MEDUNSA UPGRADE - University of Limpopo

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The University’s Audit Year WE’RE READY FOR INSPECTION! IN THE LAST EDITION OF Limpopo iLeader (NUMBER 21, AUTUMN 2010) WE INTRODUCED READERS TO THE IDEA OF THE INSTITU- TIONAL AUDIT. On the two main campuses of the University of Limpopo (UL) the audit, instigated by the Council on Higher Education to comply with the provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1997, was quickly seen as ‘another step on the road to excellence’. That, at any rate, was how Dr Abbey Ngoepe, the university’s Director of Quality Control, was looking at it – and since the middle of 2009 the Audit Steering Committee and its various working groups have been working in preparation for this important event that is to take place in the form of a visit by a high-powered audit panel next month (September 2010). Now the news is unequivocal. ‘We’re ready,’ said Ngoepe in an interview recently. ‘We’ve completed the self-evaluation report and have managed to collect all the relevant evidence to support it.’ This relevant evidence comes in the form of an array of existing documents, as well as large amounts of supporting data. The documents in question include: The university’s Strategic Plan, first drafted in 2007 and now updated for the five year period 2010 to 2014 P A G E 4 The Institutional Operating Plan (IOP) that resulted from the introduction in 2007 of an independent assessor (Professor Ben Khoape) to examine the parlous financial and administrative situation. The IOP was successfully implemented in 2008 and completed in 2009. The PQM (programme and qualifications mix) that clearly indicates the university’s response to the education and training needs of the socioeconomic environment in which it operates in terms of what is being taught in the various faculties and to what academic levels. The university’s Academic Structure, which shows how the programmes shown in the PQM are managed and administered. It is worth noting that the Strategic Plan shows in detail how the university, in its day-to-day operations, strives to achieve the broad aims set out in its vision and mission. Worth noting, as well, that both mission and vision were suspended while the IOP was being worked out due to structural and systemic challenges of the merger. The idea of being a world-class African university responding to the needs of a developing province, nation and region was put on hold as the institution concentrated its efforts on merger challenges and sustainability. ‘The good news now,’ says Ngoepe, ‘is that our vision and mission are back. They have certainly been at the centre of our preparations for our Institutional Audit, a process that will look specifically at our core business targets and the support services necessary to achieve them.’ At the heart of the audit lies 19 areas of special interest. These are expressed in the form of 19 criteria. A few of the main ones were listed in Limpopo Leader 21, but all have been dealt with in the draft self-evaluation report. Of course, the Institutional Audit will concentrate on what Ngoepe refers to as ‘our core business targets’ in relation to teaching and learning, research, and community engagement. TEACHING AND LEARNING To face the challenges in the sphere of teaching and learning, the university has submitted as evidence to the HEQC, throughput and graduation rates against the average national norm. An attempt is also made to evaluate the quality of the university’s
efforts in this direction by looking in particular at three key indicators. The first is the appropriateness of UL programmes in the manpower market. This is measured by means of user surveys in the marketplace among employers, government departments, etc. The second is a system of comparison with the competition, via a process of benchmarking UL’s programmes and results with other universities, both at a national and an international level. The third attempts to measure UL’s responsiveness to student and end-user needs. Impact studies show whether our programmes and teaching methods are having a positive impact and whether they are sensitive to changing needs. An important part of the teaching/ learning action plan is keeping tabs on the transformation aspect, particularly with regard to gender, and acting to correct any imbalances. For example, while the student population is now fairly evenly balanced between male and female, this is not the case at post-graduate level, nor in the academic staff complement where males still predominate. Dr Abbey Ngoepe UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO INSTITUTIONAL AUDIT SEPTEMBER 2010 teaching and learning and research community outreach and infrastructure solutions for African problems financial and quality control human development support services P A G E 5
Page 1 and 2: LIMPOPO NUMBER 22 WINTER 2010 LIMPO
Page 3 and 4: CALLING ALL ALUMNI: GET IN THE NEWS
Page 5: IN THIS ISSUE UNIVERSITY cover pict
Page 9 and 10: Changes in the university executive
Page 11 and 12: associate professor of Microbiology
Page 13 and 14: BOOTS enrolled for a Bachelor’s d
Page 15 and 16: Professor Monie Naidoo was to ensur
Page 17 and 18: Gerda Botha environmental health, w
Page 19 and 20: Medunsa upgrades ORAL HEALTH CENTRE
Page 21 and 22: Medunsa upgrades NEW SKILLS CENTRE
Page 23 and 24: heartbeat’, palpate her stomach,
Page 25 and 26: From top to bottom: Professor Dirk
Page 27 and 28: DVC Academic & Research Research Di
Page 29 and 30: Profile: Geoffrey Letsoalo MEET THE
Page 31 and 32: Profile: Regina Maphanga WHAT KEEPS
Page 33 and 34: Profile: Dr Mhlangu FIRMING UP THE
Page 35: Secure Secure your your future futu

MEDUNSA UPGRADE - University of Limpopo

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