By The Division of Communication and Advancement

 

Rhodes University recently participated in an institutional audit conducted by the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and while the report highlighted both the strengths and areas for improvement, Rhodes University showed commendable results overall.

The CHE is a statutory body mandated by the Higher Education Act (Act No. 101 of 1997) to promote quality assurance in the higher education sector, “audit the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education institutions and accredit higher education programmes”.

The audit process began with Rhodes University engaging with the CHE to establish an audit agreement, followed by the formation of an audit panel. The University then conducted a self-evaluation, reflecting on its practices and standing across 16 standards within four focus areas: governance and management, operational issues, quality management systems, and teaching and learning strategies

The audit included site visits, interviews with various University constituencies, and an evaluation of physical and digital infrastructures. The aim was not to compare institutions but to reflect each university's unique strengths and identify areas needing improvement. Dr Remy Nnadozie, the Director for Institutional Research, Planning & Quality Promotion at Rhodes University explained, “The idea of the national audits is for universities to reflect their uniqueness and areas of strength while also reflecting areas that would call for development and improvement.”

Rhodes University received a positive audit outcome. It was found to be mature in two standards, functional in thirteen standards, and only one standard required substantial improvement, specifically in tracking graduates' progress post-graduation.

Dr Nnadozie emphasised that the University's self-evaluation closely matched the CHE's findings, underscoring Rhodes University's good insight into its operations and systems. “Our self-evaluation was fair, thoroughly done, consultative, and it was a quality reflection. The panel found no significant discrepancies between what we put forth and what they found during their site visit,” he said.

The CHE commended the University for its strength in teaching and learning, and curriculum development. Dr Nnadozie noted, “The panel was pleased with our leadership, governance and strategic alignment of institutional goals with regional, national and global development imperatives. They also commended in other areas where Rhodes University is doing well, especially around teaching, learning, and curriculum development.”

Although Rhodes University was found to be effective in many areas, the audit emphasised the need for better tracking of graduates to understand their impact in their respective fields, endeavours and society, which could inform future curriculum development.

Additionally, the audit recommended that the University should consider the introduction of new academic programmes aligned with national development needs and skill demands. “The panel suggested that we consider introducing new academic programmes and qualifications that directly address the skills needs of our society. These should be carefully designed to complement our existing general formative programmes,” Dr Nnadozie added.

The audit's process has already impacted revisions to the University's Institutional Development Plan (IDP), ensuring alignment and synergy between the audit recommendations and ongoing institutional strategies. “One of the recommendations was for us to review the IDP, which we have already done. There is synergy between the audit recommendations and our IDP,” Dr Nnadozie confirmed.

The institutional audit, though resource-intensive, has proven to be a valuable exercise for Rhodes University. Dr Nnadozie expressed optimism about the audit's outcomes and the potential for Rhodes University to enhance its academic endeavour further. “The creation of the self-evaluation report was the most significant element of the initial phase of the audit. The results of the audit have also provided an opportunity for further reflection as the University develops its improvement plan in response to the audit's recommendations.”

One potential outcome of the current audit cycle is that universities with strong quality management systems might be granted the ability to self-approve new academic programme proposals leading to accredited qualifications.

This would streamline the process for programme accreditation and registration on the national qualifications framework (NQF).

An improvement plan is being developed, and the deans of faculties will discuss the report with their respective faculties and departments. The University’s support services divisions are also expected to discuss the audit report and respectively contribute to developing the improvement plan.

The audit process was thorough and inclusive, and we extend our gratitude to all staff and stakeholders who participated in the self-evaluation and interviews with the audit panel. By working together, we will implement the necessary improvements recommended by the panel.