OUALITY February 2008 Quality newsletter for the NWU

Academic programmes: “Quality starts with the Evaluation makes awareness of error.” a difference

– W. Edwards Seeing that preparations are currently improvement. Sometime it is necessary for Deming being made for the 2009 HEQC audit, processes to be revised or for results to be several staff members would like to know improved. Certain resources are of course why academic programme evaluations necessary in order to achieve this. And this should still be carried out. should be budgeted for in time. The liaison It is of great strategic importance for and synchronisation of planning and Our first the NWU to offer accredited academic resource allocation are surely some of the programmes. It forms part of the core most important actions in support of newsletter business of this institution. The 2009 audit continuous quality enhancement. will, amongst others assess the NWU’s The importance of ownership during the This newsletter is the first edition of ability to ensure quality. For that reason, evaluation exercise cannot be Quality that will be published the continuous focus on the quality of overemphasised. As it is a self-evaluation, during the year to promote an academic programmes is of critical not only the dean, school director and awareness of the self-evaluation in importance. programme chairperson are involved, but preparation for the HEQC Audit in It is clearly stated in the Quality Policy also lecturers, students, alumni and 2009 on all three the campuses of of the NWU that self-evaluation is employers of former students. the North-West University. undertaken in the interest of the Although the Higher Education Quality As many of you already know, promotion of quality. Committee (HEQC) lays down certain the NWU’s dimensions of Matters subjected to scrutiny during minimum requirements for academic institutional quality management the evaluation of an academic programme programmes, there are also criteria that are will be audited in 2009 by the include that it needs to be asked whether specific to the NWU. Synchronising the HEQC (see who is the HEQC on page the relevant programme indeed suits the HEQC criteria with NWU requirements is no 2). One of the requirements of the purpose for which it was developed, and easy task, and could cause certain HEQC’s audit committee is that the whether the programme supports the academics to experience high blood University must ensure that everyone mission of the NWU. Definitely not an easy pressure. (these include students, academic task! In addition, there are also matters The intranet-based publication of the staff, alumni and support personnel) pertaining to national requirements as set evaluation criteria and guidelines to support is aware of the audit and what it by the Department of Education, funding, these processes are coordinated by the means. resource allocation and international Institutional Quality Office. Deans, school You may be asked to make developments. It should also be directors, programme managers and quality yourself available for an interview determined whether the programme offers coordinators plan for the execution of the with the HEQC Audit Panel. The value for money and whether it is task together with their respective vice- purpose of the interview is for you to presented in an affordable manner. The rectors and the different campus units of provide the panel with information assessment of the development of the Academic Support Services. and insights about your experience abilities of individuals for personal The underlying potential of this self- of NWU’s quality management enrichment as well as the requirements of evaluation exercise to make a arrangements. social development, economic growth, job dynamic difference in the lives The purpose of this newsletter is to creation and compliance with international of many people should brief you on the nature of the HEQC norms are also scrutinised. never be overlooked… Audit. Be on the lookout for the Following the evaluation of an - Jannie Jacobsz second newsletter later this year for academic programme, the results should more information. be interpreted. The interpretation of results leads to a plan with a focus on News from the Institutional Quality Office

