Five Years Review - University of South Africa

FIVE YEARS 

TRANSFORMATION 

2OO4 – 2OO8

FIVE YEARS 


2OO4 – 2OO8 

C O N T E N T S 

3 M E S S A G E F R O M T H E C H A N C E L L O R 

J u d g e P r e s i d e n t B e r n a r d M N g o e p e 

5 M E S S A G E F R O M T H E C H A I R P E R S O N O F C O U N C I L 

D r M a t h e w s P h o s a 

7 M E S S A G E F R O M T H E V I C E - C H A N C E L L O R 

P r o f N B a r n e y P i t y a n a 

9 I N T R O D U C T I O N A N D B A C K G R O U N D 

1 2 

AWA K E N IN G 

THE G I A N T: 

from merger 

to a vision 

and strateg y 

for the future 

Editorial Team: 

Prof Narend Baijnath - Editor 

Ms Jeanette Botha - Project Manager and Co-ordinating Editor 

Dr Marie Ferreira - Project Advisor 

Mr Gerard Grobler – Project Advisor 

Ms Nancy- Anne Anderson – Project Advisor

OUR VISION Towards the African university in the service of humanity 

2 2 

M APPING 

THE PATHWAY: 

galvanizing 

governance 

and management 

capacities for 

the journe y 

4 0 

REVITALISING 

THE CORE: 

academic 

and research 

5 6 

BU T TRE SSING 

THE SUPP ORT: 

reg istration 

and learner 

supp ort 

6 6 

REINFORC ING 

THE SUPER- 

STRUC TURE: 

resources , 

te chnolog y 

and p e ople 

8 6 

IN TO THE 

F U TURE 

of change

It is a rare privilege to be able to participate 

in the closing of one chapter and then share in the 

opening of a new one, particularly one as 

vibrant and dynamic as that of the new Unisa.

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E 

C H A N C E L L O R 

B A C K I N 2 0 0 4 , 

IN YEAR-ONE of the newly merged Unisa, and as 

Chancellor-elect, I stated the following: “It is a rare privilege 

to be able to participate in the closing of one chapter 

and then share in the opening of a new one, particularly 

one as vibrant and dynamic as that of the new Unisa.” 

That sentiment holds as true today as it did five years ago. 

Unisa remains as innovative, vibrant and dynamic as ever 

– a university which all of us who are associated with, can 

be justifiably proud. 

A brief journey down memory lane brings to mind 

many institutional highlights, achievements and accomplishments, 

none of which, I believe, would have been 

possible without the committed leadership that Unisa has 

been privileged to enjoy. It is all too easy to forget that the 

merger process started from ‘ground zero’ as it were. 

There was no merger blueprint; merely a set of guidelines 

for one of the biggest restructurings that higher education 

anywhere has ever witnessed, and the first restructuring 

of such proportions within the South African higher 

education system since it inception. To have been able to 

move forward with such confidence into uncharted territory 

and to have done so with such accomplishment is 

certainly one of the success stories of our new democracy. 

Unisa’s merger has been largely successful. Its Unisa 

2015: An agenda for transformation, its planning and 

budgetary processes, and its vision for a truly African 

institutional identity and culture continue to receive 

acclaim and have placed Unisa at the cutting edge of 

institutional management locally and abroad. It is therefore 

fitting that Unisa’s Executive Management and Council 

should be formally acknowledged for the visionary 

and professional manner in which they have guided, and 

continue to guide with unrelenting energy, the genesis 

and development of Unisa. 

None of this success however, would have been possible 

without a sound system of governance. Mindful of 

the need to ensure the Institution’s sustainability, Unisa 

tackled its governance project with vigour, ensuring that 

its Institutional Statute and related structures were in 

place and functioning properly in the shortest possible 

time. The result of this fundamental commitment to 

sound governance is an Institution that is firmly grounded 

on the kinds of principles and practice that will ensure its 

long-term sustainability and success. 

As Chancellor I have sat through many a graduation 

ceremony and I always experience the same thrill and 

excitement at the spectacle of so many young men and 

women achieving what is undoubtedly a major milestone 

in their careers and their lives. And each time I am 

reminded of the fundamental importance of what it is 

that Unisa actually does. The University of South Africa 

educates people. That is its job, to put it simply. And it is 

a serious and solemn duty. 

It is appropriate then, that having laid the sound 

administrative, structural and governance foundations 

mentioned above, all efforts and attention are now 

focused on the core functions of teaching and learning. As 

an Open Distance Learning (ODL) institution, Unisa needs 

to ensure that it graduates students who are not only 

equipped with a qualification that will be relevant and 

useful in the market place, but who will also have the kind 

of attitude and ethos that will underpin success in their 

personal and professional lives, and who become active 

conscientious citizens. That requires comprehensive 

learner support; the kind of learner support that is the 

hallmark of ODL. 

One of the highlights of my calendar is the annual 

Chancellor’s Club Gala Dinner. Always a splendid occasion, 

this event brings together friends and benefactors of Unisa 

in an evening of celebration, and dare I say, exhortation 

to even deeper commitment to the Institution. Fundraising 

is becoming an increasingly important part of 

Unisa’s third-stream income, likely to play a growing role 

in institutional development and learner support. I would 

urge the public at large, potential donors, alumni, staff and 

students to support Unisa as it grows its donor base and 

income in support of its vision to become the African 

university in the service of humanity. 

It remains for me to congratulate Unisa on this major 

milestone. I have no doubt that this publication will 

provide a fascinating insight into the evolution of an 

Institution whose history has been, and remains, inextricably 

intertwined with the people and the history of South 

Africa and the Continent. 

Judge President Bernard M Ngoepe – 

Chancellor of the University of South Africa 

3

The five years post merger have produced some 

memorable highlights and remarkable achievements.


C H AIRPERSON OF 

C OUN C IL 

THE NATIONAL PLAN 

FOR HIGHER EDUCATION was released in 2001, when I 

was the Chairperson of the Council of the erstwhile Technikon 

Southern Africa. The merger with the old Unisa and the incorporation 

of Vudec filled me with a sense of excitement at the 

immense possibilities that the resultant mega institution would 

hold for our new democracy in terms of its ability to offer both 

academic and technikon-type programmes; its potential to 

provide access via its very extensive infrastructure, to many 

students who had previously been denied the opportunity of 

higher education by dint of their historical backgrounds and 

personal circumstances; and its potential to bring to South 

African and African higher education a new sense of our African 

heritage and identity. 

And so it was with anticipation and enthusiasm that I 

approached the merger and it was soon apparent to me that 

I was in good company. I was surrounded by an Interim 

Management and Council who were determined to make a 

success of the merger and to do so without any outside interference 

and in the best interest of the Institution and its staff 

and students. This may have caused some well publicised 

dissention, but once the hiccups had been resolved and the new 

Management and Council appointed in 2004, the hard work 

commenced in earnest. 

The five years post-merger have produced some memorable 

highlights and remarkable achievements. The official 

launch on 28 January 2008 was attended by more that 500 

guests and featured Prof Kadar Asmal, then Minister of Education, 

as the keynote speaker. Prof Barney Pityana and Prof Neo 

Mathabe also delivered addresses and articulated not only the 

promise of the new Unisa, but also the challenges that it would 

face across a broad spectrum of operational areas. The occasion 

was described as a ‘turning point’ in history and indeed, it has 

been the case. 

Probably one of the greatest achievements of the new 

Unisa has been the appointment and installation of an Executive 

Management and Council who over the years, have unanimously 

and with great conviction, supported, implemented and 

driven sound corporate governance in the Institution. In so 

doing they laid a platform for the successful roll out of all other 

institutional operations. This is a matter that is particularly close 

to my heart and it has been inspiring to see how over the past 

five years, successive newly appointed members of Executive 

Management and Council have immediately demonstrated 

those same levels of commitment to the kind of corporate 

governance that has become a Unisa hallmark, to the extent 

that our governance framework has been shared with other 

higher education institutions. 

Sound governance also paved the way for the negotiations 

with the Unisa Bargaining Forum that resulted in the new 

conditions of employment and the finalisation of the placement 

process. Given that these were matters that had a fundamentally 

‘human’ dimension it is understandable that the process 

was marked by contestation, dissent, insecurity and even 

heartache. But as South Africans who have spent the past 

15 years in a process of change, we need to acknowledge and 

accept the rather crude expression ‘no pain – no gain’. Today 

Unisa has Conditions of Employment that are on a par with 

other higher education institutions in South Africa and in line 

with the market place. What is more, the conditions of employments 

are being continually monitored and refined. Having 

concluded the Conditions of Employment, the Institution was 

finally able to move forward with purpose to the business at 

hand, namely teaching and learning, with 2007 and 2008 marking 

a sustained focus on Unisa’s academic and institutional identity. 

This focus is set to continue into the next five years. 

Another remarkable and more recent highlight has to be 

the new Registrations complex and process. In a sense this new 

building at the Sunnyside Campus is a symbol - not only of the 

commitment to ensuring a cutting edge learner support service 

via a state-of-the-art registrations process, but it also testifies 

to the kind of visionary leadership that has driven Unisa to its 

current status as one of the most successful mergers and one of 

the best managed higher education institutions today. 

I can think of so many more achievements over the years, 

but this publication will undoubtedly highlight those in a more 

eloquent manner. It is however entirely appropriate that I congratulate 

Unisa, not only on this commemorative publication 

but also on the stable and ethical institutional governance and 

the consequent institutional achievements that have made it 

possible. Well done Unisa! May the next five years prove to be 

equally splendid. 

Dr Mathews Phosa – Chairperson of the Council 

of the University of south Africa 

5


VICE-CHANCELLOR 

ON 10 M AY 1994, 

OUR NATION WATCHED with 

pride and anticipation as the new 

dawn in our history was heralded; 

and a commitment to a 

new democracy that would lead 

our country to a bright and prosperous 

future resonated with our 

dreams and aspirations. As South 

Africans of all hues and persuasions 

cheered the helicopters bearing South 

Africa’s new flag and gave Mr Nelson Mandela, the 

first democratically elected president of South 

Africa, a rapturous welcome, we had not yet quantified 

nor fully imagined the immense task of 

reconstruction and development that lay ahead. 

Today, almost 15 years later, we are a more 

sober-minded people. We are much more realistic 

about the arduous effort and sustained commitment 

that it will take to guide us to a more prosperous 

future. Without doubt, while those insights 

apply for most aspects of our democracy, it is 

especially apposite to higher education in South 

Africa. 

The National Plan for Higher Education 

(2001) set out an ambitious agenda for the 

restructuring of higher education in South Africa 

through a highly contested and quite fraught 

process of policy development. The first indelible 

imprint on the new higher education landscape 

was a series of mergers that would reduce the 

number of higher education institutions from 36 

to 23, the main aims being to ensure a more 

equitable distribution of higher education facilities 

and resources, create a greater critical mass of 

personnel and capacities, and to introduce a new 

institutional type - comprehensives. The six comprehensive 

institutions would offer both academic 

and vocational tertiary qualifications. On 1 January 

2004, the new University of South Africa was 

established as the single dedicated distance education 

and comprehensive institution in South Africa. 

These past five years have borne witness to 

quite a remarkable transition. Armed only with a 

set of guidelines and a determination and commitment 

to succeed, Unisa’s Executive Management 

have led this mega-institution through what is 

widely acknowledged as one of the most successful 

mergers in higher education. In 2009, five years 

on, the only enduring characteristic of the former 

Unisa is its historic edifice on the Tshwane landscape 

– and even that is undergoing a dramatic 

change. 

The year 2009 marks an important milestone 

in the development of Unisa and it is only fitting 

that we should pause, take stock, acknowledge 

and celebrate what has been accomplished. In the 

relentless tide of institutional change fostered from 

within the Institution and energised by developments 

from outside, it is all too easy to lose sight 

of the many and remarkable achievements that 

have marked our journey thus far, as we move 

inexorably to becoming a dynamic open distance 

learning institution. 

This publication is intended to be a celebration 

of the journey of a University which is committed 

to the vision: Towards the African university 

in the service of humanity. On one level it provides 

a fascinating insight into the complexities involved 

in the restructuring process, and on another it offers 

up evidence of the kind of perseverance that 

is required to drive that process. It is therefore at 

once a celebration of achievement, and a fitting 

testament to the spirit, vitality, persistence, and 

indefatigability of South Africans working together 

to transform higher education. 

Prof N Barney Pityana – Principal and 

Vice-Chancellor of the University of 

South Africa 

7

World-wide, education is regarded as a catalyst 

for economic growth and development, 

more so for those countries in the developing world. 

8

IN TRODUC TION 

AND B AC KGROUND 

IN 1994 SOUTH AFRICA’S 

FIRST DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS heralded an era 

of intense and far-reaching social, political and 

economic change. In moving from a system that 

had entrenched inequality with its deliberately discriminatory 

allocation of every type of resource, 

the new South Africa was faced with a huge task 

of transformation and redress. It was clear this 

would require enormous amounts of financial 

resources that had to be generated from an economy 

battered by years of isolation, sanctions, 

trade embargoes and other anti-apartheid 

measures. 

In spite of the many challenges, 15 years later, 

speaking about ‘the new South Africa’ has become 

a bit passé. Most have adopted an almost cavalier 

attitude to our post-1994 democracy, taking for 

granted the miraculously peaceful transition from 

an unravelling apartheid state, to a rights-based 

society with the abundant freedoms that we now 

enjoy. 

While we have taken to democracy like ducks 

to water and amidst the celebration of our freedoms 

and our personal pursuits, an air of takenfor-grantedness 

about the new political order still 

prevails. Such is this atmosphere that we may have 

lost sight of one of the key challenges of our country’s 

transition, that is, the need to redress past 

imbalances so as to ensure genuine equality and 

equal access to opportunity. 

World-wide, education is regarded as a catalyst 

for economic growth and development, more 

so for those countries in the developing world. 

A major impetus for the reconstruction and development 

of South Africa post-1994 was the 

National Plan for Higher Education (NPHE), released 

in February 2001, which gave effect to the 

vision for the transformation of the higher education 

system, as outlined in the Education White 

Paper 3: A Programme for the Transformation of 

Higher Education (DoE: July 1997). 

The NPHE (2001) set out five main goals, 

including the building of new institutional and 

organisational forms and new institutional identities 

and cultures as part of a national higher 

education system. Initially this meant a reduction 

in the number of higher education institutions 

from 36 to 23, to be achieved, amongst others, by 

the merger and incorporation of various institutions 

and by the creation of so-called ‘comprehensive’ 

institutions. 

The proposals of the NPHE (2001) included the 

establishment of a ‘single, dedicated distance 

education institution’. The stated benefits of establishing 

such a new institutional type were the 

following: 

• Developing a clear focus and strategy for the 

role of distance education in contributing to national 

and regional goals. 

• Developing a national network of centres of 

innovation, which would enable the development 

of courses and learning materials for use 

nationally, thus enhancing quality within the 

higher education system. 

• Developing a national network of learning 

centres, which would facilitate access and coordinate 

learner support systems. 

• Enhancing access and contributing to human resource 

development within the SADC region in 

particular, and the African continent as a whole. 

9

I N T R O D U C T I O N A N D B A C K G R O U N D 

• Enabling economies of scale and scope; in particular, 

ensuring that advantage is taken of the 

rapid changes in information and communications 

technology, which are expensive and 

where the additional investment is unlikely to 

be within the capacity of any one institution. 

The new Unisa came into being as a result of the 

merger between the former University of South 

Africa and Technikon Southern Africa on 1 January 

2004 and the incorporation of the Vista University 

Distance Education Campus (Vudec) on 2 January 

2004. Unisa also became the legal successor of 

the former Vista Universiy. 

In order to ensure the success of the merger, 

and cognisant of the imperative to create a new 

institutional culture and ethos at the very beginning 

of the merger process, the participating institutions 

signed a series of agreements prior to the 

formal merger. The Memorandum of Understanding 

committed the institutions to a common vision 

and mission towards the merger and to a planning 

process founded on integrity and equality. On 27 

August 2003, the Chairpersons of Councils signed 

the Memorandum of Agreement and Joint Declaration 

which again set out key decision-making 

processes. The Joint Declaration (2003) also 

affirmed the following: 

‘We are committed to the development of a 

truly dedicated open and distance learning institution 

with the following goals: 

• The pursuit of equality and excellence in leadership, 

in teaching and scholarship, administration 

and service. 

• Effectively aligning and integrating existing 

capacity to develop and optimise the appropriate 

content and form of a comprehensive 

institution and to enhance its capacity. 

• Constructively and creatively contributing to the 

ongoing development of the public higher 

education system. 

• The development of institutional and social 

leadership that is characterised by inclusiveness, 

transparency, fairness, decisiveness, and the 

best traditions of scholarship. 

• Facilitating effective access and articulation 

opportunities within the institution. 

• Ensuring the stability and confidence of current 

and prospective students, staff and other stakeholders 

during the unfolding of the merger 

process into the new institution.’ 

The first task of the Interim Council appointed 

by the Minister of Education (and which assumed 

office on 1 January 2004), was to appoint a 

Management team for the new institution. The 

guiding principles were to ensure continuity, be as 

inclusive as possible, ensure buy-in by all stakeholders, 

but at the same time signal change. 

Accordingly, Management was structured in a 

creative but inclusive manner. 

New emphases were highlighted: a Pro Vice- 

Chancellor; a Vice Principal: Learner Support to 

concentrate on systems and processes necessary 

to ensure reasonable success by our students, and 

to coordinate our network of regional learning 

centres; a Vice Principal: Student and Alumni 

Affairs to build our alumni base (long neglected 

in the previous institutions); and the Registrar: 

Governance dedicated to steer the integration and 

alignment of systems, policies and processes 

necessary to establish the governance framework 

for the new institution. 

The new arrangement did however create a 

large Management team and a gender imbalanced 

10

I N T R O D U C T I O N A N D B A C K G R O U N D 

one at that. Finally, Interim Council resolved that 

all merger processes should be completed within 

three years, at which time the structures would be 

reviewed. It is gratifying to note that the ensuing 

years have seen a clear shift in gender representation, 

especially at top management level, resulting 

in an institution that is significantly different both 

in terms of its structure and its operations to that 

which came into being back in 2004. 

The new Management immediately set about 

drawing up operational plans and setting priorities 

for the first phase of the merger. This process led 

to the adoption of a new vision and mission statement, 

and strategic plan, Unisa 2015: An agenda 

for transformation, by the new substantive Council 

on 23 July 2004. The vision states: ‘Towards the 

African University in service of humanity’. The 

mission statement is unusually elaborate as it 

attempts to capture the complexity and diversity 

of the University, while setting out a detailed 

agenda for the next ten years. 

