Government intervention in higher education in South Africa : policy options

The primary objectives of this study are to consider the theoretical foundations of Public Administration and specifically public policy; the international context within which higher education in South Africa operates; the South African higher education context, policy processes and reasons for government intervention in higher education; how these reasons relate to the process of transforming higher education; the problems that have or could result from such intervention; the implications of mergers and incorporations for higher educational institutions; the state of higher education funding and its implications for institutional autonomy and academic freedom ; the implications of government intervention in higher education in other areas such as the determination of what universities may teach and student admissions; the claim that the autonomy of higher educational institutions is under threat as a result of the extent of government intervention; and how to enhance cooperative governance between universities and the government. The secondary objective is to identify the best policy options that the government and higher educational institutions could adopt to rectify identified problems, ensure a higher education system that meets the developmental needs of the country and protects institutional autonomy and academic freedom. Government intervention in higher education in South Africa aims, among others, at reforming the system of higher education to reflect the new democratic order, setting the higher education system on a path of growth and development and meeting developmental needs. However, the higher education policies that the government established since 1994 have not adequately addressed the challenges of higher education, and the policies in fact contradict themselves in a number of aspects.The policy objectives of the government's intervention in higher education will not be (fully) realised if the negative implications of the intervention measures, such as insufficient funding, the bankrupting of universities, alignment of institutional cultures, infringements on institutional autonomy and academic freedom are not adequately addressed in partnership with the management of higher educational institutions and their governance structures. Furthermore, the outcome of the restructuring of the higher education system depends on the abilities of universities to adequately resolve the challenges they confront and provide sound and strategic management. CopyrightThesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008.School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA)unrestricte

Higher Education Expansion and Social Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Conceptual and Empirical Perspectives

The development of higher education (HE) in sub-Saharan Africa has presented contradictory features and outcomes over the past two decades. On the one hand, the number of public and private HE institutions has increased in the present era of massification (where HE environments have reached almost universal access). This led to a diversification of academic programmes on offer, and enrolments surged to the point that sub-Saharan Africa experienced the fastest growth of all UNESCO world regions over the period. Yet on the other hand, gross enrolment rates (less than 10 percent on average in the region) remain by far the lowest and show slower progression than in other parts of the global South, as the rise in the number of institutions and in enrolment has not kept pace with population growth and increased social iii demand for higher education. These contradictions between dynamics typically associated with massified HE environments and features of highly elitist systems beg a closer examination of this process of expansion and diversification, and more specifically of how it has affected different socio-economic groups. Drawing on secondary data and policy material, and using three national contexts as case studies (Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal), the paper highlights how issues of inequalities and inequity in access to and participation in higher education were addressed by national policies in contexts of expansion and diversification. It then examines how the HE opportunities resulting from the expansion generated new inequalities at the levels of access to HE institutions and programmes, in student experience and in access to labour markets and social recognition. The case study perspective reveals how the relationship between growth and other dimensions of national HE developments are both context-contingent and shaped, or exacerbated by, international pressures. It allows a better understanding of the common challenges of African HE systems in terms of access “for whom?” “to what?” and “what for?” while avoiding excessive generalizations in conclusions and suggestions

THE MASSIFICATION PROCESS IN CHINESE HIGHER EDUCATION

This paper demonstrates the massification process in higher education using as reference China, which reached in a few years the largest university system in the world. To do this, we present in the theoretical reference the Government intervention and its economic responsibilities, the main challenges of global higher education and the effects of globalization on this level of education. As regards the methodology, this study is designed on the principles of explanatory research, with qualitative approach. Data were collected through documentary and bibliographic research, and subsequently analyzed and interpreted to record the findings that were correlated with other data collected. This research shows at its end how was the expansion of Chinese higher education, which was a elite system and became a mass system, becoming a reference for other nations that also seek to expand this educational level

Higher Education Innovation Funding 2011-12 to 2014-15: policy, final allocations and request for institutional strategies [Request for information]

This document gives Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) allocations for higher education institutions exceeding a threshold for 2011-12 to 2014-15. It invites institutions with HEIF allocations to submit institutional strategies to release their funds, and includes a template for those strategies. It also describes the policy context and method for HEIF 2011-2015 and our future approach to monitoring and review. Annexes Annex A Final HEIF 2011-2015 allocations Annex B1 Word template for HEIF institutional strategies Annex B2 Excel template for HEIF institutional strategies Annex C Guidance notes for completion of institutional strategies Annex D History, progress to date and international context to HEFCE knowledge exchange policy Annex E Detailed HEFCE and Government policies relevant to knowledge exchange and HEIF Annex F List of abbreviation

Engaging Universities in the Regional Integration Project in Southern Africa

The aim of this paper is to explore the potential for engaging universities in promoting greater regional integration in the southern African region, with the intention of prompting further conversation and debate around the role of universities in supporting regional initiatives

Generation X: Redefining the Norms of the Academy

[Excerpt] The members of Generation X are the young faculty members of today and the immediate future. The panelists at this session of the conference were asked to discuss the effects of this generation on academic norms and institutional governance and the types of new models that may be emerging for academia as a result of them. More specifically, they were asked if the attitudes and loyalties of these young faculty members really do differ from that of the Baby Boom Generation, how their attitudes and behavior affect graduate programs, what academic institutions will need to do to attract the next generation of faculty members, and how they will influence governance in academia. And given the growing number of two-career families and single parent families, will changes in the tenure system take place