NWU will be audited in 2009 by the HEQC What is the HEQC? International Computer Education, City Varsity Film and Television and Multimedia School. The White Paper on Higher Education and the Higher Education Act of 1997 make provision for the Council on Higher Education (CHE) to establish a permanent sub- Objectives of the HEQC’s audit committee, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), system with the mandate to: The general objectives of HEQC audits are to: - Promote quality assurance in higher education; • Encourage and support Higher Education providers to - Audit the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education maintaining a culture of continuous improvement, by means of institutions ; and institutional quality processes that build on HEQC and - Accredit programmes of higher education. institutionally set requirements; The quality assurance framework and criteria of HEQC are • Validate the self-evaluation reports of institutions on their based on fitness of purpose based on national goals, priorities quality arrangements for teaching and learning, research and and targets: community engagement; - Fitness for purpose in relation to specified mission within a • Enable higher education institutions to develop reliable national framework that encompasses differentiation and indicators that will assure institutional stakeholders and the diversity. HEQC that their policies, systems, strategies and resources for - Value for money judged in relation to the full range of higher assuring and enhancing quality in teaching and learning, education purposes set out in the White Paper. research and community engagement, are effective; - Transformation in the sense of enhancing the capabilities of • Provide information and evidence that will enable higher individual learners for personal development, as well as the education institutions and the HEQC to identify areas requirements of social development, and economic and ofstrength and excellence as well as areas in need of focused employment growth. attention for planned improvement in the short, medium and long term; and What is the role of the HEQC? • Enable the HEQC to obtain baseline information in the The HEQC supports the principle that the primary responsibility targeted areas through the use of a common set of audit for the quality of provision rests with higher education criteria for all institutions. Such information will: institutions themselves. – Help to identify and disseminate good practices in quality Thus the role of the HEQC is to provide external validation arrangements in the higher education sector; of the claims made by a higher education institution in its self- – Facilitate capacity development and improvement evaluation report which it submitted as part of its audit programmes by the HEQC and other role-players; and portfolio. This portfolio is the basis of the institutional quality – Enable the HEQC to generate a national picture of quality audit. arrangements in higher education, and to monitor system and Using the HEQC Audit Criteria, an external panel of peers sector-level quality improvement. and experts in 2009 will prepare an audit report based on their assessment of the effectiveness of the institutional quality management systems after they have considered the self- Editorial evaluation report of NWU in the light of the evidence gathered This newsletter is published by the HEQC Quality Audit during the site visit. Project Team (see photo on page 3) of the Institutional Office of the North-West University. Why is NWU audited? The Project Team clarifies how it will use the HEQC’s The NWU is not the only university to be audited by HEQC. All audit criteria within the self-evaluation, and ensures that higher education institutions are audited at least once within a all the role players who are involved clearly understand seven-year audit cycle which started in 2004. the criteria that will be used to assess the various audit Public Higher Education Institutions already audited are: areas. 2007: Tshwane University of Technology, , The Project Team prepares a project plan, which sets Durban University of Technology, University of the Western out the various tasks that must be undertaken as part of Cape, Polytechnic of Namibia, Independent Institute of the self-evaluation. The plan indicates the prerequisites Education for the performance of specific tasks, for example, access 2006: Vaal University of Technology, University of the to certain documents, identification of individuals and Witwatersrand, ; University of the Free State, groups responsible for specific tasks and the Cranefield College of Project and Programme Management, establishment of realistic target dates for their Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management, PC Training completion. and Business College, Monash South Africa A self-evaluation portfolio regarding the NWU’s 2005: , , business and quality assurance processes is prepared by , Helderberg College, Centurion the Project Team for eventual presentation to the HEQC. Akademie Should you have any queries, contact the Quality Office on 018 299 2760. 2004: Central University of Technology, Free State; Editor: Prof Es Steyn Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA), OVAL

2 For more information about Institutional Audits, visit http://www.che.ac.za News from the Institutional Quality Office

The HEQC Quality Audit Project Team are in front Mrs Ria Nel (Manager: Project Office), Prof Es Steyn (Manager: Quality, Institutional Office), Dr Maarten Venter (Director: Projects) and Mrs Karen Hurn (Project Office). At the back are Dr Jannie Jacobsz (Director: Quality, Institutional Office), Prof Sevid Mashego (Vice Rector - Quality and Planning, Mafikeng Campus), Prof Daan van Wyk (Vice Rector - Quality and Planning, Potchefstroom Campus) and Prof Tinie Theron (Dean of the Vaal Triangle Campus).