The values are stated in a trenchant manner: 

integrity, social justice and excellence. This is followed 

by a set of strategic goals. The year 2005 

was largely devoted to galvanizing the university 

community towards participating in the strategic 

planning process, and this, together with the 

highly successful branding exercise, contributed in 

large measure to the inculcation of a new institutional 

identity that is becoming more distinct with 

each passing year. 

The year 2005 saw the establishment of the 

office of Vice Principal: Strategy Planning and Partnerships, 

to spearhead the development of Unisa’s 

planning, management information and quality 

assurance capacities. From fledgling beginnings, 

our planning methodology and regimen has developed 

to leading edge sophistication, with the 

implementation of a three-year planning system in 

2008. This has provided the foundation and space 

for properly funded and managed strategic 

projects, as well as a concerted focus on Unisa’s 

academic identity within the framework of its 

evolution towards a truly African institution. 

Several notable milestones were achieved in 

2007 and 2008 as academia began interrogating 

what it means to be a truly African institution in 

terms of its curriculum content, programme and 

qualification mix, its methods of assessment, the 

kinds of research it will engage in, the broad 

spectrum of its learner support, the definition of a 

‘Unisa graduate’ and the professional advancement 

of its academic staff, amongst others. This process 

is being pursued with increased vigour in 2009. 

Institutional mergers are notoriously difficult 

and unpredictable. Clearly mergers do not succeed 

just because they have been promulgated. They 

require committed, visionary leadership, and a 

coalition of willing forces who see in the merger 

exciting opportunities for their Institution. The 

University of South Africa has been blessed with 

both. We take immense pride in what has been 

achieved thus far, and we look forward to growing 

Unisa into the kind of institution that will take 

pride of place in South Africa’s higher education 

landscape. 

11

T H E S P A R K S – these graphic elements in 

Unisa’s crest present Unisa as an environment 

of creation and upliftment.

AWAKENIN G THE GI AN T: 

FROM MERGER TO A VISION AND 

STR ATEGY FOR THE F U TURE 

INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY, 

VISION AND STRATEGY 

The new democracy ushered in during 1994 heralded 

the far-reaching reconstruction and development 

of South Africa. Higher education 

featured prominently in these efforts at national 

level. The Higher Education Act, (No. 101 of 

1997), set out the responsibilities for higher education 

as follows: 

• To meet the lifelong learning needs and aspirations 

of individuals through the development of 

their intellectual abilities and aptitudes. 

• To address the development needs of society 

and place the labour market in a knowledgedriven 

and knowledge-dependent society, with 

the ever-changing high-level competencies 

and expertise necessary for the growth and 

prosperity of a modern economy. 

• To contribute to the socialisation of enlightened, 

responsible and constructively critical citizens. 

• To contribute to the creation, sharing and evaluation 

of knowledge. 

In effect, the Higher Education Act (1997) sounded 

a call for greater collaboration and dialogue with 

the state on higher education development. This 

marked a turning point not only in the nature of 

higher education provision, but also in the relationship 

between higher education institutions 

(HEIs) and the state. This clearly posed, and continues 

to pose, the challenge of balancing institutional 

autonomy with appropriate accountability. 

At the grassroots level, a pervasive perception is 

one of increasing managerialism as management 

and steerage at the institutional level have become 

more goal-directed, mission driven, and responsive 

to national policy imperatives. University management 

has to contend regularly with sharp 

criticism of managerialist approaches as managerialism 

has become a pejorative term in the higher 

education lexicon. 

With the release of the National Plan for 

Higher Education (NPHE) in 2001, the University 

of South Africa was established as the single 

dedicated distance and comprehensive education 

institution in South Africa. As the merger process 

unfolded, Unisa began evolving within the context 

of the socio-economic transformation of South 

Africa as a developmental state, but also in line 

with its vision to be ‘the African University in the 

service of humanity’. 

Most exciting and energising, from both an 

intellectual and educational perspective, are the 

challenges posed by the transformation of higher 

education in South Africa in terms of the changed 

policy and regulatory environment, which introduced 

an unprecedented level of complexity into 

higher education management. Exacerbating 

these have been the exponentially increasing 

student numbers. As the policy to increase access 

and widen participation began to impact on the 

student demographic profile, resource limitations 

added to the strain. 

13

A W A K E N I N G T H E G I A N T : F R O M M E R G E R T O A V I S I O N A N D S T R A T E G Y F O R T H E F U T U R E 

Given Unisa’s capacity, resources and reach, 

its role on the Continent and internationally 

has gained tremendous prominence. 

Our Programme and Qualification Mix (PQM) 

(its content and structure, market-relatedness, 

currency, quality, etc.), our assessment practices, 

learner-support systems, administrative structures 

and systems capacity, research foci, human resource 

capacity, service delivery, and poor success 

and throughput rates all came under renewed 

scrutiny evaluating their consonance with the new 

policy and regulatory environment, and with Unisa 

2015: An agenda for transformation. It is within this 

framework that Unisa is called upon to be a relevant 

and responsive African university whose 

offerings should be of world-class quality even as 

they reflect an articulate and sound scholarly 

character, grounded in an African perspective. 

Given Unisa’s capacity, resources and reach, 

its role on the Continent and internationally has 

gained tremendous prominence. Fuelling this in 

part has been the number of new strategic partnership 

and collaboration agreements concluded 

by the University. During this time Unisa has 

gained recognition by the South African government 

and higher education providers in Africa as 

an institution whose capacities could and should 

be used to a far greater effect in the service of 

social upliftment and development, as well as a partner 

in past conflict resolution and NEPAD projects. 

Unisa’s adoption of an open distance learning 

delivery model supported by its stated vision, has 

enhanced its attractiveness and standing in this 

regard. This, however, poses the challenge of 

ensuring a sound balance between expansion on 

the Continent and ensuring quality, relevant, effective, 

and efficient higher education provision in 

South Africa. 

In the immediate post-restructuring period, 

Unisa engaged actively in a sustained and dynamic 

process of strategising, planning and mapping out 

its future against the backdrop of considerable flux 

in the higher education system. As the new higher 

education landscape settled, Unisa sought to 

establish itself as a leading provider of world-class 

higher education opportunities through ODL – 

nationally, on the African continent, and internationally. 

Unisa is unique in the sense that it is 

the single dedicated distance education institution, 

and justly claims to be the only truly national 

university. Its size, and the aggregated resources 

and capacities at its disposal, place it in a position 

to make a vital contribution to development in 

Southern Africa. As such, it is ideally placed to play 

a leading role in increasing access to higher education 

for marginalized communities. Its geographical 

reach enables it to support high-level capacity 

development beyond the borders of South Africa, 

especially on the Continent. 

There have been notable changes in higher 

education in recent years and significant challenges 

of transformation continue to confront us at institutional 

and systemic levels. Stark inequalities and 

stratification in our society remain features of economic 

and social life. Unisa sees it as central to its 

mission to influence change in society for the 

betterment of all. This quest is driven by the conviction 

that the legitimate aspirations and reasonable 

expectations of our citizens to enjoy the fruits 

of democracy and a free society should be fulfilled. 

Even while we continue to confront the challenges 

of development at home, in a knowledge-driven 

world economy, appropriate human resource 

development and appropriate skills training, linked 

to technological improvement and innovation, 

remain key national development goals. Unisa’s 

mission is aligned with national development 

imperatives, including the advancement of the 

African Renaissance and NEPAD. 

The central premise underpinning the development 

of Unisa’s identity, vision and strategy was 

14


that these are best advanced by a clearly defined 

institutional purpose in a bold and well articulated 

role in society, an incisive understanding of the 

changing environment we operate in, and a clear 

alignment between our main goals and strategies. 

Unesco statistics indicate that in 2004, when 

Unisa began its post-merger alignment and consolidation, 

there were an estimated 132 million 

students engaged in higher education worldwide. 

Growth in enrolments rose by an estimated 7% 

per annum from 1999 to 2004 (from 92 to 132 

million). Over one-half of the world’s tertiary students 

are found in two regions: East Asia and the 

Pacific, and North America and Western Europe. 

However, East Asia and the Pacific are exhibiting 

the most prolific growth. Conversely, only 5% of 

that number is enrolled in sub-Saharan Africa. 

The start of the 21st century marked a dramatic 

rise in the global number of mobile students; 

a staggering increase of 41% since 1999. Clearly, 

the demand for higher education is growing at an 

unprecedented rate and as it does so, students are 

becoming increasingly selective about their institutional 

choices. This means that the brand value 

and uniqueness of character of higher education 

institutions will play a more significant role. Unisa 

has been mindful of this imperative throughout its 

strategic planning. 

Against this backdrop, fundamental to Unisa’s 

success has been the Institution’s comprehensive 

strategic plan entitled Unisa 2015: An agenda for 

transformation which is widely regarded as one of 

the best strategic plans in higher education, and 

forms the foundation of the University’s future. 

The 2015 Strategic Plan is complemented by an 

annual Institutional Operational Plan (IOP) which 

sets out the objectives that the Institution must accomplish 

each year in the planning cycle, to 

achieve the overall institutional objectives. This is 

supported by sound financial management, which 

has ensured that Unisa remains financially stable 

and viable. Unisa has regularly published audited 

accounts. It has become standard practice at the 

University to present the annual financial statements 

and budget as approved by Council to the 

University community for information and deliberation. 

At the end of 2007 Unisa instituted a threeyear 

operational planning framework to enable 

alignment with budgetary processes of the Institution 

and the Department of Education (DoE), 

and to facilitate more complex and ambitions projects 

with multiple-year horizons. 

The planning and implementation processes 

reached a high point at the end of 2007, when 

management felt sufficiently confident that a sound 

framework had been laid that would facilitate and 

support a change in focus to Unisa’s institutional 

and academic identity. This change of focus is 

evident in Unisa’s IOP 2008-10 and the next 

iteration of the IOP, 2009-2010, as enumerated 

in the themes, objectives and related actions. 

All of the activities performed at the University 

of South Africa are done so mindful of its 

vision to be ‘the African university in the service of 

humanity’. This vision was carefully crafted to 

reflect a deliberate orientation. ‘Towards’ indicates 

that Unisa’s vision sets the University on a developmental 

journey, and signifies dynamism, inquisitiveness, 

a sense of adventure, and boldness. 

It also points to clarity of purpose and a sense of 

destiny. Moreover, the vision statement is emphatically 

not about taking over or colonising Africa, 

but rather about being part of Africa. The statement 

is also founded on the premise that South 

Africa is not simply part, but fully African. As such, 

Unisa seeks to be completely African in this sense. 

The emphatic ‘the’ in the vision statement refers 

to the excellence that the University will continually 

strive for. The vision statement reflects our 

aspirations as a university. 

Fundamental to Unisa’s success has been the 

Institution’s comprehensive strategic plan entitled 

Unisa 2015: An agenda for transformation 

15


`Service of humanity’ underscores the traditional 

ideals of the University to promote universality, 

to produce and disseminate knowledge, 

promote culture, and serve causes which advance 

society and humanity. From the perspective of an 

African university, it means that the University is 

one located and rooted in the African context, developing 

knowledge, skills, attitudes and values 

necessary for the development of the Continent. 

Critical scholarship from an African perspective 

becomes an authentic part of the global 

knowledge enterprise. The intention is that African 

knowledge and knowledge systems should be 

developed in their own right and that they should 

mitigate the dominance of western canons. 

Through such scholarship, Unisa intends to contribute 

to a multiplicity of voices, alternative 

canons, and diversity in thought. 

Unisa espouses the values in the Constitution 

of the Republic of South Africa: human dignity, the 

achievement of equality, and social justice. We also 

affirm the historic principle of academic freedom. 

We seek to weave these into the fabric of our 

institutional life and culture. 

In a nutshell, the University of South Africa is 

a comprehensive, open distance learning institution, 

which, in response to the diverse needs of 

society: 

• Provides quality general academic and careerfocused 

learning opportunities underpinned by 

principles of lifelong learning, flexibility, and 

student-centredness. 

• Undertakes research and knowledge development 

guided by integrity, quality and rigour. 

• Participates in community development by 

utilizing its resources and capacities for the 

upliftment of the disadvantaged. 

• Is accessible to all students, specifically those on 

the African continent, and the marginalized, by 

way of a barrier-free environment, while 

responding to the needs of the global market. 

• Addresses the needs of a diverse student profile 

by offering relevant student support, facilitated 

by appropriate information and communications 

technology. 

• Develops and retains high quality capacities 

among its staff members to achieve human 

development, by using the resources at its 

disposal efficiently and effectively. 

Unisa is committed to 

playing its role in the 

growth and development 

of our country and 

Continent through its 

own properly managed 

transition and development 

into a world-class 

higher education 

institution. 

• Cultivates and promotes an institutional ethos, 

intellectual culture and educational experiences 

that are conducive to critical discourse, intellectual 

curiosity, tolerance, and a diversity of views. 

• Contributes to good and responsible society by 

graduating individuals of sound character and 

versatile ability. 

• Meets the needs of the global competitive 

society by nurturing collaborative relationships 

with its stakeholders and other partners. 

Given that more than one-third of all publically 

funded South African students are enrolled at 

Unisa, the Institution clearly has a fundamental 

role to play in higher education nationally, and to 

a lesser extent, continentally and globally. Logically, 

its success, or failure, will impact similarly on 

the higher education sector as a whole. Unisa is 

committed to playing its role in the growth and 

development of our country and Continent 

through its own properly managed transition and 

development into a world-class higher education 

institution. Very sound foundations have been laid 

and many achievements realised. 

16


INSTITUTIONAL PROFILE 

The 2004 merger between the old Unisa, Technikon 

South Africa and Vudec created a single, vast 

new comprehensive distance education institution 

– the largest in Africa and among the top 15 

largest in the world. Since then, the size and shape 

of the newly merged institution has, in most key 

aspects, changed dramatically. 

FIGURE 1: HEADCOUNT ENROLMENTS, 2004-8 

300 000 

250 000 

200 000 

150 000 

100 000 

50 000 

0 

2007 2008 2010 

2004 2005 2006 (Active (Prelim Ministonly) 

active) erial 

HC 205 811 207 931 227 539 239 581 261 273 258 023 

Annual Growth 2 120 10 608 12 042 21 692 

Annual % Growth 1.0% 0.4% 5.3% 9.1% 

5-Year Growth 55, 462 

5-Year % Growth 26.9% 

Source: HEMIS 

The most dramatic change over the five-year period 

has been the rapid growth in headcount enrolments. 

Since 2004, these have grown by 

55,462 from 205,811 to an estimated 261,673 in 

2008 – a staggering 26,9% growth. Between 

2007 and 2008 alone, enrolments grew by an estimated 

21,692 (9,1%). The preliminary 2008 

headcount exceeds the 2010 ministerial enrolment 

target – a matter currently under discussion 

with the Ministry. Unisa accounts for over 30% of 

total headcounts in South Africa and thus has a key 

role to play in providing affordable, widely accessible 

access to a wide range of higher education 

programmes. 

FIGURE 2: HEADCOUNT ENROLMENTS BY COLLEGE, 2004-8 

140 000 

120 000 

100 000 

80 000 

60 000 

40 000 

20 000 

0 

CAES CEMS CHS CLAW CSET Occasional 

■ 2004 1,871 97,092 52,927 28,486 16,055 9,756 

■ 2005 2,146 100,432 52,770 26,270 16,189 10,124 

■ 2006 2,621 111,891 56,961 26,675 15,098 14,293 

■ 2007 3,404 119,805 56,458 27,002 15,895 17,017 

■ 2008 (Prelim) 4,067 128,754 68,955 25,472 17,080 16,945 

% Total 1.6% 49.3% 26.4% 9.7% 6.5% 6.5% 

5-Year % Growth 117.4% 32.6% 30.3% -10.6% 6.4% 73.7% 

Source: HEMIS 

Student enrolments grew in all Colleges except 

Law, and especially in Agriculture and Environmental 

Sciences (117,4%) and in Human 

Sciences between 2007-8. By far the largest College 

is Economic and Management Sciences 

(49,3% of the total), followed by Human Sciences 

(26,4%). The number and proportion of occasional 

students grew steadily until 2007 to around 

6,5% of the total, indicating that Unisa is providing 

important opportunities for formative study as 

well as for students completing at other institutions. 

17


FIGURE 3: HEADCOUNT ENROLMENTS BY RACE, 2004-8 

Unisa's race group profile has shifted markedly over 

the five-year period. The proportion of African 

students rose from 55,3% in 2004 to 64% in 2008, 

as their number increased by almost 50% from 

113,877 to an estimated 167,128. Correspondingly, 

the number and proportion of white students 

declined from 28,5% to 21,5%. The proportions of 

Indian and Coloured students showed minor variations. 

Unisa's student population is clearly increasingly 

representative of national demographics. 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

(Prelim) 

■ White 28.5% 27.5% 26.0% 23.6% 21.5% 

■ Indian 9.9% 10.1% 9.9% 9.3% 8.7% 

■ Coloured 6.2% 6.0% 6.2% 6.0% 5.8% 

■ African 55.3% 56.3% 57.8% 61.1% 64.0% 

Source: HEMIS 

FIGURE 4: HEADCOUNT ENROLMENTS BY GENDER, 2004-8 

Figure 4 shows that female students constituted an 

increasing proportion of the total, rising from 53,9% 

in 2004 to 58,5% in 2008. Along with the distribution 

by race groups, this shows a highly diverse student 

population. 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

(Prelim) 

■ Male 46.1% 45.0% 43.4% 42.9% 41.5% 

■ Female 53.9% 55.0% 56.6% 57.1% 58.5% 

Source: HEMIS 

FIGURE 5: UNDERGRADUATE, POSTGRADUATE & 

NON-DEGREE PURPOSE HEADCOUNTS, 2004-8 

Postgraduate students constituted over 10% of the 

total consistently over the period. The proportion of 

undergraduates dropped slightly in relation to the 

rising proportion of occasional students. 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

(Prelim) 

■ PG 10.75% 10.76% 10.49% 9.87% 10.14% 

■ UG 84.53% 84.37% 83.22% 83.02% 83.37% 

■ NDP 4.72% 4.87% 6.28% 7.10% 6.49% 

Source: HEMIS 

18


16 000 

14 000 

12 000 

10 000 

8 000 

6 000 

4 000 

2 000 

FIGURE 6: UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE 

GRADUATES 

Between 2004 and 2007 (2008 figures not yet 

available), Unisa has produced around 57,000 

graduates – over 40,000 undergraduates and 

around 17,000 postgraduates. This represents a 

major contribution to the nation's human resource 

development and labour market. 

