Universities South Africa

Last updated
Universities South Africa
Formation22 July 2015
TypeAssociation of Universities
Location
Membership
26
Chief Executive Officer
Dr Phethiwe Matutu
Website www.usaf.ac.za

Universities South Africa ( "USAf".), formerly known as Higher Education South Africa (HESA), is public platform where all 26 public universities can gather. USAf offers platforms for the universities to debate, share best practices and collaborate. [1] The USAF board is made up of 26 Vice-Chancellors drawn from member universities. [2] USAf sees its self as "The Voice of South African Universities" and they endorse a comprehensive and equitable national higher education system that is responsive to South Africa's challenges [1] .

Contents

Through a mixture of lobbying, advocacy and activism, [3] USAf attempts to facilitates an optimal environment, conducive for universities to function effectually and maximally contribute to the social, cultural, and economic advancement of South Africa and its people. These captains of academia were firmly committed to so-called “digital transformation” during the pandemic. [4] USAf has committed itself to using data to offer “an optimal environment conducive for universities to function effectively” [4]. Their optimization extends into matters of transparency around remuneration, and they too, have committed to addressing the scourge of corruption in their respective university chambers.

Background

USAf represents all 26 public universities and universities of technology in South Africa and is a Section 21 company. Previously known as Higher Education South Africa (HESA), this voice of universities in South Africa was constituted on 9 May 2005 as the successor to the two statutory representative organisations for universities and technikons (now universities of technology), the South African Universities Vice-Chancellors Association (SAUVCA) and the Committee of Technikon Principals (CTP).

Restructuring of the higher education sector, resulted in the establishment of new institutional types and a need for a robust and unified body of leadership was identified. Higher Education South Africa (HESA) changed its name to Universities South Africa (USAf) on 22 July 2015. [6]

Programmes

The Higher Education Leadership and Management Programme (HELM) was founded in 2002. [7] HELM is one of the flagship programmes, offered by USAf. This programme offers contextual and bespoke leadership and management programmes for emerging, middle and senior managers and leaders in universities. HELM is intended for both individuals and institutions. It is used to "identify their capacitation needs within their specific contexts and align individual leadership development pathways with their organisational objectives". HELM's purpose is intended to develop effective leaders in higher education, thus contributing to student success.

The Entrepreneurial Development in Higher Education (EDHE) is the USAf's second flagship programme. The EDHE platform was setup in 2016, and is intended for entrepreneurial development across the university sector. [8] EDHE is essentially a response to graduate and youth unemployment and the diminishing resources available at universities. [9]

Transformation, however, remains a major issue that "bedevils the higher education sector [10] University leaders and management have been talking about "transformation" for three decades, with few successes. [11] Student's "throughput, pass and dropout rates ...remain racialised and gendered". [12] Universities transformation efforts are "agonisingly slow". [13] Clearly, higher education has to consider alternative theorisations of teaching and learning. With a national unemployment rate of 32% in the first quarter of 2024. [14] There's an obvious mismatch between the labour market demands, what students are being taught, and the qualifications they receive. [15] In the absence of formal work opportunities, the imperative to drive student and graduate entrepreneurship is urgent and necessary.

Additional USAf Programme

Members

USAf and Corruption

Scholarship and research are central to the mandate of Higher Education. Published research found that "a culture of corruption is rampant in universities" that occurs "despite the procurement policies, systems and structures that are in place". [21] Allegations have been made that certain "university leaders have deliberately weakened the university systems that detect corruption to enable fraudsters to access funds through corrupt means". [22] Cause for concern about graft is reinforced by a popular book entitled "Corrupted: A Study of Chronic Dysfunction in South African Universities”, by Jonathan Jansen, a former VC of the University of the Free State. The book examines the root causes of corruption in South African Higher Education, [23] and counts at least 20 interventions by the government into 15 of the country's 26 public universities since 1994. [24] The previous chair of USAf has agreed that the National System of Innovation (NSI) was more a policy wish than a reality. [25] A review by the Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Institutional Landscape (HESTILL), chaired by Ihron Rensburg, has also found that the NSI had avoided coordination and greater planning and coherence was necessary. [26] With systemic weaknesses affecting the academic integrity of universities and the National System of Innovation, USAf has placed a "Fraud Hotline (free call)" on their webpage. [27] USAf have also published a directory of fraud hotlines where suspected fraud can be reported to the concerned institution’s hotline. Here, institutional reporting policies are also mentioned

USAf and NSFAS

Policy changes within the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) have created risks and challenges for universities. [28] USAf has highlighted risks of bad debt. [29] 2023 marked a seminal point in state spending patterns. DHET allocated more money to NSFAS than universities for the first time. [30] The non-payment of NSFAS funds in 2024 have created new challenges for universities. [31] While South Africa is funding students' access to higher education through NSFAS, there hasn't been a visible improvement in stability within Higher Education and are still battling to function effectively [32]

USAf and University Rankings

The Council for Higher Education (CHE) has recently raised important questions about university rankings. A critical opinion, [33] has been published on the rankings industry. The piece argues that rankings are both an example of neocolonialism and neoliberalism. Certian members of USAf believe that higher education is a market, instead of a collective endeavour . Many USAf member's press releases that mention their university rankings. Despite knowing that university rankings are biased and methodologically flawed, [34] have short-term publicity gains [35] and are acknowledged as an unscientific "game", [36] this practice continues.

