Higher Education

Course Overview

The Graduate School of Public & Development Management (P&DM) in partnership with Higher Education South Africa (HESA), specifically its Higher Education Leadership and Management Programme (HELM) offers a short course in Higher Education Management at NQF Level 7. The course can be taken as either a certificate of attendance or a certificate of competence.

The National Plan for Higher Education (2001) outlines the transformation and restructuring of the higher education system as outlined in Education White Paper 3 – Programme for the Transformation of Higher Education (DoE: July 1997). The key challenges facing the South African higher education system remain as outlined in the White Paper: “to redress past inequalities and to transform the higher education system to serve a new social order, to meet pressing national needs, and to respond to new realities and opportunities” (White Paper: 1.1),. In order to give effect to the National Plan and related policy instruments, it is important to develop capacity at institutions at different layers of management.

This requires that managers have a clear understanding of the overarching socio-political environment. They need to fully understand the scale and nature of higher education, the challenges and opportunities, and the need for specific management knowledge and competencies.
Implementing good governance, strategic management, and effective leadership is crucial in managing higher education institutions ethically and effectively. It forms the foundation for mutual responsibility and accountability.
There exists local cases from which institutions can learn best practice and these will be applied to the individual challenges managers face.

Good systems and technical innovation are essential to maximise returns on scarce investments, Good programme and project management skills promote innovative approaches to management of higher education institutions and the acquisition of these tools are addressed.
Effective service delivery and performance excellence are premised on an enabling policy framework, quality of service readiness, appropriate professional practices and rigorous evaluation and monitoring systems. These are all tools that assist the manger in higher education to face the challenges articulated in the White Paper and develop appropriate responses.

Course Objectives:

At the conclusion of the course, participants will be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of higher education in South Africa including policy framework and governance structures;
• demonstrate familiarity with some key theoretical explanations of higher education institutions as organisations;
• apply leadership and management strategies in a higher education institutional context;
• demonstrate competence on specific business, planning and management skills in a higher education institution;
• reflect critically on their practice as institutional managers;
• analyse complex organisational issues and apply higher-order intellectual skills to these situations;
• work effectively as a member of a team, including contributing to group learning;
• continue to undertake self-directed learning.

Course Modules

Module One:  Policy and Regulatory Environment of Higher Education

The purpose of this module is to focus on the socio-political environment as it impacts on higher education institutions. An introduction to issues, trends and development internationally will provide participants an opportunity to understand the local environment.

• Course introduction : Higher Education Management
• Socio-Political and Economic Environment
• Trends in Higher Education
• SAHE Policy Content
• Institutional Challenges

Module Two: Leadership and Governance

This module will focus on the understanding, analysis and practitioner application of governance and strategic leadership concepts and techniques within the higher education context.

• Strategic Leadership
• Strategic Planning and Management Integrating Strategic Leadership Governance and Management

Module Three:Operational Management in Higher Education

The module explores the policy development and implementation process in higher education contexts. A strong emphasis is placed on understanding financial models, human resource management; programme and project management processes; including project life cycles, initiation, planning and implementation will be examined. The module will be concluded with an active group assignments in case development.

• Financial Management in Higher Education
• Human Resource and Diversity Management
• Knowledge and Information Management
• Programme and Project Management

Module Four: Institutional Development and Performance

This module explores contemporary understandings and applications of institutional development and institutional sustainability; issues of knowledge management, information and communication technology and elements of operations management within the higher education sector are explored.

• Institutional Development
• Organisational Performance
• Innovation
• Organisational Culture and change
• Quality assurance in Higher Education

Certificate of Competence

Students’ progress will be assessed by means of examinations and assignments. Successful completion of the modules will lead to the award of the Certificate of Higher Education Management.

Requirements of entry

Students are expected to have a minimum of an undergraduate degree and experience in academic management or at a senior level in university support services unit.

Fees

Fees must be submitted together with your letter of acceptance of a place in the course.

The Certificate Programme in Higher Education Management fee is payable to the University of the Witwatersrand.

Please contact the Programme Co-ordinator (see below) for current fee costs.

The fees cover tuition, text books, course materials, lunch and teas.

For further information, contact:
Ms Ntomboxolo Felicia Currie - Programme Coordinator
Tel: 27 (011) 717 3904
Fax: 27 (011) 717 3699
Email: ntomboxolo.currie@wits.ac.za
Postal Address: P O Box 601, Wits,2050
Physical address: 2 St David’s Place, Donald Gordon Building, Parktown