0 

2004 2005 2006 2007 

■ PG Total 10.75% 10.76% 10.49% 9.87% 

■ UG Total 84.53% 84.37% 83.22% 83.02% 

Source: HEMIS 

TABLE 1: PERMANENT STAFF BY PERSONNEL CATEGORY, 2004-8 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 5-Year 

(Prelim) % 

Change 

N % N % N % N % N % 

Exec/Man 148 3,5% 166 4,0% 136 3,3% 164 4,0% 183 3,9% 23,6% 

Instruct/Res 1 330 31,1% 1 308 31,3% 1 319 32,1% 1 335 32,8% 1 509 32,3% 13,5% 

Spec Support 907 21,2% 713 17,0% 735 17,9% 659 16,2% 710 15,2% -21,7% 

Technical 87 2,0% 152 3,6% 144 3,5% 151 3,7% 134 2,9% 54,0% 

Non-Prof Admin 1 418 33,2% 1 420 33,9% 1 367 33,3% 1 357 33,4% 1 759 37,7% 24,0% 

Crafts/Trades 142 3,3% 194 4,6% 183 4,5% 230 5,7% 230 4,9% 62,0% 

Service 245 5,7% 232 5,5% 223 5,4% 168 4,1% 140 3,0% -42,9% 

Grand Total 4 277 100,0% 4 185 100,0% 4 107 100,0% 4 064 100,0% 4 665 100,0% 9,1% 

Source: HEMIS 

Unisa’s permanent full-time and part-time staff 

profile has also changed – but less dramatically. 

Overall, the workforce grew by 9,1%, with high 

growth in the Crafts/Trades and Technical categories. 

The Specialist Support and especially the 

Services categories declined sharply, the latter as a 

result of outsourcing. Between 2007 and 2008, a 

noticeable increase in Instructional/Research and 

Non-Professional Administrative Staff was evident 

– reflecting the need for greater human resource 

capacity in the light of recent student growth. 

Enhancing employment and gender equity constitutes 

one of the key strategic challenges facing 

Unisa over the past five years. The deeply rooted 

unequal racially-based division of labour inherited 

from apartheid is clearly reflected in Unisa's occupational 

structure. However, as is evident in the 

following figures and analysis, while achieving the 

goal of employment equity remains a formidable 

challenge, definite progress has been made in this 

regard since the merger. This reflects the positive 

results of recent more urgent attention to employment 

equity imperatives. 

19


FIGURE 7: PERMANENT PROFESSIONAL & NON-PROFESSIONAL STAFF BY RACE, 2004-8 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Professional 

Non-Professional 

■ White 71.2% 70.1% 69.2% 66.0% 60.2% 36.7% 39.7% 38.5% 38.2% 34.2% 

■ Indian 3.6% 3.6% 3.3% 3.2% 3.7% 2.3% 2.4% 2.5% 2.6% 2.6% 

■ Coloured 2.8% 2.8% 2.9% 3.1% 2.8% 7.4% 6.7% 6.7% 6.4% 6.6% 

■ African 22.4% 23.5% 24.6% 27.7% 33.4% 53.6% 51.2% 52.2% 52.7% 56.5% 

Figure 7 shows in 2004, African staff constituted 

under a quarter (22,4%) of professional 

staff and over half (53,6%) of nonprofessional 

staff. Correspondingly, white 

staff dominated the professional category 

(71,2%) and formed only 56,7% of nonprofessional 

staff. However, between 2004 

and 2008, the proportion of African professional 

staff increased steadily, with a particularly 

sharp rise between 2007 and 2008 

from 27,7% to 33,4%, with corresponding 

declines in the proportions of white staff. 

Source: HEMIS 

FIGURE 8: EXECUTIVE/ADMINISTRATIVE/MANAGEMENT & INSTRUCTIONAL/RESEARCH STAFF BY RACE, 2004-8 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Executive/Admin/Management 

Instructional/Research 

■ White 65.5% 64.5% 72.8% 68.3% 62.7% 73.6% 73.5% 72.8% 70.1% 64.8% 

■ Indian 4.1% 3.6% 0.7% 2.4% 3.7% 3.8% 3.7% 3.6% 3.5% 4.0% 

■ Coloured 6.1% 4.8% 3.7% 2.4% 2.5% 2.2% 2.5% 2.5% 2.6% 2.3% 

■ African 24.3% 27.1% 22.8% 26.8% 31.1% 20.4% 20.3% 21.1% 23.7% 28.8% 

Source: HEMIS 

Inherited racial inequalities are also clearly 

evident in the two key categories of Executive/administrative/management 

professionals 

(the HEMIS category of Executive/Administrative/Management 

Professionals 

is broader and therefore larger 

than the grouping of Executive Management 

(post grades 1-3) usually utilised in the 

Unisa context) and instructional/research 

(academic) professionals. Here too, however, 

increases in the proportion of African 

staff between 2004 and 2008 (from 24,3% 

to 31,1% and from 20,4% to 28,8% respectively) 

represent positive shifts towards 

employment equity. 

FIGURE 9: SENIOR INSTRUCTIONAL/RESEARCH STAFF BY RACE, 2004-8 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Professor Associate Professor Senior Lecturer 

■ White 89.7% 90.6% 88.9% 88.7% 88.6% 84.9% 80.7% 81.5% 76.3% 71.4% 79.0% 77.6% 77.6% 74.8% 69.2% 

■ Indian 2.3% 2.1% 1.6% 0.8% 0.8% 1.2% 1.0% 2.3% 3.3% 3.2% 3.9% 3.9% 3.8% 3.7% 4.5% 

■ Coloured 0.9% 0.4% 0.4% 0.4% 0.8% 2.4% 3.1% 2.8% 3.3% 3.2% 1.6% 1.7% 1.6% 2.1% 1.9% 

■ African 7.0% 6.8% 9.1% 10.1% 9.7% 11.4% 15.1% 13.4% 17.1% 22.2% 15.50% 16.7% 16.9% 19.3% 24.4% 

Source: HEMIS 

Disaggregating academic staff by 

rank shows similar patterns. 

While white staff overwhelmingly 

dominated the highest three 

ranks, increases in the proportion 

of Africans were evident between 

2004 and 2008. Figure 9 indicates 

that, encouragingly, over 

the period the proportion of 

African professors rose from 

7,0% to 9,7%, African associate 

professors rose from 11,4% to 

22,2% and African senior lecturers 

rose from 15,5% to 24,4%. 

20


FIGURE 10: PERMANENT PROFESSIONAL & NON-PROFESSIONAL STAFF BY GENDER, 2004-8 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Professional 

Non-Professional 

■ Male 47.2% 48.0% 46.7% 46.4% 46.9% 45.6% 43.8% 44.2% 44.4% 44.2% 

■ Female 52.8% 52.0% 53.3% 53.6% 53.1% 54.4% 56.2% 55.8% 55.6% 55.8% 

The gender distribution of Unisa staff 

has remained quite static over the fiveyear 

period. Females represented a 

greater and slightly increasing majority 

of both professional and especially nonprofessional 

permanent staff. However, 

when these figures are disaggregated, 

males still tend to dominate in the 

higher post grades across all personnel 

categories. 

Source: HEMIS 

FIGURE 11: EXEC/ADMIN/MANAGEMENT & INSTRUCTIONAL/RESEARCH STAFF BY GENDER, 2004-8 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Executive/Admin/Management 

Instructional/Research 

■ Male 71.6% 73.5% 69.1% 64.0% 62.7% 68.1% 48.8% 47.9% 47.6% 48.4% 

■ Female 28.4% 26.5% 30.9% 36.0% 37.3% 31.9% 51.2% 52.1% 52.4% 51.6% 

Source: HEMIS 

In the Executive/Administrative/Management 

category, women were clearly 

in the minority. Nonetheless, their proportion 

increased from 28,4% to 

37,3% between 2004 and 2008. 

Among academic (Instructional/Research) 

staff, women represented a 

steady 51% to 52% of the total over 

the five-year period. However, once 

again, disaggregating this category further 

reveals similar patterns of deeply 

rooted inequalities but encouraging 

shifts towards greater gender equity. 

FIGURE 12: SENIOR INSTRUCTIONAL/RESEARCH STAFF BY GENDER, 2004-8 

100% 

80% 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Professor Associate Professor Senior Lecturer 

■ Male 71.5% 71.5% 71.6% 68.9% 66.7% 60.8% 54.7% 50.5% 53.6% 58.2% 47.3% 46.3% 45.2% 45.2% 43.4% 

■ Female 28.5% 28.2% 28.4% 31.1% 33.3% 39.2% 45.3% 49.5% 46.4% 41.8% 52.7% 53.7% 54.8% 54.8% 56.6% 

Source: HEMIS 

As is evident in Figure 12, white males 

dominated at the professor and associate 

professor levels, the proportion of 

women professors rose from 28,5% to 

33,3% over the period and that of associate 

professors from 39,2% to a high 

of 46,4% in 2007 (with a subsequent 

drop to 41,8% in 2008). Women were 

in the majority at the senior lecturer 

level, increasing their proportion from 

52,7% to 56,6% between 2004 and 

2008. 

As indicated, while the goal of employment 

equity remains elusive, definite 

progress has been made in this 

regard over the past five years. 

21

T H E F L A M E S are Unisa’s unique differentiation 

as a flexible and accessible environment affording learners 

the freedom to pursue their dreams.

M A PPING THE PATHWAY: 

GALVANIZ IN G G OVERNAN CE 

AND M ANAGE MEN T 

C APACITIES FOR THE 

JOURNEY OF CHAN GE 

GOVERNANCE AND COUNCIL 

LAYING THE FOUNDATION for the good 

governance of the new Unisa began in earnest 

with the announcement of the Interim Council on 

14 November 2003. By 5 January 2004 the Interim 

Council had assumed office and was positioned 

to meet and approve the institutional 

structure, all senior management appointments, 

and the operational roles, functions and responsibilities 

of the established portfolios. The approval 

of the senior management posts, and the finalisation 

of the composition of the full University Council 

were done in accordance with the requirements 

of the Higher Education Act 1997 (Act no.101 of 

1997) and the Standard Institutional Statute. 

The inaugural meeting of the substantive 

Council took place on 1 July 2004 when Dr Mathews 

Phosa was elected Chairperson of the Council. 

At this meeting, the Council also approved a subcommittee 

structure to fulfil its various governance 

obligations. The Registrar’s Office was expected to 

assist with the establishment of the new Council, 

Senate, Institutional Forum and all other governance 

structures required by law; as well as to develop 

the new Institutional Statute for submission 

to the Minister of Education. Accordingly it was 

agreed that the newly merged institution should 

have two registrars: one to take responsibility for 

academic administration and the other to handle 

and finalise the issues of institutional governance. 

The first two years marked a period of intense 

Council activity. In July 2004 the new Council held 

a workshop at Mabalingwe where it approved the 

vision, mission and ten strategic objectives of the 

University. The Mabalingwe workshop also interrogated 

a Code of Conduct for Council that would 

prescribe attributes, ethical standards and dedication 

expected of its members. The document was 

unanimously approved and came into effect at the 

Council meeting of 23 July 2004. 

The Council was aware of the impediments 

involved in bringing together staff and policies 

from three different institutions and committed 

itself to promoting the smooth and painless transition 

from the old to the new. Thus, 2004 marked 

a very successful campaign to brand the new 

institution, give expression to its new identity and 

foster an equal sense of identity and belonging 

among all staff and students. The Management of 

the new Unisa was also insistent that equal recognition 

be given to the alumni from the respective 

merger partners, and by the end of 2004, the lists 

of alumni members from each of the institutions 

had been effectively consolidated to enable the 

establishment of the Unisa Convocation by 

December 2004. 

Following the approval of the vision, mission, 

and objectives statement, work began in earnest 

to give content to these in the form of a detailed 

strategic plan. The iterative process of analysis, 

consultation, distillation and conceptualisation 

began in the last quarter of 2004 and proceeded 

through most of 2005 under the stewardship of 

the Vice Principal: Strategy, Planning and Partnerships. 

The result was Unisa’s highly acclaimed 

strategic plan, Unisa 2015: An agenda for transformation. 

Amongst others, the plan emphasises the 

23

M A P P I N G T H E P A T H W A Y : G A L V A N I Z I N G G O V E R N A N C E A N D M A N A G E M E N T F O R T H E J O U R N E Y O F C H A N G E 

synergy between the institutional direction and the 

values of the Constitution, specifically the imperatives 

of equity and transformation. It also flowed 

from a rigorous SWOT analysis of the University 

and multiple commissioned research initiative so 

that the intelligence which informed the planning 

process was incontrovertible. After going through 

several drafts and interrogation through stakeholder 

and management fora, the final strategic 

plan was approved by Council in November 2005. 

Very necessary to institutional governance 

was the need to finalise the Institutional Statute. 

This challenge was boldly accepted. The first iteration 

of the Statute was gazetted by the Minister 

of Education early in 2005. The amendment to the 

Statute, which gives effect to the improvements 

and changing operational dynamics of the Institution, 

was gazetted in 2008. The final piece of the 

basic governance framework for Unisa was completed 

in 2006 with the approval of the Handbook 

on Good Corporate Governance, which remains in 

the public domain and is available on the University’s 

corporate website. 

After the retirement of the Registrar: Governance 

in 2006, and with the foundations of governance 

having been properly cast, the University 

was satisfied that the two Offices of the Registrars 

(Governance and Academic) could be merged into 

a single Office of University Registrar. 

The commitment to ensuring governance 

that is characterised by accountability and transparency 

resulted in Council approving the implementation 

of annual performance review, which 

took place for the first time in 2007. Council also 

focused on its own knowledge empowerment to 

ensure that it is congruent with the developments 

in the Institution and the higher education sector. 

Since 2007, an annual induction workshop has 

been hosted for new members appointed to the 

Council with presentations on matters of governance 

and strategic relevance to the performance 

of the Council. 

In accordance with the principles entrenched 

in the King II Report, the Council maintains a 

balanced engagement with the Institution on all 

matters of strategic relevance, whilst ensuring that 

it does not descend into the management arena. 

The distinction between strategy and operations 

has been steadfastly maintained, thus ensuring 

a Council that adds immense value through its 

inherent expertise, and stability through its commitment 

and adherence to sound corporate 

governance. 

Chairperson of 

the first Council 

of Unisa, 

Dr Mathews Phosa 

24


MANAGEMENT AND 

STRUCTURES 

THE ADVENT OF THE NEW UNISA occasioned 

the establishment of a new management and 

institutional structure, in line with the provisions 

of the Standard Institutional Statute but with due 

cognisance of the new comprehensive institutional 

type, and the management structures of the three 

former institutions. 

In the interests of the best possible transition 

to effective and efficient management and governance, 

a management structure was approved 

that included a fair representation of the three former 

institutions but that was flexible enough to 

accommodate changes as the transformation 

process unfolded. This proved to be a sensible and 

fortuitous decision that has seen the initially large 

and rather complex management structure evolve 

to a leaner, more efficient structure that serves the 

Institution’s needs far more effectively. The refinement 

of the management structure is ongoing, 

and will undoubtedly be honed further in future, in 

line with Institutional needs and efficiency, and 

emerging strategic management priorities. 

On 5 January 2004, Prof Barney Pityana was 

appointed the first Principal and Vice-Chancellor 

of the new University of South Africa, and accordingly, 

Chief Executive and Accounting Officer of 

the University. His duties and powers involve 

performing all statutory duties as required by 

legislation, as well as the day-to-day management, 

administration and leadership of the Institution. 

These duties also entailed overall institutional 

leadership, policy development in respect of, for 

instance, resource management, performance 

management, strategic planning and development, 

and change and transformation management. 

The Principal and Vice-Chancellor reports to 

Council, and he is a member of all committees of 

Council and Senate, unless Council decides otherwise. 

Council also ratified the appointment of Prof 

Neo Mathabe as the first Pro Vice-Chancellor 

(PVC) of Unisa on 5 January 2004. Prof Mathabe 

was the former Vice-Chancellor and Principal of 

Technikon Southern Africa. The PVC position 

was established in recognition of the large and 

complex Institution, and to ensure efficient and 

manageable leadership of the University. 

Prof Mathabe retired at the end of 2007 and 

Prof Mandla Makhanya was appointed the new 

Pro Vice-Chancellor from 1 January 2008. 

The new University of South Africa was 

initially served by five Vice Principals and two 

Registrars. 

Prof David Mosoma was appointed the 

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice Principal: Operations 

in January 2004. This portfolio was responsible 

for overseeing Human Resources; Study 

Materials; Publications, Production and Delivery; 

Protection Services; and Logistics. The VP: Operations 

was faced with the daunting task of overseeing 

the integration and alignment of, amongst 

others, the various human resource databases and 

systems, the conditions of service, the rationalisation 

and placement of staff, and other core 

operational functions. The success and finalisation 

of these vital merger milestones would to a large 

extent determine the pace of the implementation 

of the merger. Prof Barney Erasmus succeeded 

Prof Mosoma as VP of the portfolio when Prof 

Mosoma took up the reconfigured portfolio of 

VP: Learner Support and Student Affairs. 

In January 2004 Prof Narend Baijnath was 

appointed Vice Principal: Research and Planning. 

The research component of the portfolio was 

tasked to manage and administer research and to 

develop research capacity that would result in 

acknowledged and enhanced outputs. The planning 

part of the portfolio was aimed at positioning 

the Institution as an African mega-university and 

an open distance learning and comprehensive 

institution serving in excess of 250 000 students 

with 4 600 staff members. Following the approval 

of the vision, mission and ten strategic objectives 

of the University, the portfolio was reconfigured 

to concentrate cognate functions of strategy, planning, 

quality assurance and strategic partnerships 

in the cluster of the Vice-Chancellor, obviating the 

anomaly of reporting to the PVC on research and 

to the VC on planning. 

The reconfiguration has proved to have a significant 

impact and notable successes, particularly 

in formulating the core institutional strategy Unisa 

2015: An agenda for transformation, coordinated 

and integrated planning, high quality management 

information and institutional research within a 

business intelligence paradigm, and a quality 

25


regimen that has withstood scrutiny through the 

Commonwealth of Learning (CoL) trial audit of 

2007, followed by the successful Higher Education 

Quality Committee (HEQC) Audit of 2008. The 

Vice Principal: Strategy, Planning and Partnerships 

has oversight responsibilities for the allocation 

of academic human resources and for strategic 

project funding. The inclusion of International 

Relations to this portfolio has added value to the 

Institution in terms of strategic collaborative 

agreements and the positioning of Unisa continentally 

and internationally. More recently, the 

functions of organisational architecture, and 

master’s and doctoral registrations were added to 

this portfolio. 

