Council on Higher Education: Annual Report 2012-2013

Presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training

10 October 2013

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.

SG 1: To contribute to the transformation of the higher education system through analysis and research to inform the development of higher education policy.

SO 1: To provide advice to the MHET on request and proactively.

• Status and Location of Agricultural and other Colleges.

SO 2: To monitor the state of higher education, including publishing information and convening conferences, seminars and workshops on developments in higher education.

• Undergraduate Diploma/Degree Structure.• Governance challenges in higher education.*• State of higher education – twenty year review.*• Student governance.*

Publications

• VitalStats: Public Higher Education 2010.

• Higher Education Monitor No 13: Teaching Excellence Awards in South Africa: A National Study.

• Kagisano No 8: Academic Freedom in Higher Education (jointly with RU).

• Kagisano No 9: Purpose of Higher Education (jointly with RU).

Colloquia/Workshops• Conference on Teacher Education (jointly with DHET).

SO 2: To monitor the state of higher education, including publishing information and convening conferences, seminars and workshops on developments in higher education.

SG 2: To contribute to the development of qualification descriptors and standards to ensure the relevance, comparability and currency of qualifications

SO 3: To develop and manage the HEQSF, including the alignment of existing higher education programmes with the requirements of the HEQF.

• Finalisation of the HEQSF review.• Alignment of category A programmes (minimal changes) – 40% finalised.

SO 4: To develop and implement policy, criteria and standards for the development, registration and publication of qualifications.

• Framework for the Development of Qualifications Standards approved.• Development of criteria and format for the representation of a qualification standard.

SO 5: 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.

• Development of comprehensive information system to enable monitoring trends in private HE.

SO 6: To audit the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education institutions.

• Ongoing: assessment and approval of institutional improvement plans (5) and progress reports (7). •2 Audits closed – VUT and Oval International Computer Education.

• Draft institutional quality enhancement framework for next cycle approved by HEQC and Council in December 2012.

SO 7: 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, including site visits – 35% decrease – 302 as against 466 in 2011/12.

• Accreditation framework revised (revisit role of self-accreditation).

SO 8: To undertake national reviews of programmes in specific subject fields and qualification levels offered by public and private higher education institutions

• Revised framework and manual finalised.• Preparatory work to initiate national review of Bachelor of Social Work in 2013/14 complted.• Ongoing discussion on possible review of the LL.B degree with SALDA.• Review of challenges facing undergraduate physics education in conjunction with the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP).

SG 4: 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.

SO 10: To ensure the development of human resources management environment that enables staff to develop their full potential.

• Recruitment and retention remains a challenge – staff turnover = 23.8%; 42 of 54 posts filled.• 29 training courses held and 9 bursaries awarded for further study.

SO 11: To ensure that financial, administration and supply chain management is compliant with the requirements of the PFMA, relevant Treasury regulations and laws.

• Review and updating of policies.• Addressing internal control deficiencies.• Appointment of CFO and additional staff to address capacity constraints.

Race Profile (March 2013)

Gender Profile (March 2013)

Vacancy Profile (March 2013)

Annual Financial Statements and the Report of the Auditor General

Financial Performance

Major spend items – Employee costs – 19,096,814 (46%)– Consultants – 6.917,530 (17%)– Travel expenses – 2,563,034 (6%)– IT expenses – 1,677,805 (4%)

Budget Actual

Revenue 51,641,000 45,457,166

Expenditure (51,386,000) (40,659,813)

Surplus 255,000 4,797,353

Financial Performance

• CHE has sufficient funds to continue as a going concern. • Spend 79% of the budget allocated mainly due to the

following:– Vacancies that existed during the year– Change in focus of the quality assurance function

• No irregular expenditure was incurred in the 2012/2013 financial year.

• Wasteful expenditure for the year was R316,531 – relates to PAYE payment in 2007.

Report of the AG

• Received an unqualified audit opinion with a matter of emphasis for restating prior year balances.– Revenue for accreditation was incorrectly accounted

for.– Policy was changed on 01 April 2013 to recognise

revenue when applications for accreditations are made, not at different stages.

• Most audit findings addressed by the 31 July 2013.– Monitoring of other findings done and reported to the

Audit and Risk Committee quarterly.