers and emphasised the need for an improvement plan (IP) that the CHE will approve and monitor its implementation.
The Improvement Plan document must indicate how UNISA plans to meet and address the recommendations for quality improvement contained in the audit report. Upon approval of the Plan by the CHE, the university will be granted one year in which to address the recommendations listed in the audit report, implement its policies and plans, mitigate identified risks, and implement any other actions that flow from the audit report.
The progress reports will be monitored closely by the Institutional Audits Committee of the HEQC (Higher Education Quality Committee). The HEQC may undertake follow-up site visits to the institution if deemed necessary, to monitor progress towards the implementation of its IP.
Click here to read the CHE Unisa Audit Report.
Thank you Unisans. Let us continue to promote and support the academic project.
Prof Puleng LenkaBula
Principal and Vice-Chancellor
Publish date: 2023-07-06 00:00:00.0