Prof Gerhard de J Cronje was appointed the 

first Vice Principal: Finance of the new Unisa. 

This portfolio is responsible for the oversight and 

management of the Finance and University Estates 

departments. Some of the main challenges faced 

by Finance included the integration of the various 

budgets and the presentation of the first consolidated 

budget in 2005. 

A similar integration process had to be instituted 

for the campuses and various facilities, 

including the regions. Sound financial planning 

post merger, the implementation of innovative and 

leading edge instruments such as Activity Based 

Costing and the Strategic Resource Allocation 

Models, and annual institutional operating 

surpluses have enabled Unisa to embark with confidence 

on a number of institutional initiatives, including 

a visionary infrastructure development plan. Prof De 

Cronje retired at the end of 2006. 

Prof Kobie Kleynhans was appointed the new Vice 

Principal: Finance and University Estates in 2007. She 

has overseen a refinement of the structures and functions 

of the portfolio, introduced several efficiencies 

and greater accountability in the use of organisational 

resources. She also oversees an enormous property 

portfolio and a massive property development project. 

Prof Chris Swanepoel was appointed the first Vice 

Principal: Academic in January 2004. In March 2005, 

the portfolio was reconfigured to include research. As 

a consequence the portfolio was tasked with oversight 

of Unisa’s core functions of teaching and learning during 

the transitional period of the merger, with planning 

and overseeing the implementation of the academic 

programmes of the new institution, aligning the 

academic structures of the merging partners so as to 

optimise the effectiveness of the dual heritage, and 

developing the most appropriate product range for 

the new Institution in line with its vision and institutional 

identity. Prof Swanepoel retired at the end of 

2006. 

Prof Rita Maré, previously Dean of the College of 

Law, was appointed the new Vice Principal: Academic 

and Research. The rationalisation of the Programme 

and Qualifications Mix (PQM) continues to feature 

prominently in the transformation process, particularly 

Throughout the years Unisa has conferred honoray doctorates on remarkable individuals. 

From left: Kofi Atta Annan, Johny Ramakgobotla Mekoa, Noel Chabani Manganyi, Brian Joffe, 

Winston Hugh Njongonkulu Ndungane, Daniel Alexander Jordaan, Frene Noshir Ginwale, 

Arthur Chaskalson, Pius Nkonzo Langa, and Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu. 

26


given the increased emphasis on the institutional 

and academic identity since 2007. 

Since her appointment, Prof Maré has also 

overseen the development of a range of new policies 

and structures to strengthen and consolidate 

academic management at Unisa. 

The new appointments to the Colleges reflect 

the Institution’s commitment to both gender and 

equity appointments. 

Prof Cecil Bodibe was Unisa’s first Vice Principal: 

Student and Alumni Affairs. This portfolio 

was responsible for ensuring statutory compliance 

with regard to the establishment of the SRC, for 

determining and attending to the needs of students 

for promoting student-centredness at Unisa; 

for putting into place systems, policies and 

processes to support its mandates; for managing 

portfolio risks; and for establishing a relationship 

with Unisa alumni with a view to increasing funds 

and alumni support. With the restructuring in 

2006, the portfolio was merged with the Learner 

Support Portfolio to become a new portfolio, Student 

Affairs and Learner Support. Prof David Mosoma 

was transferred from Vice Principal: 

Operations to head the new portfolio. 

In January 2004 Prof Alwyn Louw became 

the Vice-Principal: Learner Support. The portfolio 

was responsible for providing learner support in 

all of its facets, and including the regions. 

Following restructuring in 2006 Prof Louw 

was appointed Special Advisor ODL in the Principal’s 

Office. In October 2006, Prof Barney Erasmus 

was appointed as the Vice Principal: Operations. 

The function of ICT was moved from the Learner 

Support portfolio to the Operations Portfolio. Key 

responsibilities in the portfolio of the VP: Operations 

are human resources, study materials, 

production and despatch, ICT and campus security. 

Given the urgent necessity of putting into 

place the governance structures in compliance 

with the Higher Education Act (1997) and the Standard 

Institutional Statute, it was decided that Unisa 

would have a Registrar: Governance to fulfil this 

function. The task was assigned to Prof Tony Links, 

former Registrar of Technikon Southern Africa. 

This portfolio was phased out after the successful 

implementation of the statutory requirements, 

which coincided with Prof Link’s retirement in 

2006. 

Prof Louis Molamu was appointed the Registrar: 

Academic in January 2004. The portfolio was 

given responsibility for institutional registration 

matters including student admission and registrations; 

student assessment administration; call centre; 

student information and records management; 

programme accreditation; recognition of prior 

learning; and the Music Department. 

27


After the phasing out of the Registrar: Governance 

portfolio, Council and ongoing governance 

matters were added to the remaining Registrar’s 

portfolio, which is now known as the University 

Registrar. Due to the extensive responsibilities of 

the new portfolio the position of Deputy Registrar 

was instituted in 2007 and Prof Divya Singh 

appointed in as Deputy Registrar. 

The position of the Assistant Principal was 

instituted in 2006, and Prof Dawid van Wyk was 

the first appointee. The Assistant Principal assists 

the Vice-Chancellor in the day-to-day coordination 

of the management and administration of the 

Office of the Vice-Chancellor thus freeing the Vice- 

Chancellor to attend to the strategic matters 

within the Institution and outside. 

Various institutional structures and meetings 

were also instituted in terms of the Institutional 

Statute. 

The Principal and Vice-Chancellor, with the 

assistance of the Management Committee, is responsible 

for the management and administration 

of the University. The Management Committee 

has a number of sub-committees responsible for 

various oversight functions. These include the 

Management Remuneration Committee chaired 

by the VC; the Strategy and Planning Coordination 

Committee; the Human Resources Allocation 

Committee; and the Unisa Quality Assurance 

Committee, all chaired by the VP: Strategy Planning 

and Partnerships. 

Senate is the highest decision making body 

for academic matters at the University, playing a 

pivotal role in providing academic leadership. The 

first Senate of the merged University was constituted 

according to the Standard Institutional 

Statute. Senate was reconstituted after the Institutional 

Statute of the University of South Africa was 

promulgated. 

Senate sets academic policies, makes academic 

appointments through its Executive Committee 

which also approves academic programmes and 

qualifications and generally attends to quality standards 

as well excellence in tuition and research. 

Senate has a number of committees, namely: 

The Executive Committee of Senate; Senate Rules 

Committee; Senate Research Committee; Senate 

Language Committee; Senate Tuition Committee; 

Senate Library Committee; Senate Honorary Degrees 

Committee; Senate Publications Committee; 

Senate Student Services Committee; and the Senate 

Higher Degrees Committee. 

A College Board was established for each College 

as part of the new structure, to assist Senate, 

by means of advice on education, research and 

community service. The Inter-College Board was 

established to assist Senate in respect of academic 

units which do not form part of Colleges, and it is 

equal in status to a College Board. This board is 

also part of the new structure of the University. 

Left: 

Prof N Barney 

Pityana was 

inaugurated 

as the first 

Principal and 

Vice-Chancellor 

of Unisa on 

5 January 2004. 

Right: 

Unisa’s first 

Chancellor 

Judge President 

Bernard Ngoepe 

and Chairperson 

of Council Dr 

Mathews Phosa. 

28


The Institutional Forum is a statutory advisory 

committee to Council that does not have decisionmaking 

powers. The purpose of the Institutional 

Forum is to represent major stakeholders (especially 

internal stakeholders), and to ensure that 

Council has the benefit of their views. 

Convocation nominates members of the Convocation 

to Council, and also assists the University 

and the Unisa Foundation in fundraising. The 

Honourable Prof T Sono has been the chairperson 

the Unisa Convocation since 2007 and represents 

the body on Council. 

After finding that the committee burden was 

placing a huge burden on management, Unisa’s 

committee structure was simplified in 2008 and 

the number of staff represented on the committees 

reduced. This has resulted in significant time 

saving and leaner and more efficient institutional 

structures. 

The new committee structure has been implemented 

and has already resulted in time savings 

and less onerous meeting attendance loads. 

Unisa’s governance and statutory processes and 

structures provide a very firm and effective foundation 

for efficient institutional functioning and operation. 

POLICIES 

One year after the inception of the merger, a total 

of 29 policies/rules had been harmonised, most of 

which resorted under Human Resources and ICT. 

Three policies had been referred to Council for approval, 

14 policies were due for submission to the 

Management Committee and 67 policies were 

under discussion or in the process of development. 

The harmonisation and development of policies 

for the new Institution was (and remains) an extremely 

important component of the merger 

process as a number of key institutional initiatives 

relied on approval in terms of specific policies. 

Accordingly, policy harmonisation and development 

featured very high on the list of institutional 

priorities. 

Currently the Legal Services Department at 

Unisa is the custodian of the policies of the University, 

ensuring diligence, rigour, consistency and 

alignment. The process of harmonising or formulating 

new policies is done according to the Policy: 

Policy/Rule Formulation which provides for a consultative 

process to be followed. 

From 2004–2008, 94 policies were harmonised 

or newly drafted. Policies are indexed 

according to the subject they deal with and electronically 

available on the Intranet. A number of 

non-harmonised polices are electronically available 

The first management 

team included the 

following members, 

from left, back: 

Profs Alwyn Louw, 

David Mosoma, 

Gerhard de J Cronje, 

Chris Swanepoel; 

middle: 

Profs Tony Links, 

Barney Pityana, 

Louis Molamu, 

Narend Baijnath; 

front: 

Profs Neo Mathabe 

and Cecil Bodibe. 

29


on the Intranet. When a policy is harmonised the 

non-harmonised policy is archived. 

A number of policies and institutional statements 

have had a fundamental impact on the 

Institution. Below is a sample of these policies. 

HIV/Aids is a major concern and challenge in 

the workplace and learning environment. The 

Policy on HIV/Aids, approved in 2005, sets out 

principles for promoting effective ways of managing 

HIV in the workplace and learning environment, 

resulting in the creation of a safe work and 

learning environment. 

The Sexual Harrassment Policy, approved in 

2006, aims to ensure that all students have the 

right to study in an environment free from sexual 

harassment, and to be treated with dignity. The 

Unisa SRC takes all reasonable steps to ensure 

such an environment. 

The Language Policy, approved in 2006, 

informs the use of language in all aspects of communication 

of the University, i.e. tuition, public and 

internal communication. 

The Unisa Ombudsman Policy was approved 

in 2006. The work of the Ombudsman is aimed 

at improving Unisa’s service delivery and quality of 

administration by investigating complaints and 

making appropriate recommendations to the 

Principal. 

The Anti-fraud/corruption/irregularity statement, 

approved in 2007, emphasised the fact that 

the University does not tolerate any act of dishonesty, 

corruption or fraud. 

Executive Development Leave for Members 

of Senior Management, approved in 2007, gave 

effect to the request by Council that a policy be 

drawn up that provides for leave for Senior Managers 

for the purpose of research, study and selfdevelopment 

after the completion of a prescribed 

number of years in the service of Unisa. The 

purpose of this policy is to encourage and support 

organizational learning and self-development of 

senior management and to contribute to the 

efficient functioning of the University. 

The Conditions of Employment, approved in 

2007, was a major milestone in the merger 

process. It marked the end of a protracted and 

sometimes difficult process of negotiation that 

caused considerable delay to the finalisation of the 

merger. The purpose of this policy is to attract, 

retain and motivate high-calibre employees in 

support of the Institution’s strategic initiatives. It 

is University policy to maintain appropriate remu- 

Members of the current Executive Management are, back: Profs Barney Erasmus (Vice Principal: Operations), Mandla Makhanya (Pro Vice- 

Chancellor), Louis Molamu (Registrar), Narend Baijnath (Vice Principal: Strategy, Planning and Partnerships), Kobie Kleynhans (Vice Principal: 

Finanace), Dawid van Wyk (Assistant Principal) and David Mosoma (Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice Principal: Student Affairs and Learner 

Support); front: Ms Irene Chadibe (Acting Executive Director: Information and Communication Technology), Profs Barney Pityana (Principal 

and Vice-Chancellor) and Rita Maré (Vice Principal: Academic and Research). 

30


neration competitiveness vis-à-vis the labour 

market by, amongst others, annually repositioning 

the Institution’s remuneration levels in terms of 

the national remuneration market, and developing 

market-related salary ranges, to name but a few. 

The primary purpose of the Quality Assurance 

Policy, approved in 2007 is to provide a 

framework for the implementation of an Integrated 

Quality Management System customized 

to meet the emerging needs of Unisa as an ODL 

institution. The policy therefore raises awareness 

of quality across the Institution so that it becomes 

embedded in its culture. 

The Implementation Plan: Policy on Students 

with Disability, approved in 2008, states that services 

for students with disabilities will be managed 

and coordinated by the Advocacy and Resources 

Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD), 

and relevant stakeholders within Unisa are collectively 

responsible for ensuring equal access for students 

with disabilities. 

The Open and Distance Learning Policy was 

approved in 2008 and aims to position Unisa as a 

leading provider of higher education opportunities 

through open and distance learning nationally, on 

the African Continent and internationally. 

The objective of the Policy for the Integrated 

Performance Management System (IPMS), approved 

in 2008, is to foster a culture of performance 

excellence, accountability and stewardship 

consonant with Unisa’s values, objectives, institutional 

identity and culture. 

The Employment Equity Policy was approved 

in 2008 and provided the rationale and framework 

for Unisa’s Employment Equity implementation. 

The policy is supported by an Employment Equity 

Plan that is in the final stages of the approval 

process, as well as institutional targets that are currently 

in the process of consultation and compilation. 

Since the inception of the merger, Unisa has 

made significant progress in ensuring that its policies 

are harmonised or newly formulated. In so 

doing it has facilitated sound corporate governance 

and provided a framework for future reference. 

This will undoubtedly contribute to the 

efficiency and effectiveness of Unisa’s management 

and operational processes. 

PLANNING 

After its inception in 2004, the new Unisa embarked 

upon the critical task of coordinating, aligning 

and integrating planning functions, systems 

and instruments across the Institution. This task 

laid the foundations of a new strategic planning 

framework aimed at assisting with the establishment 

of Unisa as a leading provider of world-class 

higher education opportunities. 

As a starting point, in the last quarter of 

2004, the Vice Principal: Research and Planning 

(subsequently Vice Principal: Strategy, Planning 

and Partnerships), was tasked with driving an institution-wide 

strategic planning process that was 

intended to translate the vision, mission and goals 

of the University into a detailed ten year strategic 

plan. 

The process that was devised was highly 

consultative, rigorous and iterative, and intended 

to produce an outcome that would end all contestation 

regarding the future of Unisa rather than 

initiate a debate about its future character, shape 

and form, and the objectives it would pursue. 

The end result of the process was a strategic 

planning document – Unisa 2015: An agenda for 

transformation that set out how the vision, mission 

and objectives of the University would be translated 

into reality. The document was approved by 

the Unisa Council in November 2005. 

The test of an effective strategic plan lies in 

its execution. Unisa formally launched the implementation 

of Unisa 2015 in February 2006 and 

this marked the initiation of ever-improving and 

increasing levels of sophistication in planning 

across the Institution. Beginning at the Portfolio 

(Vice Principal) level, vertical and horizontal 

alignment has assiduously been cultivated and 

cascaded to achieve coordinated, aligned and 

integrated planning across the Institution, 

supported by high level monitoring, analysis and 

management information. 

During the first two years of the implementation 

of the strategic plan, Unisa deliberately 

focused its operational planning on a one-year 

time frame. This laid a sound foundation for 

prioritizing strategic goals and implementing them 

accordingly. It also allowed for clear institutional 

31


insight that enabled the determination of the most 

suitable planning timeframes and approaches for 

the Institution as a whole. 

It soon became evident that for an institution 

of Unisa’s size and scope, a one-year planning cycle 

was severely limiting, especially when it came to 

large-scale projects, or even small-scale projects 

that required a dedicated effort over multiple 

years, from conceptualisation to implementation. 

Moreover, the challenges facing the Institution are 

vast and diverse, requiring systematic prioritisation 

and implementation over multiple year planning 

horizons. A multiple-year planning cycle provides 

for the alignment of Unisa’s plans with national 

planning and funding rhythms, including enrolment 

planning, the national higher education 

Funding Framework as well as the national Quality 

Assurance System. 

The 2008-2010 Institutional Operational Plan 

(IOP) marked a significant shift away from a 

one-year operational planning cycle to a threeyear 

medium-term planning cycle. A further iteration 

was the 2009-2010 IOP, which demonstrates 

quite clearly, greater consonance between Unisa’s 

planning rhythms and national planning, ensuring 

that national planning and policy goals and 

processes are aligned at the institutional level. 

Aside from this impetus, regular reviews provide 

insight into new and emerging strategic priorities 

which the Institution has responded to in a 

dynamic way though thematic focus areas in our 

IOP. 

Unisa’s planning process remains a key instrument 

for change and innovation. It is a pragmatic 

planning process that carefully assesses the rate 

and degree of change that can be absorbed by the 

Institution, linked to performance management. 

The integrated planning approach seeks alignment 

of all levels of planning with the allocation of 

financial, infrastructural and human resources, as 

well as Unisa’s ODL delivery model. This is further 

supported by policies, processes, systems and capacities 

needed to achieve planned outcomes. Key 

among the systems put in place is a quality assurance 

regimen. Critical capacities in management 

information, business intelligence, monitoring and 

evaluation, institutional research planning methods 

and instruments, and quality assurance and promotion 

– all part of the strategy and planning portfolio 

- place Unisa at the leading edge in planning 

nationally and abroad. 

The test of 

an effective 

strategic plan 

lies in its 

execution. 

The planning 

team deep in 

thought. 

32


MANAGEMENT 

INFORMATION AND 

BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE 

Since the merger, Unisa has made great strides in 

providing high-quality, relevant, timely and useful 

Management Information (MI), Business Intelligence 

(BI) and Institutional Research (IR) to support 

strategic and operational planning, decision-making, 

and management. 

Initially, the merger posed major challenges 

for the integration of diverse information systems 

– a formidable task which was largely completed 

by 2005. At the same time, the HEMIS submission 

process was fundamentally re-engineered. During 

that year, the then named Department of Planning 

and Analysis (DPA) was established under a new 

Executive Director in the portfolio of Strategy, 

Planning and Partnerships. This expressed the University's 

strong intent to provide cutting-edge 

services in these areas, in support of the Institution’s 

integrated and operational planning process. 

