Page 53 - Transformation Indaba Report

Policy that has been adjusted does clarify what gets covered / doesn’t get covered. Changes were made to our policy to
ensure a more equitable amount for what the student needs. (Wayne)

Enrollment and locating it in the transformation project. If society. We need to have an introspection on the knowledge
we are unable to sometimes meet our enrollment targets, production or the curriculum of the institution and have we
then we need to ask ourselves a difficult question - “how is been able to transform that curriculum from what it was pre-
the institution perceived out there” - Is it an institution that is 1994 to a curriculum that would be able to respond to the
transforming; is it an institution that is providing/producing needs of the democratic society of South Africa. Is it sustain-
knowledge that is responsive and responding to the societal able to attract students who depend solely on NSFAS fund-
needs? If it is an institution that does not do that then surely ing, especially given the fact that State resources are drying
those that we’re trying to attract will move to other institu- up? In terms of sustainable resource stewardship. (Lutho)
tions that they think would contribute to the needs of their

The impact that not achieving targets has on subsidies and allocated more money. Challenge with senior diplomas: if
we were penalised although not badly because it affected Honours suffers then Masters is not going to be there
the whole sector as well. When you equalize, we ended up because the pipeline is affected. Efforts might not be suf-
not suffering a lot. Projecting that by 2025 we’ll lose R90m. ficient in terms of turning around within one year or so.
postgraduare and International student enrollments are
declining progressively which then raises the question “to Academic project/Revival of Humanities: Humanities is be-
what extent are we attractive”? Questions must include ing ‘juniorised’, with very few Professors, which means the
questions around transformation. For the first time we have a postgraduate pipeline becomes very limited. But they’ve -
permanent committee addressing enrollment issues. Last successfully attracted numerous enterprising and innovative
year the committee focused mainly on undergrad students academics.
and running a smooth and streamlined system to get the
numbers up. People attribute the challenge to the NSFAS CriSHET: a lot of work happens there. A lot of visiting Profs.
issue. That committee has now shifted to give its attention to That also increases supervision capacity, as well as research
postgrad and international students. output. Medical School: has its own challenge from a fund-
ing point of view, but people are realizing that you need to
PG: a concerted effort through the DVC Research, Innova- push postgraduate activity very quickly as well as research
tion and Internalisation Office (that drives research activities activities. It’s beginning to draw huge numbers. Ocean
which then relates to entities/Chairs because which begins Science are due to appoint a Director. All these happen in
to beef up research and raises broadly the supervision isolated ways which means it doesn’t become a very power-
capacity and bring in postgraduates. They also did a finan- ful force. We need to break that, but efforts are made, and
cial analysis and put it in front of MANCO who then we’ll see what it leads to. (L Hashatse)

NelsoN MaNdela UNiversity • traNsforMatioN iNdaba • 2022 47