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A report on a survey of private higher education institutions conducted under the auspices of the CHE
A report on a survey of private higher education institutions conducted under the auspices of the CHE
Background Early in 2010 the CHE released a
Monitor on the state of higher education – there is virtually no reference to private higher education
Data on private higher education is scarce and unreliableAnnual reportsIndividual research projectsCPED work done for NSFAS reviewReport done for ETDP SETA by Tony Khatle
Background Under the auspices of the Monitoring and
Advice Directorate of the CHE a working group was constituted at a workshop and a questionnaire was designed and sent to 116 private higher education institutions
94 completed the survey The survey covered: size and shape,
qualification areas and levels, research, staffing, resourcing, teaching and learning
The survey
A report was compiled – copies are available The data will be presented by:
Size and shape – Felicity CoughlanTeaching and Learning – Nicolene MurdochResearch – Paul BeardCommunity Engagement – Bennie Anderson
The respondentsINSTITUTIONAL TYPE TOTAL IN
THIS CATEGORY
AVE % REVENUE EARNED FROM HE
FOR PROFIT 61 74
South African 54 76
International owner 7 61
NOT FOR PROFIT 28 39
Community benefit 20 42
Part of international organisation 2 55
In support of other enterprise, e.g. healthcare training.
6 17
OTHER 5 24
94 61
Where?
“Registered addresses” – sites differ None registered in Free State or
Northern Cape 58% in Gauteng 29% in Western Cape 16% in KZN
How big?Size Number of students Institutions
Very large 5000+ 3
Large 1500 – 4999 8
Medium 500 – 1499 18
Small 100 – 499 38
Very small Less than 100 20
Sector students These 94 institutions seem to represent
about 95% of private institution enrolments (HE students only) - 84% of institutions but 95% of enrolments
Therefore can assume about 88 000 students in private higher education in 2009
ETDP figure suggests 80 000 with an FTE count of 43 000 suggesting many are part time
Our students
77 393 students in 2008 and 83 314 in 2009
Our students
48% male 52% female Public HE in 2008 was 790 490 and
private HE 81 466 (extrapolated) – 9.3%
Our staff
9438 staff 4898 academics
Our academics (n=4898)
Academic qualifications (n=4157)
Our income
61% from higher education student fees
15% from donations and donors 9% tuition service fees 8% non HE full qualifications 8% short courses
Our fees LOWEST HIGHEST
Certificate R5 500 R70 000
Under-graduate Diploma R1 500 R52 000
Bachelor’s Degree R1 500 R53 000
Post-graduate Diploma or
Honours DegreeR9 000 R52 100
Post-graduate Degree R7 200 R97 500
Bursaries
80 of the 94 offer bursaries
Knowledge Areas
CESM CATEGORIES INSTITUITONS CESM CATEGORIES INSTITUITONS
Business, Commerce and
Management Sciences
40 Engineering and Engineering
Technology
5
Philosophy, Religion and
Theology
22 Physical Education, Health
Education and Leisure
5
Arts, Visual and Performing 21 Public Administration and Social
Services
5
Health Care and Health
Sciences
17 Industrial Arts, Trades and
Technology
4
Communication 12 Social Sciences and Social Studies 4
Computer Science 10 Law 2
Education 10 Life Sciences and Physical
Sciences
2
Psychology 9 Agriculture and Renewable Natural
Resources
1
Architecture and Environmental
Design
7 Military Sciences 1
Languages, Linguistics and
Literature
6
Knowledge Areas / CESM Categories 3 of the 22 CESM categories (Home
Economics, Libraries and Museums and Mathematical sciences) had no HE programmes
No relation between the size of the institutions and the number of knowledge areas
Knowledge Areas / CESM Categories Several institutions classified as “very
small” (<500 students) offer programmes in up to 6 CESM categories
One institution classified as small (500-2000 students) offer programmes in 9 CESM categories
One of the largest institutions offers all its programmes within a single knowledge category
Total Graduate Output (28 797)
Graduate Output
Graduate Output
Postgraduate level increase by 22.8% from 945 in 2008 to 1161 in 2009
Postgraduate students constituted 6.59% of all graduating students in 2008 and 8.02% in 2009
While designing the Questionaire, the hypotheses was that research activity would be minimal. Results confirmed this “educated guess”
After 10 years of development given the size and shape of the sector, there are a few pockets of good research of institutions, good researchers and quality outputs
Research 2008-2010
Research in Private Higher Education Institutions
Less than one-third (24 of 94) of all PHEI’s are producing research as traditionally understood
Just under 50% of (or 43 of 94) PHEI’s reported that they undertake research
Research collaboration is more likely to take place with public universities than with other private institutions and business/industry, and most likely to be local rather than international
Academic staff at institutions which indicated that they undertake research is about five times more likely to be supervising or externally examining research degrees than academic staff at institutions not undertaking research
Academic staff at institutions with emphasis on visual arts, design, creative writing, drama and music who stated that they undertake research is about twice as likely to be producing creative and performing art work than staff at institutions not undertaking research
Institutions undertaking research indicated that over the reporting period (from January 2008 to November 2010) they had produced:13 books;243 journal articles and book chapters;290 conference papers; and86 other publications (including book
reviews, opinion and positions papers, editorials, theses, reports and contributions to newsletters, newspapers, magazines and exhibition reviews)
Of all the Non-South African based journals, about six (6) are health-related, five (5) theology-related and four (4) economics-related.
Of all the South African based journals, 20 are theology-related, 10 business management-related and five (5) health-related
Of the institutions undertaking research, academics were five times more likely to be supervising higher education degrees or externally examining research degrees
Research output by type of publication, 2008-2009
PublicationsNOT SOUTH AFRICAN
Journals45
ISI Indexed16
IBSS Indexed2
Books27
Conference Proceedings4
SOUTH AFRICAN
Journals55
ISI Indexed7
IBSS Indexed3
DHET Approved24
Books7
Conference Proceedings1
Many reporting mistakesNot all institutions responded Incomplete informationSome information was inaccurateInformation was duplicatedInformation was not formally verifiedInformation placed in wrong categoriesIncomplete work eg. Work in progressMissing informationOutput published in in-house training manuals
The above places major limitations on the analysis of data
Need for capacity building
Quality of Data
Community Engagement
Definition Focus on institutions partnerships (39)
In service learning programmesCommunity research activitiesRepresentation on institutional advisory boards
Community Engagement
DriversSocially responsive curricula (28 – integration
across curricula)Service learning (64 – including assessment of
outcomes)Voluntary community services (including
consulting work)Creating alternative forms of knowledgeInvolvement in applied research activities
addressing societal needs
Community Engagement
Leadership involvementSustainable community development (27)
• Long term funding• Lobbying input from community
representativesIncorporation in mission, vision, dream
statements (36)Integral to identity (24)Utilising of own facilities (54)
