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Governance, curriculum development, as well as design and implementation of institutional quality were amongst aspects examined by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) at Walter Sisulu University after a week-long institutional audit in August.
The purpose of the audit was to assess the university’s integrated quality management system with focus on the management of the core functions of teaching and learning, research, community engagement, and the alignment of these functions to the institution’s Vision, Mission, and goals.
Quality Management Directorate director, Chris Khoza, said: “Upon receiving a letter from CHE notifying the University of the impending institutional audit, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Rushiella Songca, established a steering committee to prepare an audit project plan and mobilise the university in preparation for the audit.”
Khoza added that “One of the Steering Committee’s first tasks was to interrogate all relevant CHE documents on the audit exercise - such as Manual for Institutional Audits 2021 and Framework for Institutional Audits 2021 - to gain a deeper understanding of the audit. This process lasted approximately one month and laid the foundation for the commencement of data collection.”
CHE is an independent statutory quality council for South African higher education, which seeks to evaluate the quality of higher education institutions to promote a system of quality assurance for all higher education institutions.
Delivering her welcoming remarks at the Council Indaba held on the 10th of August, Prof Songca, highlighted that the council seemed to be much impressed with the institutions’ enrolment plan that was approved by Council as part of the university’s Strategic Plan 2020-2030.
The audit also focused on other key areas that fuel the institution, including management and leadership. The auditors also inspected the university’s newly built and currently developing facilities including the technologically advanced clinical skills lab in the Nursing Department, and ICT Hub.
By Ongezwa Sigodi
