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BRIEFING ON THE STAFFING SOUTH AFRICA’S UNIVERSITIES’ FRAMEWORK

(SSAUF) Presentation to the

Portfolio Committee on Higher Education and Training

25 August 2015

Why the Staffing South Africa’s Universities Framework (SSAUF)?

• Inequality of representation amongst existing staff

• Unequal and/or unfavourable staff : student ratios

• Low throughput rates

• Qualifications and expertise of existing staff

• A growing but still inadequate postgraduate pipeline

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NURTURING EMERGING SCHOLARS

PROGRAMME

(NESP)

NEW GENERATION OF

ACADEMICS PROGRAMME

(nGAP)

EXISTING ACADEMICS CAPACITY

ENHANCEMENT PROGRAMME

(EACEP)

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Major components of SSAUF

a) Recruitment and development of new staff

• nGAP (new generation of academics) expansion and enhancement of pipeline of postgraduates

b) Recruitment of additional part-time staff

• retired academics (mentoring, supervision) collaboration with staff internationally on part-time basis partnerships with people in industry for teaching and supervision

c) Improvement of the effectiveness of currently employed academic staff

• qualifications, teaching and research development

d) Improvement of the effectiveness of staff who lead and manage academic processes, projects, and supporting mechanisms

• Capacity Development Programme - professional doctorates in Higher Education Management, PG Diploma programmes, specialist workshops, international networks.

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Why the SSAUF?The nGAP process• Universities are invited to apply for nGAP posts on the grounds of

equity (transformation), need and sustainability

• These are permanent academic posts that involve a comprehensive induction and development programme designed to maximise retention and success for the nGAP post holders

• The review group, managed by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), makes final decisions on which posts to allocate and where noting that the posts are externally advertised

• nGAP applicants are selected by the universities at which they will work – DHET has observer status

• nGAP posts are funded on a sliding scale over six years, with universities bearing full costs from the 7th year

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The Composite nGAP advertisement [extract]

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nGAP Development Programme  Phase 1

Development ProgrammePhase 2

Induction and early career development

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

 Employment

√[reduced

load]

√[reduced

load]

√[reduced

load]

√[increasing

load]

√[full load]

√[full load]

PhD/M study √ √ √ Possibly still completing

 

Mentoring √ √ √ √

Short courses on research & teaching development

√ √ √

International mobility The intention is to support one international mobility opportunity in this phase 

Infrastructure & equipment Contributions towards costs (e.g. office, laboratory, computer)

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Update on Phase 1 of the nGAP and plans for the next phase

• 125 nGAP posts were allocated by DHET to universities across the system by end of March 2015

• Universities are currently conducting interviews, with some of the processes/appointments completed

• It is anticipated that all posts will be filled by the end of 2015

• The nGAP-Development Programme will begin to roll-out in February 2016

• The next round of nGAP posts will begin in October 2015, for an intake in 2016

• Universities have requested to fund additional nGAP posts to swell numbers for the system – this adds value and signals strong buy-in by the institutions

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Systemic constraints that the nGAP will address

• Ensuring that an academic career is attractive enough to draw the brightest young people

• Ensuring that all universities can provide a robust and high quality academic environment in which young academics can thrive

• Ensuring that meaningful and comprehensive transformation is developed and takes root in all institutions so that current apparent barriers to retention, progression and promotion are broken down

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Update on other SSAUF components• The new ‘University Capacity Programme’ is planned to begin in late

2015, targeting Directors of Financial Aid Offices, Institutional Planning, Teaching and Learning Centres, Student Affairs, Student Housing, Wellness, etc. This will be part of the EACEP

• As the nGAP-Development Programme rolls out, the courses/seminars/international network opportunities will be modified and expanded to include all staff, including part-time, supplementary and industry-based staff

• Synergies are being developed with relevant National Research Foundation (NRF) capacity building programmes, with research support and costs contributing to the revitalisation and enhancement of the DHET’s academic workforce initiatives. These are planned to take immediate effect, with the first call going out to nGAP post holders at the end of 2015

• Components of the SSAUF such as the NESP, EASEP and the SSEP are being rolled out through activities supported in the current 3 year Teaching Development Grant cycle which ends in 2016/17

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The University Development Grant (UDG)[proposed in the 2015 Funding Review]

• Planned to be implemented from the 2017/18 financial year

• The SSAUF will become the major vehicle for research and teaching development with the aim of improving student success within the proposed new ‘University Development Grant (UDG)’

• The UDG will most likely draw in the Foundation Provision earmarked grants as this aims to bring about fundamental and sustainable curriculum reform and effectiveness, and are thus targeted also at improved student performance

• All other aspects of the SSAUF will also be implemented through the UDG

• This will bring much greater coherence, efficiency and effectiveness to state efforts to support teaching, learning and research development at universities

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Thank You

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