Page 21 - Transformation Report 2023

University and other institutions providing further educa-
Broadening Access tion and training opportunities within the post-school ed-
ucation and training (PSET) sector. Establishing articula-
tion learning pathways with regional Technical Vocational
An enrolment strategy is being developed to guide the Education and Training (TVET) colleges is an imperative
enrolment practices to achieve the targets submitted to to broaden access. Commitment and intentional collab-
the DHET in the five-year Institutional Enrolment Plan. orations with TVETs and other PSET institutions must en-
Due to declining PG and International student enrol- sure better alignment of discipline-specific programme
ments, the enrolment strategy identified specific inter- offerings to enable seamless articulation to access higher
ventions to address the downward trend. qualifications options.
African International Students

Institutional discourses relating the African identity of the
University brought into stark contrast the classification of
students from other African countries as foreign nation-
als. Being acutely aware that this issue is not confined to
our university only and cognisant that the name of this
university and the nature of the person after whom it is
named, places an onus upon us to take the lead in venti-
lating this issue.
African students pay international fees which is signifi-
cantly higher than the fees paid by local students. Figure 6: Mapping of the various sub-frameworks and qualifications linked to the learning and work pathways in
Engineering within the South African educational system.
Africa Agenda 2063 clearly speaks to an integrated Afri-
ca with an African Education Accreditation Agency and
a common educational system in place where African Recognition of Prior Learning fully online SLPs that were approved and are ready for im-
Youth will have the choice to study at any university and plementation. The Enterprise Resource Planning vendor,
work anywhere on the continent. The international shift towards knowledge and skills pro- AdaptIT, will provide the administrative layer in support of
duction places further pressure on South Africa to be- the finalised SLP strategy.
South Africa supports the development objectives and come globally competitive. With an endemic shortage
aims of Agenda 2063 in the context of strengthening Afri- of high-level professional and managerial skills and a sig- Hybrid-Flexible (Hyflex) teaching and learning is a rela-
can cooperation, integration and for promoting inclusive nificant decline in the demand for unskilled labour, RPL tively new concept within the South African HE context.
development, peace and security. This commitment to provides a mechanism to redress past educational ineq- It provides a more realistic pedagogic and curriculum
advancing Agenda 2063 is informed by the understand- uity and enable access for working adults to further their choice for enhancing epistemological access and mean-
ing that South Africa’s destiny is intricately linked to that Figure 5: Overview of the National Qualification Framework, including professional training. ingful engagement by ensuring that no student is left be-
of the continent. sub-frameworks and qualification types. hind in the teaching and learning process.
Despite RPL being an official national policy imperative,
A position paper is being developed to frame the context SAQA developed the figure (on the next page) to illus- this mechanism for broadening access is highly complex In partnership with HE Partners SA, the Digital Learning
of the African Agenda 2063 and our own identify as an trate the flexible learning and work pathways in Engi- and requires HEIs to provide different ways of planning, Experience Design and Innovation cluster (LXD) support-
African university. It is hoped that this position paper will neering and the interface between work experience and designing, and presenting their qualifications. The new ed the development of the University’s first fully online
stimulate discussion and lead to policy change at sectoral recog-nition of prior learning (RPL) (Figure 6). Developing national RPL policy was released to universities for com- programme offerings, which will be available to the
and national levels. ment in 2023, and the APQA team is in the process of public towards the end of 2025. The LXD hybrid and Hy-
learning and work pathways to enable such articulations flex offerings have expanded, with plans to provide fully
to access programme offerings within HEIs is complex developing an institutional policy.
Articulation and will require formalisation of agreements between online SLPSs and certificates.
these various stakeholders. Stackable Online Short Learning
The CHE articulation policy was approved and released Programmes Besides enhancing accessibility, provision of these online
in 2023. It informs the University’s policy and guides the The core mandate of the University is to provide transfor- offerings will create new revenue generation opportuni-
review of our programmes. The figure below summarises mative, lifelong learning experiences that liberate human Several credit-bearing Short Learning Programmes (SLPs) ties by ensuring that learners can access our programmes
the National Qualification Framework (NQF) with the vari- potential through innovative and student-centred prac- are available and could, through the RPL process, be virtually from any geographic location and at different
ous sub-frameworks and qualification types that underpin tices. The provision of adequate resources is critical for stacked and integrated into accredited programmes. The times of the year. A critical element in the provision of
learning pathways in South Africa (Figure 5). supporting the development of articulation pathways be- Learning and Teaching Collaborative for Success (LT Col- these online offerings is an integrated approach to plan-
tween the various qualification streams linked to learning lab) is supporting the University in the creation of fully on- ning, which will involve the respective faculties, LT Collab,
The establishment of articulation pathways will be re- and work pathways across the educational system. line programmes. The formulation comprises formal UG Information and Communications Technology (ICT), In-
quired for internal programmes as well as between the and PG diplomas and degrees and has moved beyond frastructure Services and Space Optimisation (ISSO), and
Support Services.

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