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To ensure academic staff’s deep understanding of their disciplines, the WSU office of the Vice-Chancellor, together with the institution’s Human Resources Department have sought to encourage staff to pursue postgraduate qualifications, with emphasis on Masters and PhD level studies.
Various mechanisms have been put in place by the Department of human resources to staff pursuing higher qualifications; with 100% fees paid for those who wish to further their studies within WSU, and a 75% fee subsidy for those who wish to study at other institutions of higher learning.
Policies have been developed to ensure that staff are supported in their pursuit of further studies. These include the Study Subsidy Policy, Research Development Leave Policy, as well as the Recognition of Higher Qualifications Policy which provides a financial incentive when staff complete their qualifications.
“Our success is dependent on our skills and creating an enabling environment that allows for our staff to execute strategic goals of the university, and forge forward to becoming an impactful technology infused African university - in pursuit of excellence,” said Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Rushiella Nolundi Songca.
WSU Butterworth Campus Acting Rector, Dr Bulelwa Nguza-Mduba who obtained her Doctor of Business Administration Degree in 2021 is one of the many academics who have benefited from the institution’s efforts.
“It has taught me how to write academically, learn to share my knowledge with other researchers, contribute to the existing body of knowledge, and advise the authorities on policy development in the tourism sector, especially in enhancing the development of small and medium-sized tourism enterprises. Furthermore, it enhanced me to move a step up the ladder and learn to work with different academic and professional staff members across the board. I have now started publishing my work with the assistance of colleagues in the field of tourism,” said Nguza-Mduba.
Following the 2005 merger of University of Transkei (Unitra), Eastern Cape Technikon and Border Technikon, the new institution, Walter Sisulu University, inherited staff that have different qualification levels of education based on historical institution’s policies.
Requisite levels of education for academic staff members in a university are higher than those of Technikons, hence the intentional effort by WSU to encourage staff to study further.
“WSU being the comprehensive university that it is, has inherited staff from two former technikons as well as a traditional university where historically, minimum qualification requirements for academic staff were not the same. WSU having established a single minimum qualification standard for all university academic staff, recognises the need to assist all academic staff reach this new standard within a reasonable period,” said Siyabulela Mnyaiza, Executive Director: Human Resource.
As part of the institution’s drive to function uniformly, WSU has set equal standards for all staff to be able to fulfil the imperative roles of the university, namely, teaching, research, and community engagement.
The call for staff to upgrade to higher qualification is further underpinned by the university’s new Vision 2030 Strategic Plan, which stresses quality, impactful teaching and learning; Relevant and impactful research and innovation; as well as Transformative community engagement, internationalisation and partnerships.
“Goals one, two and three [of the strategic plan] are navigational markers articulating frameworks for our core business. In order to achieve the same, we need to ensure that our workforce is capacitated and able to execute its mandate. For example, academics must obtain their postgraduate qualifications, especially PHDs,” said Songca.
Nationally, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) has frameworks in place to ensure that the calibre of academic staff is prioritised by institutions of higher learning, which will translate into a better quality of education for students.
The Staffing South Africa’s Universities Framework, as well as the Framework for Enhancing Academics as University Teachers, are national guidelines which have to be followed by institutions of higher learning in pursuing quality teaching and learning.
The latter document reads: “Good teaching is grounded in a deep understanding of a discipline: the basis of academics’ work is knowledge, with their identities embedded in discipline as knowledge learners, producers and disseminators.”
Following successful admission into the Postgraduate programmes of their choice, WSU Staff are encouraged to enquire with HR regarding the different avenues they may take advantage of in pursuing further studies.
By Yanga Ziwele