Enquiry into VC remuneration

MP's have been advocating for an investigation into salaries of vice-chancellors and senior managers at universities since 2019. [37] The Minister of Education wrote to the Council on Higher Education (CHE) requesting that they research the matter. [38] In the CHE-led probe [39] entitled an "Inquiry into the Remuneration of University Vice-Chancellors and Senior Executive Managers in South Africa", many serious issues about governance were highlighted. According to the terms of reference, the CHE inquiry into remuneration was supposed to be completed by March 2021. [40] The final inquiry to parliament was delivered on the 21 Feb 2024, three years later than promised. [41] Ongoing salary increases in higher education have been compared to a runaway train. [42] Among many issues raised, poor institutional governance and management and lax financial practices were highlighted. [43] This salary disparity has been dragging on for almost a decade. [44] USAf has stated its support for the inquiry and intends to regain the public's trust in its financial management. [45] However, until substantive issues are addressed directly, history has shown that these self-serving patterns in universities will, in all probability, linger. [46] The DHET has also committed itself to establishing an ombuds system, [47] to resolve ongoing issues within tertiary education.

Academic Leadership and Integrity

Institutions and individuals can both empower and disempower because they shape and frame the way others see the world. [48] University management in South Africa often find themselves criticized and undermined, since they hold a particular "epistemic lens". [49] Good governance requires that USAf both account annually to all South African citizens about all its activities. HESA / USAf have published their annual reports from 2010 up until 2022. [50] They also should subject their own programmes to independent research scrutiny. [ opinion ] In the context of “disruption, complexity, change, and in the global pursuit of the Engaged University”, a leader with integrity will reach out and listen, [51] and not silence.

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References

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  2. ↑ "Governance". Universities South Africa. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  3. ↑ https://mg.co.za/article/2015-07-23-more-radical-approach-needed-to-tackle-student-debt/
  4. ↑ Shoba, Sandisiwe (2020-10-31). "Varsities leap into the future". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  5. ↑ https://www.saide.org.za/resources/Library/SAUVCA%20-%20A%20Vision%20for%20South%20African%20Higher%20Education_Nov%2002%20-%20Final.pdf
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  8. ↑ https://usaf.ac.za/changes-sweep-across-entrepreneurship-intervarsity-awards/.
  9. ↑ http://dx.doi.org/10.24085/jsaa.v11i2.4912
  10. ↑ https://helm.ac.za/wp-content/uploads/2023_State_of_Transformation_in_Universities_TOC-DHET_FULL_REPORT.pdf
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  13. ↑ "Universities fall short of 'deep transformation' - HSRC". 6 July 2023.
  14. ↑ https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/P02111stQuarter2024.pdf
  15. ↑ "Articulation of Graduate Unemployment in SA Remains A Work in Progress in Higher Education Sector". 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  21. ↑ https://journals.co.za/doi/10.35683/jcman1001.197
  22. ↑ Ngcamu, Bethuel Sibongiseni; Mantzaris, Evangelos (2023). "Anatomy and the detection of corruption in 'previously disadvantaged' South African universities". Journal of Contemporary Management. 20 (1): 323–349. doi: 10.35683/jcman1001.197 . ISSN   1815-7440.
  23. ↑ "Corrupted by Jonathan D Jansen – The Wits Shop" . Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  24. ↑ "'University Elders' sound the alarm about HE leadership".
  25. ↑ "Academics warn against 'cannibalisation' of science funding". University World News. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  26. ↑ https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/35668/
  27. ↑ "Contact Us". Universities South Africa. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  28. ↑ "Key challenges created by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) place universities at risk of instability and being plunged deeper into debt". Universities South Africa. 2023-08-07. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  29. ↑ Goodall, Keely. "Universities at risk of bad debts due to NSFAS failures – USAf CEO". EWN. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  30. ↑ "State funding for universities' language initiatives could increase with compelling evidence of potentially bigger impact". Universities South Africa. 2023-08-30. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  41. ↑ https://pmg.org.za/files/240221CHE__Report_on_Remuneration_of_University_VCs_and_Execs_in_South_Africa.pptx
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  43. ↑ "Proposals to cap exorbitant vice-chancellor salaries – CHE Report – Inside Education Foundation" . Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  45. ↑ "Efficiency, public trust and leadership on USAf's radar". University World News. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  46. ↑ "Self-serving universities have lost the equity plot". The Mail & Guardian. 2015-03-13. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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  51. ↑ "Leadership in higher education is often about reaching out and listening to people". 23 November 2022.
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