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 unreliable Annual reports Individual research projects CPED work done for NSFAS review Report 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 Coughlan Teaching and Learning – Nicolene Murdoch Research – Paul Beard Community Engagement – Bennie Anderson

The respondents INSTITUTIONAL TYPE TOTAL IN THIS CATEGORY AVE % REVENUE EARNED FROM HE FOR PROFIT6174 South African5476 International owner761 NOT FOR PROFIT2839 Community benefit2042 Part of international organisation255 In support of other enterprise, e.g. healthcare training. 617 OTHER

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? SizeNumber of studentsInstitutions Very large Large1500 – Medium500 – Small100 – Very smallLess than 10020

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 students in private higher education in 2009  ETDP figure suggests with an FTE count of suggesting many are part time

Our students  students in 2008 and in 2009

Our students  48% male  52% female  Public HE in 2008 was and private HE (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 LOWESTHIGHEST CertificateR5 500R Under-graduate DiplomaR1 500R Bachelor’s DegreeR1 500R Post-graduate Diploma or Honours Degree R9 000R Post-graduate DegreeR7 200R97 500

Bursaries  80 of the 94 offer bursaries

Knowledge Areas

CESM CATEGORIESINSTITUITONSCESM CATEGORIESINSTITUITONS 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 Performing21 Public Administration and Social Services 5 Health Care and Health Sciences 17 Industrial Arts, Trades and Technology 4 Communication12Social Sciences and Social Studies4 Computer Science10Law2 Education10 Life Sciences and Physical Sciences 2 Psychology9 Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources 1 Architecture and Environmental Design 7Military Sciences1 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 ( 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

 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

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; and  86 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,

Publications NOT SOUTH AFRICAN Journals 45 ISI Indexed 16 IBSS Indexed 2 Books 27 Conference Proceedings 4 SOUTH AFRICAN Journals 55 ISI Indexed 7 IBSS Indexed 3 DHET Approved 24 Books 7 Conference Proceedings 1

Many reporting mistakes Not all institutions responded Incomplete information Some information was inaccurate Information was duplicated Information was not formally verified Information placed in wrong categories Incomplete work eg. Work in progress Missing information Output 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 programmes  Community research activities  Representation on institutional advisory boards

Community Engagement  Drivers  Socially responsive curricula (28 – integration across curricula)  Service learning (64 – including assessment of outcomes)  Voluntary community services (including consulting work)  Creating alternative forms of knowledge  Involvement in applied research activities addressing societal needs

Community Engagement  Leadership involvement  Sustainable community development (27) Long term funding Lobbying input from community representatives  Incorporation in mission, vision, dream statements (36)  Integral to identity (24)  Utilising of own facilities (54)