The HEQC’s approach to quality in institutional audits In view of the prevailing higher education policy context, the • Addresses transformational challenges for the HEQC’s understanding of quality encompasses fitness for development of individual students as well as the requirements purpose, value for money, and individual and social of social and economic development; and transformation, within an overarching fitness of purpose • Provides value for money in relation to the full range of framework. higher education purposes. With due allowance for mission differentiation and Further, HEQC audits consider the relationship between diversity, institutional audits assess whether institutions quality and fitness of purpose, and the manner and extent to manage the quality of their core academic activities in a manner which an institution’s mission and academic activities take that: national priorities and needs into account, as well as respond • Is fit for purpose in advancing the institution’s mission to regional and international imperatives. and goals; What are the consequences of audits?

The HEQC will not rank higher education institutions on the the institution, usually three years after the audit visit. The basis of audit judgements. The purpose of institutional audit is HEQC may also refer specific matters to the DoE or other to encourage higher education institutions to engage in appropriate bodies for further attention. systematic and continuous quality improvement appropriate to Institutional audits will not directly lead to the allocation or their context as well as to their mission and strategic goals. the withdrawal of funds from public higher education The HEQC will require institutions to develop and institutions. implement a quality improvement plan in response to the The HEQC does not allocate any funds to institutions or recommendations specified in the final audit report. programmes, nor does it make any direct decisions on the Where an audit identifies areas of serious concern, the funding and financing of higher education. HEQC will propose explicit action by the institution within a HEQC audit outcomes are, therefore, not directly linked to specified timeframe as part of its improvement plan. funding. Funding for public institutions is the responsibility of The HEQC will monitor progress in the implementation of the DoE and, in the case of private providers, the responsibility such strategies by means of a mid-cycle progress report from of their owners or board of directors.

For more information about Institutional Audits, visit http://www.che.ac.za 3 News from the Institutional Quality Office

Scope of the HEQC’s audit system

Area 1

Fitness of purpose of Links between planning, institutional mission, goals and resource allocation and objectives in response to the quality management Use the local, national and benchmarking international contexts user surveys (including transformation and impact issues) studies

Area 2

Teaching and Learning Research Community engagement

General quality Quality-related Quality-related General Only applicable Quality- Quality- related arrangements arrangements quality- to institutions related related arrangements for programme for student related with a strong arrangements arrangements for teaching development, assessment and arrangements research mission: for post- for and learning management success for research Quality related graduate community and review arrangements for education engagement research - in- depth evaluation

Instrument for self-evaluation has nineteen criteria and four open-ended questions

The HEQC quality audit/evaluation will focus on NWU’s Area 2: Teaching and learning, research and community policies, systems, strategies and resources for quality engagement. management of the core functions of teaching and learning, Benchmarking, user surveys and impact studies apply to research and community engagement/implementation of both broad areas. expertise, and the relevant support services that support The criteria will also guide the evaluations during the these areas. HEQC audit visit in 2009. The instrument for the self-evaluation in preparation for Additional to the criteria, HEQC also provides the the HEQC consists of 19 criteria supplemented by four open following four open-ended questions: ended questions pertaining to the intellectual identity and - What are the unique and distinctive ways in which culture of the institution. These criteria are valuable tools to NWU enriches and adds excellence to the higher education guide the institutional self-evaluation in preparation for the society – nationally, regionally and internationally? HEQC audit, and are intended to enable institutions to - What does NWU do to produce a vibrant intellectual analyse and reflect on their quality management culture within the university and in society at large? arrangements. - In what ways does NWU act as incubator of new ideas The 19 criteria cover two broad areas which will form the and cutting-edge knowledge and technologies within the focus of evaluation in the national system of innovation? audit (see figure above): - What are some of the notable examples in the last Area 1: Mission of the institution; links between planning, three years of NWU’s success in promoting and enhancing resource allocation and quality management. quality?

4 For more information about Institutional Audits, visit http://www.che.ac.za