Crucial to the success of implemented planning 

is the monitoring and evaluation of progress 

towards stated goals, objectives and targets 

therein. To this end, the systematic measurement 

of progress is required. However, it is not sufficient 

simply to know whether targets have been met or 

not. The key challenge is to understand why and 

how institutional performance is either meeting or 

falling short of targets, so that continuous improvements 

and additional interventions can be 

designed to enhance success. This implies careful 

analysis, interpretation and explanation of trends, 

evaluation of initiatives, prediction of future scenarios 

and likely trajectories – all with a view to 

bridging the gap between stated outcomes and 

targets on the one hand, and realisation on the 

other. The life blood of all these aspirations is highquality, 

relevant, timely and useful information and 

analyses to support planning and corporate performance 

management. During 2006, the need 

for greater capacity and resources for this formidable 

task resulted in the establishment of two 

departments within the Strategy, Planning and 

Partnerships portfolio. 

These were the Department of Strategy, Planning 

and Quality Assurance (DSPQA) and the Department 

of Information and Strategic Analysis 

(DISA). 

The purpose of DISA is to support strategic 

and operational management, decision-making 

and planning across the Institution and to fulfil the 

University’s statutory obligations and stakeholder 

information requirements by providing highquality, 

relevant, easily accessible and up-to-date 

information and analysis. In fulfilment of this 

purpose, DISA produces a wide range of information 

and analysis outputs, including research 

reports, student and staff satisfaction surveys, 

briefings, strategic environmental scanning and an 

ad hoc information service. Through these activities, 

DISA seeks to make the Institution more 

intelligible to itself by fulfilling the following mandate: 

• To provide the point of convergence for institution-wide 

strategic perspectives and analyses. 

• To contextualise the Institution’s strategic 

position in relation to key external trends and 

developments (political economy; national HE 

policy; international HE trends; DE and ODL). 

• To provide the single point of reference for 

authoritative official information and analysis. 

• To co-ordinate institutional research and 

environmental scanning across the University 

and to synthesise and disseminate findings. 

• To foster critical debate and reflection on matters 

of strategic significance to the University. 

During 2007, a major step was the development 

of the web-based institutional information 

and analysis portal. For the first time, Unisa was 

provided with a wide range of institution-wide, upto-date, 

automated information and analyses 

drawing from provisional as well as official HEMIS 

information. 

33


A web-based Business Intelligence framework has 

been developed which will provide comprehensive institution-wide 

and customised organisational intelligence 

for institutional performance management 

against strategic and operational goals, targets and 

objectives. A major component of the implementation 

of the BI framework will be facilitating a fundamental 

shift in management practices across the institution 

towards the effective use of informational and analytic 

evidence in management, decision-making and planning. 

The key to this is transforming data into organised 

information and, in turn, into actionable 

intelligence. 

Through the revitalisation of its MI, BI and IR 

activities, Unisa is at once developing the capacity to 

support the effective attainment of its goals and 

targets and placing itself at the forefront of developments 

in these areas. DISA is continually improving 

on its capacity to provide to the Institution, relevant 

and accurate data on a wide variety on institutional 

activities and processes. Past successes and current 

practices have placed DISA, and by extension Unisa, 

at the forefront of higher education Information and 

Strategic Analysis. 

I N T E L L I G E N C E 

I N F O R M AT I O N 

DATA 

STRATEGIC 

PLANNING 

STRATEGIC 

DECISION-MAKING 

UNISA 

SUPPORT 

INTERNAL EXTERNAL 

ENVIRONMENT 

EXTERNAL 

STAKEHOLDERS 

STATUTORY 

REQUIREMENTS 

INFORMATION & ORGANISATIONAL INTELLIGENCE 

ORGANISE 

DATA 

GATHERING 

ANALYSE 

DPA 

ENVIRONMEN- 

TAL SCANNING 

DISSEMINATE 

RESEARCH 

Prof George Subotzky 

(Executive Director: 

Information and Strategic 

Analysis) explains 

how the Department 

of Information and 

Strategic Analysis 

supports strategic and 

operational management 

at Unisa. 

34


BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE 

The environmental and transformational challenges 

facing Unisa following the merger manifested 

in a breakdown of key processes, systems 

and services, necessitating a fundamental relook 

at the business processes of the University. A project 

was therefore initiated by the Management 

Committee to engage the services of Accenture 

to conduct an in depth analysis of Unisa’s Business 

Architecture with a view to reform. 

The observation of Accenture was that since 

the 2004 merger, Unisa had become a large and 

particularly complex organisation as a result of a 

number of factors and developments which continue 

to shape and mould its future. 

Since the merger Unisa had initiated multiple 

initiatives in response to the environmental and 

transformational challenges it faces. Although 

many initiatives had been highly effective in amalgamating 

and reorganising three institutions into 

one, many merger and institutional issues remained 

unresolved. 

The Business Architecture of Unisa would 

need to articulate not only the strategic intent of 

the rejuvenated institution, but would also need to 

address the operational inefficiencies that plagued 

it in the post-merger environment. Business 

Architecture was seen as the key instrument for 

aligning the people, process and technology 

components within the University for the period 

approaching 2015, and providing a framework for 

designing the required capabilities for the future 

organisation with a strong emphasis on addressing 

Unisa’s current critical challenges. 

The Vice Principal: Strategy, Planning and 

Partnerships who had to oversee the Business 

Architecture initiative convened a high-level task 

team consisting of key stakeholders to assist in 

steering the process. 

The project began with a detailed analysis of 

the current situation to provide a comprehensive 

overview of the status quo, as well as the key 

drivers for change towards the 2015 Strategy. 

Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders 

throughout Unisa and desktop research of a number 

of existing materials was undertaken in an 

effort to validate and update findings regarding 

the current operations of Unisa, as well as to gain 

a deeper understanding of the imperatives for 

change experienced by the Institution. Using the 

Accenture Business Architecture Framework and 

the Unisa Capability Model as guides, a comprehensive 

picture was developed. 

This was followed by a high-level view of the 

future Unisa. Once again, using the Accenture 

Business Architecture Blueprint as a framework 

and the Unisa Capability Model as guide, a blueprint 

for the future was developed incorporating 

the experience, insight and practical considerations 

of key stakeholders within Unisa and the expertise 

that Accenture was able to muster for the exercise. 

A comparison was then made between the 

‘as-is’ and ‘to-be’ states to determine the gap. 

Thereafter, a prioritised view of the programmes 

and projects required to close the gaps between 

the ‘as-is’ and ‘to-be’ states – a future roadmap – 

was devised, expressed as practical and implementable 

solutions to assist Unisa in achieving its 

Enrolment Plan and 2015 strategic objectives. 

It was concluded after the ‘as-is’ analysis that 

Unisa had made significant progress in reorganising 

itself since the institutional merger. Since 2004, 

various transformational change interventions had 

been initiated and Unisa has had numerous 

achievements. While some interventions were successfully 

concluded, others had not yet fully delivered 

tangible benefits and many issues identified in 

the Strategy 2015 SWOT analysis still remained. 

Numerous stand-alone strategies and plans to 

address these issues existed, yet integrated implementation 

thereof lagged behind. 

A Business Architecture Committee has now 

been established under the leadership of the Vice 

Principal: Strategy, Planning and Partnerships to 

conceptualise, coordinate, align and oversee the 

development of Unisa’s Business Architecture in a 

systematic manner over the next five years. 

Business architecture was seen as the key instrument 

for aligning the people, process and technology components 

35


QUALITY ASSURANCE 

Since 2005 Unisa has worked on consolidating all 

previous quality-related arrangements from the 

different merger partners to strengthen the existing 

systems or to put new systems in place. 

Quality Management at Unisa is now seen as a 

shared responsibility, with a mix of both centralized 

and decentralized functions. 

Unisa’s Quality Management System complies 

with the requirements and criteria of the HEQC 

and Nadeosa. Unisa adopted the HEQC’s definition 

of Quality in its review and self-evaluation activities, 

that is, ‘fitness for purpose, value for 

money and individual and social transformation 

within the overall fitness of purpose framework in 

a cycle of planning, implementing, reviewing and 

improving so as to embed a culture of continuous 

improvement and accountability’. 

Quality features strongly in the Institutional 

Operational Plan, re-enforcing Management’s 

commitment to embedding an institutional quality 

regime by means of an Integrated Quality Management 

Framework and System, thus contributing 

to the realization of the Institution’s vision and 

goals as stated in the 2015 Strategic Plan. 

Milestones reached since 2004 include the 

development of an Integrated Quality Management 

Framework and Implementation Plan that 

provides a critical frame of reference and guideline 

for quality assurance practices at the Institution. It 

also assists in inculcating a continuous improvement 

culture aimed at producing quality academic 

outputs and a high level of service delivery. Unisa’s 

quality assurance enterprise achieves the following: 

• It promotes consistency, permitting freedom to 

adopt appropriate processes to suit departmental 

requirements. 

• It underpins concepts of equality, fairness, continuous 

improvement and accountability. 

• It sets parameters for planning, implementing, 

monitoring and reviewing. 

Unisa became the first South African academic 

institution to become a signatory to the 

United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) for Responsible 

Corporate Citizenship and in so doing, 

undertook to support the ten principles of the 

Global Compact. These relate to human rights, 

labour rights, the protection of the environment 

and anti-corruption at both institutional and academic 

levels, amongst others, in further pursuit of 

quality governance practices. 

In support of Unisa’s preparations for the 

HEQC audit in 2008, the Commonwealth of 

Learning (CoL) was commissioned to convene a 

panel of experts in 2007 to review Unisa’s Institutional 

Quality Assurance arrangements in line with 

its institutional identity as a Comprehensive Open 

and Distance Learning Institution, and to evaluate 

its preparedness for the HEQC institutional audit 

scheduled for 2008. 

A self-evaluation portfolio, Towards a leading 

edge ODL institution: integration, quality and service, 

provided a description, analysis and evaluation, 

supported by evidence, of the ways in which Unisa 

assures the quality of its core academic and support 

activities and services within the specified 

scope of the audit. The feedback report with 29 

commendations and 53 recommendations was received 

in August 2007. A Quality Improvement 

Plan was drafted and each portfolio manager had 

to formulate improvement strategies, action plans 

and time frames for each area of improvement. 

These in turn formed a point of departure for the 

operational planning cycle for 2008 to 2010, 

thereby ensuring a constructive feedback loop. 

The HEQC institutional audit by an external 

panel of peers and experts followed in August 

2008. A self-evaluation portfolio entitled Transforming 

academic & institutional identify for excellence 

in an ODL university, which described Unisa 

and its Quality Assurance arrangements, policies 

and procedures, and the implementation of QA 

processes, served as the frame of reference for the 

audit, providing a reflective, self-critical, comprehensive 

record of Unisa’s operations and performance 

since the merger, in line with the stated 

HEQC requirements. 

A Quality Training and Development framework 

was also approved. This framework provides 

enablers for management and staff to access appropriate 

training informed by, and in support of 

the University’s QA Policy and the IQM. 

Unisa participates in the SA-Finland Co-operation 

programme and received a grant for a proj- 

Unisa became 

the first 

South African 

academic 

institution to 

become a 

signatory to 

the United 

Nations 

Global 

Compact 

36


ect aimed at establishing and embedding continuous 

improvement within academic programmes 

through a well-conceptualised, integrated course 

design and development and delivery process; taking 

cognizance of the critical principles of ODL. 

Quality assurance at Unisa has become a core 

institutional imperative. Very pleasing progress 

has been made with regard to formalising and embedding 

a quality mindset and practices within the 

institution in the five years post merger. The CoL 

trial audit and the HEQC audit both provided significant 

boosts and sustained momentum to our 

QA efforts, which will be sustained though the 

rededicated efforts of our Directorate: Quality Assurance 

and Promotion, and quality assurance 

committees across the institution. 

Dr Roger Mills (Chair 

of the CoL audit panel) 

and Prof Barney Pityana 

(Principal and Vice- 

Chancellor) share a 

lighter moment during 

the CoL trial audit 

in 2007. 

The HEQC auditors 

with members of the 

Unisa Management 

team during the HEQC 

institutional audit that 

took place in August 

2008. 

37


ORGANISATIONAL 

CHANGE AND RENEWAL 

From the outset of the merger it was clear that 

major critical areas for organisational change and 

renewal had to be identified in order to ensure the 

creation of a unitary organisation, with one management 

structure and a consonance of values, 

outlook and intentions. Part of this process would 

include the establishment of an institutional strategic 

vision for change and transformation, the identification 

of urgent critical tasks and the initiation 

and sustaining of a few concrete change projects. 

The underlying rationale was to create purpose 

and order out of the merger disparities and to 

galvanize the energies, imagination, and the 

strategic and operational focus of staff and students 

for purposes of moving forward together. 

The immediate challenge was to bring about 

congruency and a platform for the emerging ethos 

of change and transformation. The various cultures 

had to be consolidated into one that was appropriate 

for the new Institution. 

A Change Management Steering Committee, 

comprising a broad and diverse base of institutional 

stakeholders, was established to deal with 

the aspirations and concerns of staff during 2004 

and beyond. A workshop was held in September 

2004 to reach consensus on the meaning of transformation 

and to identify key focus areas such as 

management and leadership; transformation of 

human resources management; and management 

information systems and communication. 

From the outset, the ideological premise of 

the institutional culture thrust was to develop and 

promote a culture that demonstrated respect for 

human dignity, that created a sense of belonging, 

and was characterised by values, norms, beliefs, 

systems and practices that are supportive, as well 

as inclusive of the development of staff and students. 

Following his appointment as the Principal 

and Vice-Chancellor of the University of South 

Africa in January 2004, Prof Pityana devoted his 

inaugural speech in large part to the need to overhaul 

completely, the ideology of privilege for some 

and replace that with an intrinsic change and 

transformation paradigm premised on institutional 

values such as social justice and fairness, integrity 

and excellence. 

To that end, in 2005 the Change Management 

Steering Committee (CMSC) under the leadership 

of the Executive Director: Corporate Affairs, 

Dr Thandi Sidzumo-Mazibuko initiated a management 

approved Institutional Culture Change Project. 

The project identified three areas for 

immediate attention: gender equity and mainstreaming, 

anti-racism, and disability inclusiveness. 

An institutional gender mainstreaming workshop 

held in September 2005, culminated in a report 

detailing a framework for gender mainstreaming 

within the University. 

In 2006, in response to the multifaceted 

problems experienced by the University in selected 

operational areas, the focus of the CMSC shifted to 

organising capacity building workshops on diversity 

management and tolerance for those areas. 

The workshops were conducted by Mandate 

Molefi Human Resource Consultants, the focal 

points being quality service delivery and embedding 

a culture of inclusiveness. A professional 

Competency Audit identified the Human Resources 

Department, Despatch and units in the 

Registrar’s Office as being in need of concerted attention. 

Several workshops were held with staff in 

these units in 2006 and a report on the subsequent 

findings and recommendations was submitted 

to and approved by Management towards the 

end of 2006. 

The major focus in 2007 was on expanding 

the diversity management and tolerance workshops 

to all managers, and particularly middle 

managers. Eleven workshops were held from 

February to October 2007, sensitising approximately 

350 staff members to the issues of diversity, 

racism and tolerance. In 2008 Corporate 

Affairs commissioned the Bureau for Market 

Research (BMR) to conduct an impact assessment 

of these workshops. A quantitative survey was 

conducted among the 337 staff who attended the 

capacity building and an additional 120 staff who 

had not attended, and by comparison of respondent 

assessments the BMR observed that, ‘it is 

clear from the empirical findings that the workshops 

had a positive impact and could be 

described as successful’. 

38


Under the leadership 

of Executive Director: 

Corporate Affairs, 

Dr Thandi Sidzumo- 

Mazibuko, an institutional 

culture change 

project was launched. 

It was initially difficult 

to develop an institutional 

Employment 

Equity (EE) plan as the 

processes of staff rationalisation 

and placement 

had not been 

completed. In 2005, the 

EE Directorate was relocated 

from the HR Department 

to the Office 

of the Principal and 

Vice-Chancellor to give 

the EE planning process 

institutional prominence 

and to highlight its legitimacy 

and urgency. In 

2006 the University produced an Employment Equity 

Report that covered the period 2005 - 2006 

and clearly articulated the need for more systematic 

and purposeful EE planning, as well as consistent 

capacity building of staff. In support of this 

finding two more EE Officers were appointed and 

it was decided that 2007 and 2008 would be dedicated 

to conducting capacity building workshops 

with all staff members in order to sensitize them 

to Employment Equity requirements. The process 

of setting both quantitative and qualitative targets 

would also be initiated. 

In January 2008, a strategic EE planning 

workshop was held with members of the Executive 

Management Committee. Most Executive 

Deans and Deputies, Executive Directors, Directors 

of Institutes such as the Centre for African Studies 

(CARS), the Institute for Science and Technology 

Education (ISTE) and Regional Directors also participated, 

giving the planning process legitimacy 

and a sense of urgency. The process led to the development 

of EE plans from all operational units 

and ultimately made it possible to develop an institutional 

EE Plan that served at, and was endorsed 

by Council towards the end of 2008. A 

supporting EE Policy was subsequently refined and 

approved by Mancom and the Human Resources 

Committee of Council (HRCoC). 

As early as 2004, the University management 

was aware of the difficulties in providing quality 

service to the University’s key stakeholders. This 

situation continued in 2005 and became increasingly 

problematic in 2006 when the Office of the 

Principal and Vice-Chancellor was flooded with 

complaints from students, in particular, but also 

from other stakeholders. This problem was captured 

quite vividly by the Principal and Vice-Chancellor 

when he observed that ‘2006 has been the 

most difficult throughout my tenure at Unisa’. The 

University had to deal with systems breakdowns 

and administrative failures; an apparent inability to 

meet the needs of our students, and questions 

were being asked by the media about the capacity 

of Unisa to deliver quality service to its students. 

Following on a visit by the Principal and Vice- 

Chancellor to the Thomas Edison College in the 

USA, he suggested that Corporate Affairs investigate 

the possibility of crafting an Institutional Service 

Charter – a public commitment to quality 

service. After a carefully planned and widely consultative 

process, Unisa’s final Service Charter was 

endorsed by appropriate structures and launched 

by the Principal and Vice-Chancellor in July 2007. 

The value of service excellence is captured in the 

introduction to the 2006 IOP which states: ‘Service 

excellence is key to the future of this University. 

After all, service is a critical component of our 

vision towards the African university in the service 

of humanity. Service orientation at all levels of the 

University is fundamental to the achievement of 

our goals’. 

