The idea of the university in South Africa today
- Authors: Pillay, Krishnavani
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa , Blacks -- Education (Higher) -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DEd
- Identifier: vital:9527 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/901 , Education, Higher -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa , Blacks -- Education (Higher) -- South Africa
- Description: This thesis aims to examine the concept of the university in contemporary South Africa. The aim of this thesis evolves from the question, what is the idea of the university in contemporary South Africa? This question evolves from my current experiences as an academic in a contemporary South African university. My colleagues and I are faced with many epistemological challenges on a daily basis as we try to teach our students, by providing them with both access to higher education as well as epistemological access, as we try and transform our curricula from an Apartheid determined one, to one that is more congruent with the values of our new dispensation, and which at the same time will contribute to the coherent development of both our universities and our country. Central to these issues and practices is a particular understanding of a university in our context. This priority is very challenging in a context such as ours which has a rich history of a politically determined, highly differentiated university sector. A direct consequence of this legacy is an unclear and shared understanding of a university in our country at present. What is currently required in our university and broader context is more determined thinking about a concept of the university in this country. In order to examine the concept of a university in contemporary South Africa, I engaged in a conceptual analysis. In so doing I divided my thesis into two parts, on the basis of the two conceptual analysis techniques which I used. In Part one I constructed a Model Example, and in the second part I applied this Model Example (scope of application) to different contexts. My Model example of a concept of a university is predicated on a Theory of concepts; a Theory of institutions, a Theory of practices, a theory of Inquiry and a Theory of Higher Education. I then examine the concept of a university in South Africa, by focusing on an examination of the concept of a university in different chronological and geographical contexts. In this part of my thesis I engage in examining the scope of applicability of a particular concept of a university. I examine the concept of a university firstly at a more historical level, by going back to Cardinal Newman, Von Humboldt and Jaspers. This examination is important to the contemporary concept of the university in South Africa, as our current concept of a university still attempts to hold onto the components that characterised the concept of the university that these historical figures were instrumental in developing. I then go on to examine a concept of a university in Germany and America, as contemporary South Africa has extended its borders to become part of a more globally competitive context. In so doing the concept of the university in contemporary South Africa is also at the same time, influenced by the kinds of developments in such countries. I then go on to examine a concept of a university during Apartheid South Africa, to provide a context for current change initiatives in this sector. The last two chapters focus on the post Apartheid university context. On the basis of two seminal higher education policy documents, I extrapolate a concept of a university in the contemporary South African policy context. I then go on to examine how this concept of a university is impacting on current transformatory initiatives in contemporary universities. In attempting to examine an idea of a university in a contemporary South African context, I had to grapple with an array of issues. But the most fundamental challenge for me was trying to clarify an essentially contentious concept. What emerges continuously from an examination of a concept of a university is the tension that has existed and which continues to exist, between the social responsibilities of a public institution such as a university; and its traditionally established epistemological functions. Most conflicts and disillusionment regarding this concept and its use, is predicated on the challenge of trying to establish how a university can be both relevant and valuable to society and still maintain its epistemic authority and value. The South African context further complicates this dilemma, because central to our transformatory goals is a particular world view that we as South Africans regard as valuable. Such a world view is based on the social epistemology and ontology of Ubuntu. This world view comes up constantly in policy documents and discourses that underpin the university terrain. I set out to examine the idea of the university in contemporary South Africa within the parameters of such a context and world view. It is against such a backdrop that I construct a Model Example of a concept of a university. My model example acknowledges both the socio-political functions and identity of a university; as well as its constitutive epistemological functions and identity. Central to such an understanding is the imperative to maintain a dialogical balance between these two important functions. Although this thesis goes into deep epistemological regions, it just skims the surface of such an exciting epistemological terrain. What it does do however, is open up an alternate perspective on how to try and understand a concept of a university and extend its scope of applicability in a variety of ways.