The commitment to service excellence and 

customer care is clearly demonstrated in Unisa’s 

annual institutional operational plans, with service 

excellence having enjoyed increasing strategic 

prominence with each succeeding year, culminating 

in the 2008–2010 IOP, with an action ‘to institutionalise 

the Service Charter principles and 

guidelines in strategic and operational planning 

from 2007’. To this end, the responsibility for embedding 

a culture of service excellence and quality 

has been included in the performance agreements 

of all managers, and to date 17 workshops have 

been attended by over 550 staff members in all 

Regions and portfolios. Most departments/colleges 

are in the process of developing their own 

Service Charters. 

It is clear that a number of milestones have 

been achieved on our road to building a Unisa 

community that espouses the norms, values, and 

attitudes that are entrenched not only in the Constitution, 

but also in Unisa’s vision. 

39

T H E O P E N B O O K – reminiscent of waves – 

represents the University’s role as an institution of 

learning and continuous development.

REVITA LIZ ING THE CORE: 

AC ADE MIC AND RESE ARCH 

ACADEMIC IDENTITY 

AND FOCUS 

IN 1994 GOVERNMENT put in place its programme 

for transformation in higher education 

by encouraging universities in South Africa to 

re-imagine their educational and social mandate. 

Ten years later, the newly merged institution, 

Unisa, began to align its strategic intent with government’s 

vision by transforming its academic 

identity and focus to become ‘the African university 

in service of humanity’, a vision statement that 

captures its dual intent, namely, to foster ideas that 

are rooted in African epistemology and to address 

the needs of South African society (what is on our 

front doorstep) and the African Continent (that 

which lies beyond our borders), and in so doing, 

play its part in contributing towards sustainable 

growth and development. 

Unisa 2015: An agenda for transformation 

charted the steps towards academic and social 

change. Its broad agenda, however, echoes the 

institutional mission statement’s two-fold purpose, 

that is, to promote critical scholarship from an 

African perspective and to fulfil the mandate of a 

comprehensive university by providing academic 

offerings which range from general academic to 

vocationally-oriented programmes. These objectives 

are to be realised through an ODL model 

which allows for flexible open and distance learning 

underpinned by the principles of studentcentredness 

and social responsiveness. 

Several important achievements and mile- 

stones have marked Unisa’s passage to a new 

identity. Included among these is the Centre for 

African Renaissance Studies (CARS), which began 

its life in 2003 as a unit promoting a Multi-Interand 

Transdisciplinary (MIT) approach to knowledge 

by focusing on African Renaissance studies 

and pursuing cutting edge research through an 

interdisciplinary paradigm, in partnership with 

communities on the African Continent. The publication 

of the International Journal of African 

Renaissance Studies in 2007 was a significant 

development in achieving the Centre’s aims. The 

real significance of CARS is its challenge to the 

Unisa community to think beyond discrete disciplines 

towards a more open and flexible epistemological 

framework. This is a challenge that 

many academics are still grappling with in 2009, 

and one that is assuming a growing importance, 

especially in relation to core issues such as recurriculation, 

which will have a fundamental impact 

on Unisa’s identity. 

In 2003, Prof Barney Pityana introduced the 

annual Founders’ Lecture, aiming to encourage the 

University to focus on critical issues in higher education 

from a global and national perspective. Two 

of these Founders’ Lectures marked a turning 

point in the way Unisa thought about its strategic 

and academic identity. The first, in 2006 entitled, 

‘Critical issues in Higher Education and Intellectual 

Development in Africa’, by Prof Paul Tiyambe 

Zeleza, analysed the ways in which African universities 

should strive towards a balance in autonomy 

and accountability while providing knowledge that 

is relevant and of high quality. 

41

R E V I T A L I Z I N G T H E C O R E : A C A D E M I C A N D R E S E A R C H 

Secondly, Prof Barney Pityana’s ‘Pathways to Excellence 

in Higher Education: Ten Years of Higher 

Education Reform in South Africa’ built on Prof 

Zeleza’s lecture but focused on contextualising 

higher education in South Africa, identifying several 

key challenges, including the rehabilitation of 

African Knowledge Systems, breaking down the 

silos at Unisa, and adopting innovative ideas to 

promote a new generation of African leadership. 

Both these lectures inspired a change in mindset 

and a paradigm shift in the University community, 

and prompted the Pro Vice-Chancellor’s 

Summit entitled ‘Re-birth, Revisioning and Rehabilitation’. 

The summit sought to put in place 

strategies and initiatives to accompany new knowledge 

production and its application. It demonstrated 

how academics and professional staff could 

share a common understanding of what Africanisation 

means and how Unisa could go about implementing 

such a shift in knowledge production. 

As a result of that summit, a number of key 

domains were identified, including the development 

of curriculum content embedded in African 

Indigenous Knowledge Systems yet relevant to the 

global context; the promotion of MIT throughout 

the University, shaping Unisa’s identity by infusing 

open distance learning into the academic offerings 

and the supportive processes and systems, building 

on the comprehensive nature of the University, 

and creating a clear understanding of what this 

means. 

Unisa has taken up government’s challenge 

and the national transformative imperative to 

change radically the way we think and operate. It 

has moved in the last five years from a University 

that taught courses by distance education to an 

ODL Institution that is on the road to realising its 

comprehensive nature, its new paradigm of 

“openness” (in the term ODL), its African-ness, 

and its duty to produce socially conscious, intellectually 

critical, economically productive and astute 

graduates. 

The International Journal 

of African Renaissance 

Studies is a bi-annual 

publication accredited 

by the Department of 

Education. 

Dr Thirumalayaperumal 

Karunakaran was the 

speaker at the third 

Founders lecture. With 

him are Prof Barney 

Pityana (speaker at 

the second lecture), 

Dr Thandi Sidzumo- 

Mazibuko, Dr Maggi 

Linington and Prof 

Catherine Hoppers. 

42


ACADEMIC 


TOWARDS AN 

ODL INSTITUTION 

After providing correspondence education (print 

media plus audiotapes) for more than 130 years, 

the University of South Africa began the shift 

towards distance education by using a range of 

resources calculated to ‘take the distance out of 

distance’. Several high-level visits were made to 

other international distance universities including 

the Open University (UK), Indira Ghandi University 

in India, Athabasca University in Canada and the 

Open University in Malaysia to assess recent developments 

in distance education, but it was not until 

2004 that Unisa made a strategic shift to position 

itself as a leading provider of quality open distance 

learning (ODL). 

The University defines ODL as ‘a multidimensional 

concept aimed at bridging the geographic, 

economic, social and communication 

distance between students and the University, 

students and academics, students and courseware 

and student and peers. This is achieved by focusing 

on removing barriers to access; flexibility of learning 

provision; student-centredness; student support; 

and effective learning programmes. It uses a 

range of learning tools including e-learning, satellite 

delivery, radio, print-based media and DVDs to 

reach students where they are’. 

The following initiatives have been put in 

place to inculcate and integrate ODL practice 

within the University: the development of an ODL 

model, the ODL Policy, an ODL Implementation 

Plan, assessment and tutor systems, and the 

development of collaborative relationships with 

other major ODL institutions. 

To reach the highest standards 

for ODL, three things have 

to be in place: quality study 

materials, effective support 

mechanisms and sufficient 

logistical support. 

In September 2008 the University approved 

its ODL Policy aiming to promote a common understanding 

of ODL throughout the University and 

to illuminate the operational impact of ODL. As 

part of the policy, the ODL Model illustrates the 

‘student walk’, a journey through University 

processes and procedures. Fundamental to the 

policy is the strong focus on the University as a 

leading ODL provider within the African context, 

and accompanying strategies that will make Unisa 

accessible to society at a reasonable cost while 

providing quality, relevant and flexible academic 

offerings. 

Complementary to the ODL Policy and Model 

is the ODL Implementation Plan, which focuses on 

operational processes and systems alluded to in 

the ODL Policy and Model. It creates a strong network 

of experts within the University who have 

the insight and capacity to transform current 

processes and systems towards ODL practices. 

Regular feedback and monitoring of the Implementation 

Plan is provided to the Pro Vice-Chancellor 

by the ODL Management Committee to 

ensure effective implementation, advanced by frequent 

communication. 

It is generally accepted by ODL practitioners 

and researchers that in order to reach the highest 

standards for ODL, three things have to be in 

place: quality study materials, effective support 

mechanisms and sufficient logistical support. The 

University has taken specific measures to address 

these three criteria through an innovative development 

which we call Power Courses. 

Each year, Colleges are asked to nominate 

particular courses to be developed under the new 

ODL model. A dedicated team pays specific 

attention to the development of ODL learning 

materials using a team approach and a range of 

pedagogies, works with departments to locate 

suitably qualified tutors (each tutor will be responsible 

for 40 students), and gives attention to innovative 

assessment practices. The power courses 

are the nub and pilot of ODL innovation and development 

at Unisa. 

In addition to these measures, Unisa has 

recently undertaken a detailed analysis of assessment 

practices and will shortly integrate the 

various recommendations that emerged from the 

analysis into its teaching and learning models, 

43


hoping to achieve a learning programme that 

facilitates student retention. The University 

frequently revisits its processes and systems for 

the effective delivery of material and has set a 

standard of delivery that is monitored on a continuous 

basis and in line with the University’s 

business and teaching and learning models. 

Unisa is perceived on the African Continent 

as a leader in the promotion of ODL. Accordingly, 

Unisa hosted the African Council on Distance Education 

stakeholders’ workshop in February 2008, 

in which ideas on establishing a consortium of 

African ODL universities and a continental quality 

assurance and accreditation agency were discussed, 

thus establishing the fundamental roots for 

future collaborative relationships that will expand 

on Open and Distance practice and research. 

Building on the positive inputs at the 2008 

African Council on Distance Education Workshop, 

Unisa welcomed the Unesco Chair of ODL, Prof 

Dele Braimoh as the Director of the Institute for 

Open and Distance Learning which was established 

on 5 May 2008. The Institute will undertake 

pragmatic and reflexive research on open and distance 

learning, and will also organize an academic 

and professional research training programme. 

ODL is not only about academic functioning; 

it reaches into the very heart of the administration 

of the University. Unisa’s transformation from a 

correspondence University to an ODL Institution 

requires a clear understanding of the philosophy 

and principles that underpin such an approach, as 

well as a commitment from staff at all levels. 

What is needed now is the institutional mandate 

to drive the Implementation Plan, to provide the 

required resources, to inculcate innovative thinking 

and develop appropriate technology resources. 

The University is well prepared in this regard and 

is looking forward to nurturing closer engagements 

with students and fellow distance education 

institutions as we entrench our place among the 

leading ODL institutions in the world. 

Profs David Mosoma 

(Deputy Vice-Chancellor 

and Vice Principal: Student 

Affairs and Learner 

Support), Dele Braimoh 

(Director: Institute for 

Open and Distance 

Learning), Rita Maré 

(Vice Principal: Academic 

and Research) and 

Mandla Makhanya (Pro 

Vice-Chancellor). 

44


ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES 

AND STRUCTURES 

The Academic Portfolio faced considerable challenges 

on its journey to becoming the chalk-face of 

the new single dedicated distance education institution. 

Designated a ‘comprehensive’ institution, 

there was no clarity as to exactly what this new institutional 

type meant. Each merging partner 

brought its own Programme and Qualification Mix 

(PQM) into the merger, resulting in a huge number 

of modules (with varying credits) and qualifications, 

as well as considerable overlap between 

the PQMs. The different tuition delivery models, 

which ranged from a semester-based system to a 

year system and overlapping year system, were 

also brought into the merger, placing considerable 

pressure on the supporting systems. 

As an initial step in addressing these matters 

the Academic Portfolio conducted an audit of 

all qualifications. Further academic planning processes 

were coordinated through the office of the 

Vice-Principal: Academic, Prof Rita Maré, and were 

driven by the Academic Planner, Prof Peter 

Havenga, with oversight through an Academic 

Planning and Quality Steering Committee and 

eight task-based project teams. The project teams 

provided infrastructure to support the Colleges 

and to supply backup information to enable Colleges 

to proceed with the academic processes that 

the merger brought in its wake. The project teams 

dealt with a variety of core issues including 

comprehensiveness, the academic processes, 

Africanisation, small disciplines, the ‘active student’ 

requirement and the review of the PQM. 

The work done in the project teams was 

completed at the end of 2006. Though some 

were more successful than others, the work in 

these teams initiated debate around academic 

issues and laid the foundation for subsequent 

changes. Two of the most important issues 

addressed were the revision of the PQM and 

devising of a new under-and postgraduate tuition 

model. 

Unisa had a very large PQM comprising more 

than a 1 200 qualifications (including specialisations). 

Many of these qualifications (and concomitantly, 

the modules which serve as the building 

blocks for the qualifications) were not sustainable. 

At the beginning of 2007 a decision was taken to 

reduce the number of qualifications, and a process 

was set in motion to revise the PQM. A number of 

factors were taken into account in the process but 

some of the most important requirements were 

the following: 

• The qualification had to contribute to making 

Unisa a comprehensive institution. 

• The qualification had to be sustainable, with at 

least 300 enrolments. 

• The qualification had to express the vision of 

Unisa, ‘Towards the African university in the 

service of humanity’. 

• The qualification had to maximize economies of 

scale in its offering. 

• The avenues for articulation of the qualifications 

had to be clear. 

• Strategic programmes had to be identified on 

the basis of relevance and national interest. 

• The PQM had to be aligned to the Higher 

Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF). 

Colleges were also provided with guidelines for 

Africanisation and mainstreaming of HIV/Aids 

into the curriculum since these matters were 

considered crucial in ensuring the relevance of the 

revised PQM. In the broader scheme the PQM had 

to reflect the comprehensive nature of the merged 

Institution and both vocational and general formative 

qualifications were to be provided for. The 

ultimate objective with the revision of the PQM 

is that it should contribute to, and reflect the 

‘graduateness’ of Unisa students. 

The revised PQM was approved by Council at 

the beginning of 2008 and it reduced the number 

of qualifications to approximately 600. The 

number of modules was also drastically reduced 

from more than 7 000 just after the merger in 

2004, to about 3 000 currently. The revised PQM 

will be implemented and refined over the coming 

years but one of the major external factors which 

may hamper the process is accreditation. All 

qualifications must be accredited by the Council 

for Higher Education but it seems that this process 

cannot be finalised yet due to uncertainties around 

the implementation of the HEQF. 

One of the strategic objectives is to align a 

relevant range of formal and non-formal qualification 

and course offerings, to develop an appropri- 

45


ate delivery model and to provide a learner support 

framework to enhance student success and 

throughput and to ensure appropriate graduateness. 

The revision of the PQM has gone a long 

way to achieving this. 

At the beginning of 2008 Council approved a 

new undergraduate tuition delivery model for 

Unisa. The model replaces the various tuition delivery 

systems which existed post-merger. The 

model was developed through the participation of 

all stakeholders in a scenario planning workshop. 

Senate approved the postgraduate delivery 

model at the end of 2008. The new model provides 

for the type and structure of postgraduate 

qualifications, the delivery of the qualifications and 

guidelines for assessment. The model was approved 

at the same time as the Higher Degrees 

Policy was recommended to Council. Some innovations 

in the new model include the on-line delivery 

of all postgraduate qualifications and the 

introduction of a compulsory research module for 

all master’s and doctoral programmes, the outcome 

of which is an acceptable research proposal 

which must be completed before the student can 

commence with the writing of the dissertation or 

thesis. 

More than 250 short learning programmes 

are offered at Unisa in all the Colleges and in various 

disciplines. By offering short learning programmes, 

Unisa supports the idea of lifelong 

learning and access to higher education academic 

programmes for the wider population. In many instances 

short learning programmes provide access 

to higher education for students who were denied 

access or for those who may not meet the formal 

entry requirements. For example, some short 

learning programmes grant credits towards formal 

programmes and students may be admitted to 

formal qualifications once they have completed a 

short learning programme. The policy on short 

learning programmes therefore makes it clear that 

short learning programmes are part of the core 

business of Unisa and are complementary to the 

formal academic tuition provided by Unisa. The 

policy respects the intention to uphold the academic 

integrity, reputation and credibility of Unisa 

through stringent quality assurance processes. 

All proposals to offer short learning programmes 

are considered by the Unisa Short Learning 

Programme Committee and are recommended to 

the Executive Committee of Senate for approval. 

Short learning programmes include short or 

advanced courses/programmes, workshops and 

seminars that do not form part of the PQM of 

Unisa. Short learning programmes differ from 

subsidised, formal academic offerings in that they 

are often focused on a market or specific issue or 

skills demand, depend on a quick response and are 

developed for a specific niche target group. The 

programmes may also provide an opportunity to 

test and develop programmes before they are 

formalised and can serve as an incubator for formal 

offerings. 

The process of refining the academic 

processes and structures is an ongoing one, in line 

with the Institution’s transformation to a truly 

African University. Much work remains to be done, 

but it is a process that is both challenging and exciting 

and that offers a very unique opportunity to 

be part of history making at this truly South 

African University. 

Prof Peter Havenga 


Academic Planner) 

presenting Prof Barney 

Pityana (Principal and 

Vice-Chancellor) with 

the Short Learning 

Programme brochure. 

46


ACADEMIC MANAGEMENT 

AND COLLEGE STRUCTURES 

The Unisa 2015: An agenda for transformation 

set the stage for shaping a new institutional and 

academic structure that would contribute to the 

development and growth of South African, African 

and global society. As the University commenced 

its evaluation of its academic structures and programmes, 

it was faced with the challenges of consolidating 

the various academic offerings in the 

context of Unisa’s strategic intent, differentiating 

between formal and vocational academic offerings, 

and developing new academic offerings that 

would enrich the University and broader community. 

In January 2004, Unisa registered its first students 

as a new Comprehensive distance education 

institution, offering general academic as well as vocationally-oriented 

programmes. In March 2004 

the Interim University Council resolved to merge 

the ten Faculties of the new University into five 

Colleges and appointed five interim Executive 

Deans and a number of Deputy Executive Deans. 

An important development in the academic structures 

of the University was the renaming of the 

former Faculties as Colleges. Five Colleges were 

established, namely: 

• College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and 

Environmental Sciences (now known as the 

College of Agriculture and Environmental 

Sciences). Dean: Prof Godfrey Humphrey – now 

deceased. His successor is Dr Maggi Linington. 

• The College of Economic and Management Sciences. 

Dean: Prof Mhrad Shahia. Now retired. 

• The College of Human Sciences. Dean: Prof 

Mandla Makhanya, now PVC. His successor is 

Prof Rosemary Moeketsi. 

• The College of Law. Dean: Prof Rita Maré, now 

Vice Principal: Academic and Research. Her 

successor is Prof Nqosa Mahao. 

• The College of Science, Engineering and Technology. 

Dean: Prof Gabriel Summers. His successor 

is Prof Mamokgethi Setati. 