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- Date Issued: 2009
A value framework for information and communication technology governance in South African higher education institutions
- Authors: Johl, Christian Peter
- Date: 2013
- Subjects: Information technology -- South Africa -- Management , Universities and colleges -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:9821 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020281
- Description: The public higher education sector in South Africa is governed by an act of Parliament which defines the governance organs and mechanisms required within institutions and the sector. This doctoral thesis begins by contextualising ICT governance within the levels of systemic governance in South Africa that have relevance to this study. It then continues by advancing the understanding of the state of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) governance in public higher education institutions in South Africa by investigating the level of pervasiveness, the level of ICT process maturity and the alignment of ICT to the institutional processes within these institutions. Subsequently, this thesis results in the production of a contextually appropriate value framework that contributes towards an understanding of the need for the improvement of ICT governance. A survey of the extant literature on governance, ICT governance, and the frameworks and standards associated with governance indicates that the methodological approach currently favoured in ICT governance research is predominantly interpretive and based on surveys and interviews. This study leans towards a Design Science approach paradigm using surveys for the qualitative data collection process. The empirical research data was gathered from the highest ranking ICT officers at public higher education institutions in South Africa. This study makes contributions on a number of levels – from the first known measurement of ICT pervasiveness within the context of higher education, to the measurement of ICT process maturity and the measurement of the alignment of ICT and institutional processes, to the design of a value framework that breaks down governance into layers indicating which governance organs are appropriate at the relevant layers and which governance mechanisms can be used to address governance at each layer of governance. This study therefore makes a contribution to the ICT domain for development research by demonstrating praxis for the improvement of ICT governance implementation in the public higher education sector in South Africa. This study makes both method design and practical contributions to the ICT body of knowledge at various stages of the research process. These contributions include reflection on and analysis of the data gathering approaches that occur within the public higher education sector and in the complex environment of institutional autonomy and academic freedom; the use of Agency Theory to support the ‗governance intent‘ transfer between the layers of governance in the value framework and the synthesis of the improvement of ICT governance with value creation. The findings of this study further contribute to an understanding of the dynamics and interrelatedness of aspects of governance and management, while making a contribution to theoretical research by extending practical and empirical understanding of the ICT governance environment in the public higher education sector in South Africa.
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- Date Issued: 2013
A sustainability reporting framework for South African Higher Education Institutions
- Authors: Bosire, Samuel Mobisa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Sustainable development reporting -- South Africa , Business intelligence -- South Africa , Universities and colleges -- South Africa , Corporate governance -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , DBA
- Identifier: vital:8798 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1016126
- Description: Sustainability has gained prominence globally among nations, regions and organisations as a result of factors such as the effects of climate change on the environment, diminishing natural resources and rising population growth with their concomitant impact on economies and social systems. South Africa is a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) that promotes international principles and best practices on sustainable development. Sustainability Reporting is one such best practice. Sustainability Reporting is imperative for good governance and organisations are now expected to support sustainability issues, risks and performance in a balanced and reasonable way. The United Nations and other global bodies have been in the vanguard in promoting guidelines for sustainability reporting with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) being the most Prominent Sustainability reporting guideline. The South African Higher Education Institutions generate a number of reports in the course of any given academic year. As has been the case in the global corporate world, failures in governance in some South African universities point to weaknesses in their governance, especially when it comes to oversight of the operations of institutions. Considering this, it is important to critically examine strategic planning processes to understand the aspects that are important for the survival of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and therefore they should be regularly and closely monitored. The study begins by exploring literature relating to strategic planning, governance, sustainability reporting practices and Business Intelligence (BI) technologies in Higher Education. The primary objective of the investigation is to propose a sustainability reporting framework for Higher Education Institutions in South Africa. It is argued that with the aid of appropriate BI tools, the proposed Sustainability Reporting framework would be useful in tracking progress in the implementation of strategic plans and at the same time strengthen governance in institutions. The study identified elements of Sustainability Reporting that are important for strategic planning. To develop the proposed framework, an empirical investigation was undertaken. Four online questionnaires were completed and returned by 108 participants comprising of Registrars and Information Managers at 23 South African Higher Education Institutions as well as to Information Managers in selected International Higher Education Institutions and Managers at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU). The online questionnaires were developed to elicit information to include in the proposed framework. To analyse results, both descriptive and inferential statistics such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used. Results from the surveys revealed that Higher Education Institutions globally and in South Africa are grappling with the same issues. When it comes to Sustainability Reporting, factors such as information culture and Business Intelligence maturity levels were not found to be very different among the various institutions. In the case study at NMMU, correlational analysis confirmed that variables such as Management buying and the availability of BI reports were positively related to effective strategic planning and vice versa. Similarly, a strong correlation was observed between reporting guidelines and strategic planning. Moreover, the study highlighted the critical role of management and leadership in a university in creating an environment that supports Sustainability Reporting. In conclusion, it was recommended that efforts should be directed at creating awareness and at training staff on aspects that promote sustainability. It is incumbent upon the institution to take advantage of and promote technological tools and techniques to enable the easy flow of data and information in understandable and usable formats to all its stakeholders. Finally, a Framework for Sustainability Reporting for Higher Education Institutions (FSRHEI) and guidelines for implementing Sustainability Reports are proposed.
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- Date Issued: 2014