The concept of Colleges provided the broad flexibility 

Unisa was looking for, each College being 

able to provide career, vocational as well as general 

formative offerings. This created the scope 

and space for an institutional structure that 

brought together both technikon and universitytype 

programmes. Each College is managed by an 

Executive Dean, who forms part of the University’s 

extended management and who is required to 

promote the core values, strategic goals, fiscal 

discipline and management philosophy of the Institution, 

especially in relation to ODL. The idea was 

that each College would become a self-contained 

management and delivery unit with a full suite 

of services devoted to the College. 

Amongst other important functions, the 

Executive Dean has the responsibility for driving 

the vision, mission and business plan of the relevant 

College and reports to Management annually 

on performance against planned outcomes. 

Several interim structural adjustments have 

been created since 2004, resulting in a more permanent 

structure in January 2006. The five Colleges 

were retained but the seventeen schools 

instituted in 2004 were reduced to fourteen. 

Executive Dean: College of 

Agriculture and Environmental 

Sciences – 

Dr MJ Linington 

Executive Dean: College 

of Economic and 

Management Sciences – 

Prof M Shahia 


of Human Sciences – 

Prof RMH Moeketsi 


of Law – Prof N L Mahao 


of Science, Engineering 

and Technology – 

Prof M Setati 

47


Supporting committees have been built into 

the various Colleges to ensure that critical strategic 

issues that require attention are dealt with diligently 

and are effectively communicated throughout the 

Institution. In November 2008, the Management 

Committee approved the following supporting 

committees within the academic structure (Colleges 

may differ in the precise nature and number of 

these committees): 

• College Management Committee 

• College Executive Assembly 

• College Planning and Projects Committee 

• College Tuition and Learner Support Committee 

• College Research Committee 

• College Higher Degrees Committee 

• College Marketing Committee 

• College Short Learning Programme Committee 

• College Quality Assurance and Advancement of 

Technology Committee 

• Cooperative Education Committee 

The various College Committees are also supported 

by School and Departmental Committees 

which address strategic issues at an operational level. 

These include: School Management Committee, 

School Tuition Committee, Departmental Executive 

Committee, Tuition Committee, Research Committee 

and Higher Degrees Committee. 

The College structures contribute to the University’s 

academic strengths by ensuring the effective 

execution of the 2015 Strategic Plan and by contributing 

towards a well structured and resourced 

University. Unisa is mindful that structures cannot be 

static and has therefore created a flexible environment 

that can adapt to changing times and circumstances 

but that is nevertheless able to support its 

strategic vision. 

48


Participating in the CoL 

trial audit in 2007 were 

Prof K Osam (University 

of Ghana), Dr F Rodrigues 

(University of Ghana), 

Dr W Clarke-Okah (Commonwealth 

of Learning), 

Prof B Pityana (Principal 

and Vice-Chancellor), 

Prof N Mathabe (Pro Vice- 

Chancellor), Mr A Wong 

(Hong Kong University), 

Dr R Mills (St Edmund’s 

College, Cambridge, UK), 

Mrs S Stewart (panel secretary 

and head scribe), 

Dr R Butcher (Open University 

of Hong Kong) and 

Ms Z Varoglu (UNESCO). 

ACADEMIC PLANNING, 

ACCREDITATION AND 

QUALITY ASSURANCE 

To foster academic quality assurance Unisa has 

consistently participated in national and regional 

policy development, submitting institutional inputs 

on processes such as the HEQF, and the discourse 

on active students, amongst others. Contributions 

were also made to the harmonisation of seven 

policies and processes for teaching and learning. 

In addition, Unisa has consistently advocated the 

inculcation of ODL criteria into evolving institutional 

planning and quality assurance frameworks 

and activities. Through partnership with NADEOSA, 

the minimum standards for quality ODL delivery 

have been generated and aligned to the existing 

frameworks. 

The rollout of the HEQC national reviews of 

higher education institutions has resulted in a 

heightened awareness, and a more critical understanding 

of the key components of quality teaching 

and learning. The conscious investment in 

iterative planning processes has resulted in significantly 

improved outputs and almost ‘uncontestable’ 

recommendations for improvements. The 

consequence has been a decreasing number of 

conditions for achieving full and unqualified accreditation 

status. Innovation, excellence and sectoral 

best practice have been rewarded, as in the 

case of the Advanced Certificate in Education 

(ACE) in Mathematics, whereby the Unisa curriculum 

is being reworked into a national curriculum. 

Other examples are the courseware awards for 

excellence from CoL and Nadeosa. 

Unisa submitted written inputs to the SAQA 

study in response to the ‘Draft review recommendations 

on including professional qualifications on 

the NQF’ and was the only higher education institution 

invited to present at the consultative symposium 

during 2006. The period also saw 

systemic analytical refinements with regard to 

codes of conduct for auditors, and a matrix for decision-making 

in determining evaluation outcomes. 

The Commonwealth of Learning (CoL) trial 

audit, held in July 2007, laid a solid foundation for 

the August 2008 HEQC Audit. The CoL theme 

‘Towards a leading edge ODL institution: integration, 

quality and service’ positioned Unisa as an 

Institution that intends becoming a leading-edge, 

quality ODL institution. 

The HEQC theme, ‘Transforming academic & 

institutional identity for excellence in an ODL university’, 

reflected the tenor of Unisa’s transformation 

agenda as encapsulated in the 2015 Strategic 

Plan. The structure of the portfolio was based on 

a critical reinterpretation of the audit framework 

and criteria, and contextualizing Unisa as a com- 

49


prehensive ODL institution. The HEQC Audit Chair, 

commented thus: “Unisa should congratulate itself 

on having conducted two very demanding external 

audits” and expressed appreciation on behalf of the 

entire team for the excellent logistical arrangements. 

In the verbal feedback report by the Chairperson 

of the HEQC Audit Panel, Prof Peter Franks, on 

15 August 2008, the Strategy, Planning and Partnerships 

(SPP) portfolio was congratulated on the 

strategic and conceptual soundness of the visionary 

2015 Strategic Plan, and encouraged to drive the 

tenets of the vision more tangibly throughout the 

Institution, so that "conceptual work may be drilled 

down into Unisa". A key outcome of both processes 

was that several hundred staff from all sectors of 

the University were mobilised to give attention to 

quality assurance matters. The result was a heightened 

awareness all round of quality challenges, and 

a deeper familiarity with the national and institutional 

quality assurance regimen. 

Following the CoL led trial audit, a quality 

improvement plan has been put in place. This will 

be added to organically once the development 

imperatives flowing from the HEQC report are 

distilled and formulated into action imperatives. 

The draft report on the HEQC audit of Unisa is 

expected by June 2009. 

All is set for the CoL t 

rial audit to commence. 

Prof Narend Baijnath 

with colleagues Renche 

van der Merwe and 

Francis Kent. 

Ms L Griesel (Executive 

Director: Strategy, 

Planning and Quality 

Assurance), Dr D Keats 

(University of the 

Western Cape) and 

Mr A Wong (Hong 

Kong University). 

50


RESEARCH AND 

KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION 

The new Unisa’s Research Office, with Prof Mofokeng 

at the helm, in the portfolio Research and 

Planning, came into being as a result of the merging 

of the two research structures of the former 

Unisa and TSA. This small office had to deal with 

an enlarged population of academics, during a 

formative period in the life of the new Institution 

and a challenging time in the South African higher 

education sector. At the instigation of the portfolio 

head, a research strategic plan was developed, 

identifying key strategic challenges facing the new 

Unisa, notably to increase research productivity, 

and to make research more responsive to societal 

needs. A key initiative was the commissioning of a 

research management system. 

Following the departure of Prof Mofokeng at 

the end of his term, Prof Tinyiko Maluleke was 

given the reins of the Research Directorate in October 

2005 as Executive Director. Since then, the 

Research Directorate, in collaboration with the 

Colleges has managed to elevate research to a 

high level of significance in the new Unisa. This has 

been accompanied by a mindset and psychological 

shift that has occurred over the past five years with 

regards to research, as borne out in the output 

analysis below. 

RESEARCH OUTPUTS 

COLLEGE/SCHOOL/ 2004 2005 2006 2007 

DEPARTMENT 

% % % % 

Growth Growth Growth Growth 

Articles 2003- Articels 2004- Articles 2005- Articles 2006- 

2004 2005 2006 2007 

Total for Institution 470.54 19.16 502.26 6.74 564.70 12.43 522.75 -7.43 

Hugenot College 1.50 0.00 0.00 -100.00 2.50 250.00 2.00 -20.00 

Graduate School for 

Business Leadership 2.33 21.99 0.33 -85.84 5.67 1618.18 9.47 67.02 

Administrative & 

Specialist Departments 8.33 233.20 6.08 -27.01 9.84 61.84 22.70 130.69 

College of Economic 

& Management Sciences 46.89 65.11 68.76 46.64 72.10 4.86 55.01 -23.70 

College of Agriculture 

and Natural Resources 3.16 316.00 4.16 31.65 8.08 94.23 6.85 -15.22 

College of 

Human Sciences 213.64 8.95 249.83 16.94 279.25 11.78 254.90 -8.72 

College of Science, 

Engineering & Technology 30.99 7.57 29.61 -4.45 28.10 -5.10 22.32 -20.57 

College of Law 163.70 20.67 143.49 -12.35 159.16 10.92 149.50 -6.07 

51


The Thuthuka programme, which falls within 

the Institutional Capacity Development Directorate 

of the National Research Foundation (NRF), 

funds young researchers under the age of 45 

within the following sub-programmes: Researchers 

in Training (RiT), Women-in-Research 

(WiR) and the Research Development Initiative for 

Black Academics (REDIBA). The partnership initiative 

between the NRF and Unisa is specifically 

aimed at addressing equity in research development, 

by targeting Black and women researchers 

below the age of forty-five (45). To achieve this 

goal it utilises a funding formula where Unisa 

matches every rand that the NRF awards. The 

Thuthuka programme was launched at Unisa in 

2001, with just one grant holder. In 2008 this figure 

had grown to a group of 177 active researchers 

in various disciplines who have been 

recipients to this prestigious award. More detailed 

demographic breakdowns are as follows: 

The Research Directorate led the effort that 

resulted in a successful bid for a SARChI Chair in 

2008. Unisa now boast a SARChI Chair in Development 

Education, whose incumbent is Prof 

Catherine Odora Hoppers. Although the incumbent 

is placed in the College of Human Sciences, 

this chair is a University hub and point of ferment 

for interdisciplinary research in the broad fields of 

development, education, African Renaissance and 

Indigenous Knowledge Systems. The University is 

already beginning to reap the fruits of its impact in 

revitalising our research culture, postgraduate education 

and research publications. 

From the first year of the merger, the question 

of the primary identity of the new Institution 

became crucial. No issue has occupied a more 

central place in Unisa discussions than that of the 

identity of Unisa as an ODL institution. ODL 

research has therefore become a crucial and overarching 

University project. To this end, Unisa has 

established the Institute for ODL, one of whose 

main aims is to promote OLD research. The 

Research Directorate is a critical partner in this. 

Together, they are currently engaging in a process 

of identifying already published ODL research at 

Unisa, which will be used as a basis for further 

ODL research. In the future, ODL research will also 

be included in the University’s capacity building 

activities. 

Research training is a multifaceted approach 

to developing young, old and aspiring researchers. 

Over the years, the Research Directorate has 

established an adequate training platform for 

researchers at various stages of development. 

Since 2004, a series of research training workshops 

covering research topics ranging from qualitative 

research proposal designs, data collection, 

capturing and analysis of data, the use of Statistical 

Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS), dissertation 

writing, writing for publication and research supervision 

have been organised. The workshops are 

facilitated by established and carefully selected 

researchers from Unisa and other universities. 

Beginning with sporadic initiatives in 2004, 2005 

and 2006, from 2007 onwards the Research 

Directorate lined up an annual suite of a variety of 

such training events. 

THUTUKA PROGRAMME RESEARCHERS 

Female Female Male Male Grand 

Black Coloured Indian White Total Black Coloured Indian White Total Total 

2001 1 1 1 

2003 1 9 10 4 1 5 15 

2004 2 1 16 19 7 1 8 27 

2005 2 1 18 21 8 1 2 11 32 

2006 8 1 17 26 7 1 2 2 12 38 

2007 5 1 18 24 9 1 1 1 12 36 

2008 4 2 13 19 5 1 2 1 9 28 

Grand 

Total 21 3 4 91 119 41 6 7 4 58 177 

52


DEMOGRAPHIC ILLUSTRATIONS AND PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Black Coloured Indian White 

In 2008, the majority (62%) of the participants 

were females with males accounting for 

38% of the participants. The majority (53%) of 

the participants were Black, while Coloureds (3%) 

were the least participating race. The distribution 

of race groups is shown in the figure below: 

Research continues to bloom at Unisa, with 

2008 being a year of significant achievement. 

Unisa enjoyed a record number of applications for 

ratings: a total of 43. Research outputs continued 

to increase along with a similar increase in the 

growth of women in research at Unisa, and a 

number of events were held to acknowledge and 

encourage our researchers, especially women researchers. 

The annual research publication has 

also generated much interest and acclaim. Given 

the need to increase research outputs, the Institution 

is considering innovations such as dedicated 

research professors and niche research areas. 

Prof Mandla Makhanya and 

Prof Tinyiko Maluleka 

with the 2007 Research 

Report. 

Front: Profs Tinyiko 

Maluleka (Executive 

Director: Research), 

Catherine Hoppers (first 

incumbent of the SARChI 

Chair in Development 

Education), and Barney 


Vice-Chancellor); back: 

Profs Rita Maré (Vice- 

Principal: Academic and 

Research) and Mandla 

Makhanya (Pro Vice- 

Chancellor). 

53


UNISA GRADUATE SCHOOL 

OF BUSINESS LEADERSHIP 

(SBL) 

The Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership 

(SBL) is an autonomous academic department 

within the College of Economic and Management 

Sciences of the University of South Africa. 

It is the Business School of preference for 

students and staff owing to its state-of-the-art 

product offerings which include the following formal 

programmes: the Masters in Business Leadership 

(MBL), the Masters in Business Administration 

(MBA), as well as the Doctorate in Business Leadership 

(DBL). The SBL also offers a range of executive 

development programmes, management and 

project management as well as labour relations 

programmes. 

As a world-class academic institution with a 

vision to be the leading African Business School of 

choice offering internationally recognised leadership 

and management education, the SBL is proud 

of its achievements and the acknowledgement 

received by its academics internationally. 

In 2005, SBL Project Management lecturer, 

Prof PD Rwelamila, was rated as the world’s 

second most cited academic and researcher in 

project management world-wide. This was according 

to intensive research carried out at the 

Arizona State University on procurement systems 

and publication across the world. In May 2006, the 

Master in Business Administration received 

accreditation from the Council of Higher Education, 

making it the first MBA in South Africa to be 

offered entirely online. 

SBL strides towards achieving its vision and 

has created sizeable footprints in Africa. Early in 

2008, the MBL was launched in Ethiopia to a huge 

audience and was followed by a first year registration 

intake of 197 students. The programme is 

now in its second year, with a sizeable number of 

students already registered for the January 2009 

intake. 

The School continued to build on our vision of 

being the leading business school of choice in 

Africa by developing and delivering to the Nigerian 

Bureau of Public Enterprise a workshop on strategic 

management in September and October 2008. 

The customised training programme ran over a 

period of three weeks and was fully sponsored by 

Prof David Abdulai 

presenting the 

Superbrands award 

to Vice-Chancellor 

Prof Barney Pityana. 

54


the World Bank with the aim of capacitating senior 

managers in the public sector in order to bring 

about effective management of the country’s public 

institutions. 

Furthermore, in 2008 the SBL signed a Memorandum 

of Agreement with the Polytechnic 

of Namibia which outlines a programme of cooperation 

between the two institutions, to offer management 

and leadership development programmes 

to students in Namibia. These programmes will 

commence in June 2009. 

On the stakeholder engagement front, the 

annual Leadership in Practice Award continues to 

grow in stature and credibility, attracting a number 

of prominent alumni, business and captains of industry 

to the awards evening. In 2007 this prestigious 

award was presented to the leading South 

African business stalwart, Cyril Ramaphosa. Previous 

winners of the Award include prominent and 

influential figures such as Mrs Jane Raphaely 

(2004), Mr. Sizwe Nxasana, (2005) and the late 

Mr Eric Molobi (2006). 

The SBL appreciates its stakeholders and understands 

the influence that alumni can have on 

the strength of the SBL brand. As a result, in September 

2008 the SBL hosted its first Alumni 

Homecoming event at its Midrand Campus in 

order to reunite and rekindle networks. The SBL 

aims to make this an annual event. 

The SBL brand has strengthened since 2005, 

and this is evident the increase in student intake 

as well as recognition in the industry. As the only 

autonomous academic faculty within Unisa, the 

SBL unveiled its new brand identity in 2005, 

through which it could reflect its proud history. 

Later in the same year, the SBL was ranked as the 

top school in South Africa by the Markinor/Financial 

Mail rankings. In the 2006 ranking the Sschool 

was ranked as the best South African business 

school in applied research. In 2006 and 2007 the 

SBL was granted prestigious status amongst leading 

global brands, by Superbrands, the leading 

global organisation that promotes the discipline of 

branding and pays tribute to exceptional brands, 

globally. 

Prof David Abdulai 

(middle) with the 

Programme Director 

Ambassador Habisso 

(left) and Deputy 

Ambassador of SA in 

Ethiopia, Mr Sandile 

Schalk (right), during the 

media conference at the 

launch of the second 

MBL intake in Ethiopia. 

55

T H E T U S K S represent Unisa’s strength, heritage and 

stature as a national institution, anchor of learning and 

the mother of many of South Africa’s leading institutions 

of higher learning.

STRENGTHENING SUPP ORT: 

REGISTR ATION AND LE ARNER 

SUPPORT 

REGISTRATION 

THE MERGER IN 2004 brought together two 

of the largest institutions of higher learning in 

South Africa, resulting in a student population in 

excess of 200 000 and a concomitant escalation of 

attendant student administration demands, particularly 

student administration. 

Aligned to the Institution’s purpose of creating 

a single institutional identity, the priority for 

the Directorate: Student Admissions and Registrations 

was the amalgamation of the registrations 

sections and processes of the institutions into a 

single cohesive well-informed unit that could 

handle the full spectrum of qualifications, from 

National Higher Certificate to Doctoral degrees. 

This was not an easy task especially since the 

Programme and Qualifications Mix and College 

calendars remained fairly complex, and the 

pipeline students from the respective institutions 

had to be accommodated until properly phased 

out. 

The dramatically increased student numbers 

strained the Institution’s capacities, exacerbated by 

inadequate physical infrastructure (especially at the 

Muckleneuk Campus), a lack of human resource 

capacity, and multiple tuition models (year and 

semester courses), which resulted in three registration 

periods. 

In 2006 the focus turned to human resources, 

physical infrastructure and integrated systems 

capacities to ensure that operational needs and 

demands were better managed. Further, training 

of all staff, including the regional sites was emphasised 

and quality assurance systems implemented 

to ensure a more streamlined and service-oriented 

process: 

By 2007, with the structure having been 

finalised, improved turnaround times and accessibility 

to technology were added to the list of 

priorities. Thus, 2007 saw inter alia the introduction 

of a web interface for postgraduate College 

registration (the programme for undergraduate 

web registrations was already in place), and the 

implementation of a system that enabled audit 

trails to monitor staff production outputs. As part 

of the drive towards student-centredness, 2007 

also saw the cumbersome institutional calendars 

being replaced with a more user-friendly Registrations 

Information Brochure (RIB) to provide 

essential student information for purposes of registration. 

The Admissions Policy, including re-admissions 

and exemptions, the Policy on the Fee Structure, 

and the Policy on the Recognition of Prior 

Learning were harmonised to reflect the ethos of 

the new Unisa. 

In 2008, a conscious decision was taken to 

overhaul the prevailing registration system in line 

with the Institution’s ODL policy of studentcentredness 

and quality, amongst others. The Vice- 

Chancellor expressed this via a directive to implement 

a technology-driven registrations process at 

a new, dedicated registrations facility on the 

Sunnyside Campus. The instruction was received 

in January 2008 and Council approved the funding 

57

S T R E N G T H E N I N G S U P P O R T : R E G I S T R A T I O N A N D L E A R N E R S U P P O R T 

for the project in April 2008. The new registrations 

building now named the Es’kia Mphahlele 

Registrations Complex was opened on 8 December 

2008. This project and its success are a tribute 

to the teamwork, cooperation and dedication to 

duty of the staff who worked on it. 

The fundamental innovation of the new registrations 

process is that in line with sound ODL 

practice, face-to-face registrations have been virtually 

eliminated to make way for a self-help process 

in which students are directed by advisors, to selfhelp 

computer stations to finalise their own registrations. 

Further, in order to facilitate planning and 

to get prospective students to begin planning for 

their university studies in advance of entering the 

University, the practice of the walk-in student was 

substituted with a pre-registration application 

phase. In another attempt to bridge the transactional 

divide between the University and students, 

Unisa entered into an agreement with the South 

African Post Office in terms of which students 

would be able to submit their registration forms 

and make payments at post offices countrywide. 

With the focus on turnaround time, and to complement 

the online registration process, fee payments 

were also processed in real time as far as 

reasonably possible. 

Given the very tight timeframes, the new registrations 

complex and process is without doubt 

an historical achievement and milestone in the 

new Unisa’s development to a dynamic ODL Institution. 

58


LEARNER SUPPORT 

Amongst others, the Higher Education Act (1997) 

and the National Plan for Higher Education (2001) 

challenged the newly merged Unisa to meet the 

expectations of: 

• Increased participation rate. 

• Increased graduation output. 

• Broadened social base of students. 

• Increased equity in access and success rates. 

In responding to the challenge, Unisa committed 

itself to effective Learner Support as evidenced 

in various strategy documents which emerged 

during the merger phase. Learner Support was defined 

as ‘a variety of integrated activities within administrative, 

academic and socio sub-sytems to 

provide learners with a quality learning experience 

and success’. Evident in this definition is the fact 

that Learner Support may take place through a 

range of activities, a variety of mediums, a range of 

support staff, at geographically dispersed facilities, 

and at varying stages. 

The ODL Policy and the ODL Implementation 

Plan give an indication of how the Institution is fast 

maturing towards creating a new organizational 

philosophy as well as a genuine student-centred 

approach that also optimizes student access to, 

and participation in higher education. The aim is 

to combine a number of delivery options to redress 

the challenges facing the students studying 

at a distance and to prepare them to move 

through their studies successfully. 

For the purposes of effective management, 

the number of Regions was reduced from eight to 

five, post merger. Currently, Regions provide a 

mechanism for the efficient and effective decentralized 

delivery of learner support services in 

pursuit of a quality learning experience, and to 

position the University regionally. These Learner 

Support services can largely be grouped into three 

kinds, namely, Academic Services, Affective 

Support, and Administrative services. 

Over the years the 

Student Representative 

Council participated in 

important institutional 

processes such as 

the development of 

Unisa’s Service Charter 

and the institutional 

plan. 

59


The tutorial programme is one of the services 

that has grown in leaps and bounds since the 

merger; it is destined for further growth and 

consolidation and is being benchmarked against 

the best ODL institutions in the world. From delivery 

at six learning centres in 2004, there is 

currently delivery at 24 learning centres countrywide. 

Nationally, the number of students utilising 

regional servives in the weekly classes has grown 

from about 12% of the total population to at least 

15%. 

This translates to about 40 000 students 

attending weekly classes at various centres. 

The graphic below indicates the steady 

increase in head and course count enrolments for 

tutorial services. Discussion Classes are contact 

sessions that are conducted by the lecturers from 

the main campus who travel to the various centres 

to lecture to students. They are usually once-off 

sessions which can range from three to four hours 

to almost an entire day. From delivery at only 

three to four centres, the academics have begun to 

spread their services to at least eight centres. 

In 2008 about 1 000 sessions were conducted by 

academics. The graphic below illuminates the 

spread and reach of this intervention. 

STUDENT ENROLMENT TRENDS 

800 000 

700 000 

600 000 

500 000 

400 000 

300 000 

200 000 

100 000 

0 

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

■ Course Count 44 607 56 571 60 553 64 642 73 547 

■ Head Count 17 656 22 413 24 054 25 919 30 464 

NUMBER OF DISCUSSION CLASS SESSIONS (JAN - OCT 2008) 

360 

340 

320 

300 

280 

260 

240 

220 

200 

180 

160 

140 

120 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

Bloemfontein 24 

Cape Town 256 

Durban 333 

East London 32 

Florida 36 

Mthatha 7 

Polokwane 111 

Pietermaritzburg 6 

Kimberley 2 

Israel 1 

Port Elizabeth 8 

Nelspruit 9 

Mafikeng 4 

Rustenburg 8 

60


‘Academic literacies’ is a fairly new development 

which involves facilitators assisting students 

on a range of literacies, namely reading and 

writing, quantitative literacy and information 

literacy. Workshops, as well as one-on-one consultations 

are conducted. 

The Peer Collaborative Learning (PCLs) 

programme provides senior students who have 

excelled in their own studies with an opportunity 

to ‘mentor’ first-year students who come into the 

system. The PCL leaders provide invaluable social 

support for the first-year students, and many PCLs 

who become ‘apprenticed’ to the tutors go on to 

become tutors themselves. In 2008 there were 

90 PCL leaders at nine centres. 

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is aimed at 

assisting students with relevant placement in the 

workplaces so that they can comply with the 

requirements of experiential learning linked to the 

theoretical aspects of their study. A pilot to 

appoint WIL Monitors to supervise the work of the 

students in their work-based placements was 

rolled out in 2008. 

In line with the Unisa 2015 Strategic Plan 

objective that seeks to ‘establish service-orientated, 

technology-enhanced learner support’, the 

following Technology Enhanced Learning support 

is now available at various learning centres: computer 

laboratories (ICDL and general access laboratories), 

digital learner support (satellite television 

broadcasting, audio-and video-conferencing), and 

myUnisa, a learning/teaching management platform 

to support students and academics. 

Counselling Services (curriculum, career and 

personal) are provided by qualified counsellors 

through face-to-face consultation, via e-mail, or 

telephonically. Students can also access information 

via a website or from booklets published by 

this unit. 

Other Learner Support services include Peer 

Help services; the Financial Aid Bureau (NSFAS 

loan scheme and other financial aid schemes); 

Library Service; Student Administration (applications, 

registrations, dispatch, assessments, graduations); 

Student Assessment (assignments and 

examinations); Advocacy and Resource Centre 

for Students with Disabilities; and study spaces for 

students at the Learning Centres. 

61


In a systems-driven ODL context, Learner 

Support plays a pivotal role in the formation of a 

bridge between the student and the Institution, 

the student and the lecturer, the student and the 

courseware and the student and other students. 

The ODL model presents Unisa with many complex 

challenges as well as exciting possibilities 

which include making all Learner Support activities 

accessible to all students, flexible and accommodating 

office hours, innovative assessment 

processes, and the creative and balanced use of 

human and electronic resources to support learning 

and teaching. 

UNISA LIBRARY 

service ‘Question Point’ to enhance access to information 

and improve responses on information 

searches and queries was among the first of these. 

Also in 2004, the Electronic Theses and Dissertations 

Web-based storage and retrieval system was 

launched in collaboration with other African institutions. 

The Library also launched the digitalised 

Arthur Northe Collection, making this valuable 

collection accessible anywhere, any time. 

To improve study material request services to 

clients a workflow programme, known as LibFlow 

was implemented. As part of its community 

engagement outreach, the Library assisted in the 

establishment of a community library service at 

The Unisa Library has grown significantly 

since the integration of the resources 

and services of the three libraries of the 

merging institutions. Integrated library 

and information services, and access to 

information resources and services are 

essential for the attainment of superior 

academic skills in higher education. 

Unisa has accordingly made ample provision 

for the development, expansion 

and maintenance of library and information 

services. The Unisa Library is a valued 

asset of the University and draws on 

the best models of university libraries 

worldwide. 

The fundamental principle of distance 

education library services is that 

the services and resources must meet 

the needs of all learners, researchers and 

academics, professional and administrative 

staff, regardless of where they are 

located. Ensuring the delivery of equivalent 

library services to clients in remote 

areas has been the primary motivation 

for establishing and maintaining an 

enhanced postal service. Support to 

learners and staff in the Regions is provided 

through branch libraries and partnerships 

with the community libraries. 

There have been several initiatives 

to develop and spread the services of the 

Unisa Library since 2004. The implementation 

of an electronic information 

62


the Marula Sun Hotel and Casino. Ongoing 

support and training is provided as required. 

The Library also opened a branch in support 

of Unisa’s Akaki campus in Ethiopia, providing 

students with online access to information. 

Material requested, which is not available online, 

is delivered by courier service. 

During 2008, the Library successfully planned 

and developed the Unisa Institutional Repository 

Pilot based on open access principles. The Library’s 

proposal to develop a repository was approved 

and included in the Institutional Operational Plan 

as part of Unisa’s research strategy. The pilot has 

paved the way for the establishment of a comprehensive 

repository for Unisa that will preserve, 

manage and disseminate locally produced intellectual 

output and research in electronic format and 

create a coherent view of Unisa research outputs. 

In support of research and research outputs, the 

Library has also dedicated research space with 

managed access and wireless connections. 

In support of its strategic direction, Unisa 

Management put in a bid to host the IFLA 

Regional Office for Africa. This bid was awarded 

to Unisa and strategic funds were allocated to the 

office for a three-year period. A regional manager 

was appointed and the Unisa Library hosted the 

opening of the IFLA Regional Office for Africa at a 

prestigious function on the Muckleneuk campus 

on 15 February 2008. 

In the first Staff Satisfaction Index conducted 

at Unisa, the Library received a score of 5.2 out of 

7 in the service rating of departments. The Library 

was rated as ‘excellent’ in regard to service to 

clients. Students also consistently rate the service 

of the Library highly. 

The Library’s Service Charter was developed 

through a consultative process with stakeholders 

and Library staff. The Charter was derived from 

the strategies, vision and mission of the University 

and is aligned with the Unisa Service Charter. 

The Library has launched a dedicated reading 

room at the Centre for African Renaissance Studies 

to promote Multi-Inter and Transdisciplinary research, 

teaching, and publications and to further 

advance Unisa’s cause as a graduate academic institution 

focusing on African Renaissance Studies, 

amongst others. 

The Library has steadily increased its collections, 

and in particular its holdings of electronic 

resources. Full-text e-journals now represent 88% 

of the number of full-text journals available to 

users. Since 2004 a constant growth in the budget 

for e-resources has been maintained. There was 

also growth in the number of patrons registered 

with the library as indicated in the graph below. 

Statistical information on growth of collections, 

e-resources (including budget) and patrons. 

GROWTH IN E-JOURNAL COLLECTION VS PRINT 

88% – E-Journals 

12% – Print Journals 

SYSTEM RECORDS: GROWTH OF THE DATABASE 

Date Library Records Item Records Patron Records 

2009 1 223 873 2 536 842 622 020 

2008 1 206 975 2 497 899 450 646 

2007 1 191 349 2 470 680 356 016 

2006 1 167 726 2 434 255 283 678 

2005 1 144 034 2 396 148 349 728 

63


REGIONAL INFRASTRUC- 

TURE AND SERVICES 

Since 2004, Unisa has improved and increased its 

services to students and clients wherever they are. 

The expansion of services has been made possible 

through the evolution and re-defining of the 

Regions post-merger and the establishment of 

new learning centres and infrastructural developments. 

Unisa has five Regions in South Africa, 

namely, the Cape Coastal, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu 

Natal (KZN), Midlands, and North Eastern. The 

University also established a regional office in 

Ethiopia. Regions have grown significantly since 

the merger. 

Table 1 below illustrates growth of Regions 

since the merger. 

TABLE 1: A FIVE-YEAR REGIONAL GROWTH OUTLOOK 

Region Student Numbers Staff members (permanent) 

2004 2008 % 2004 2008 % 

growth 

growth 

Cape Coastal 31 306 40 200 28% *** 59 *** 

Gauteng 88 957 104 292 21% 17** 109 129% 

KZN 35 427 64 824 83% 56 84 50% 

Midlands 21 632 28 780 33% 32 (2006)* 40 25% 

North Eastern 16 078 34 333 113% 49 (2006)* 57 16% 

Ethiopia 97 (2007)* 538 455% 06 (2006)* 12 100% 

Note: * The values used for the calculations are those for the year indicated in brackets. 

** The indicated number of staff is only of the former TSA as the number of the former 

Unisa staff was not readily available. 

*** There is a non-availability of the number of staff for the previous years. 

LIMPOPO 

Polokwane 

NORTH EASTERN REGION 

Rustenburg 

Mafikeng 

Pretoria 

GAUTENG REGION 

NORTH WEST 

Nelspruit 

MPUMALANGA 

NORTHERN CAPE 

MIDLANDS REGION 

FREE STATE 

Kimberley 

Bloemfontein 

Newcastle 

KWAZULU-NATAL 

REGION 

Pietermaritzburg 

Durban 

Mtatha 

CAPE 

COASTAL REGION 

WESTERN CAPE 

EASTERN CAPE 

East London 

Cape Town 

Port Elizabeth 

64


The Regions have developed enormously in 

terms of infrastructural expansion geared at the 

provision of services to students. The service centres 

available in the regions are shown in Table 2. 

The Regions have diversified and increased 

the range of services provided to students 

throughout the country. Students from the neighbouring 

states either visit the adjacent offices or 

are serviced through the University’s licensees. 

The menu of services provided in the different regions 

is listed below: 

The Regions render services in their different 

Hubs, Regional Service Centres and Agencies. The 

development and evolution of Learner Support 

has increased in line with infrastructural develop- 

ment in the Regions, post merger. The available 

infrastructure includes, among others, the administration 

offices, libraries, study areas, toasters, selfhelp 

registration centres, tutorial and group 

discussion rooms, computer centres, literacies, 

reading and writing centres, video-conference facilities, 

satellite delivery equipment and venues, 

edu-trailer (Cape Town), examination venues 

throughout South Africa and the neighbouring 

states, and pool vehicles for staff transport. Regions 

also embark on partnerships and collaborative 

ventures with other institutions, such as the 

FET Colleges, other higher education institutions, 

churches and the public and private sector organisations 

to source facilities for use by our students. 

TABLE 2: REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE CENTRES 

Region Hub Regional Agencies Areas serviced 

Service Centres 

Cape Coastal Parow Umtata Port Elizabeth Western Cape Province 

East London George Eastern Cape Province 

Namibia* 

Gauteng Pretoria Johannesburg Vaal Triangle Gauteng Province 

Florida 

Ekuhruleni 

KZN Durban Pietermaritzburg Richards Bay KZN Province 

Newcastle Wild Coast Eastern Cape Province 

Midlands Rustenburg Bloemfontein Kroonstad North West Province 

Kimberly Mafikeng Free State Province 

Potchefstroom Northern Cape Province 

Lesotho* 

Botswana* 

North Eastern Polokwane Nelspruit Makhado Limpopo Province 

Middelburg Giyani Mpumalanga Province 

Mozambique* 

Swaziland 

Zimbabwe* 

Ethiopia Addis Ababa - - Countrywide (Ethiopia) 

NB: * denotes the neighbouring state(s) serviced by the respective Region. 

65

T H E C A L A B A S H – an African symbol of generosity – 

hospitality and sharing, represents Unisa’s awareness of 

its social responsibility to service humanity.

REINFORC ING THE 

SUPE R STRU C T U RE: 

RESOURCES, TECHN OLO GY 

AND PEOPLE 

FINANCE AND ESTATES 

AS WITH OTHER SUPPORT SYSTEMS, the 

merger presented Finance with major challenges, 

as well as opportunities, in regard to steering the 

Institution through difficult times. On the operational 

level, business demanded attention to 

systems and staff integration, as well as compliance 

with South African Standards of Generally 

Accepted Accounting Practice (SA GAAP) and 

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). 

This was managed with a large degree of success 

as evidenced in the unqualified annual independent 

audit reports. At a strategic level significant 

progress has been made with the development 

and implementation of appropriate systems, 

procedures and policies, all aimed at ensuring the 

long-term financial viability of the University. 

Some of the significant achievements over the 

past five years include the following: 

• The implementation of consolidated budgeting 

and Strategic Resource Allocation Model 

(SRAM). 

• Operating surpluses have been recorded in each 

of the five years since the merger, mainly attributable 

to effective financial control and management. 

• The implementation of Activity Based Costing 

and Management (ABC/M). 

• Unisa is one of the few, if not the only tertiary 

institution in SA, that uses a scientific base for 

fee calculations (pricing model). 

• Investment income has increased from R121.8 

million to R273 million (unaudited) – a growth 

of some 124.1%. During this period the investment 

strategy was revised, reducing the exposure 

to equity from 70% to 45%. The positive 

effects of this decision (particularly seen against 

the background of the current turmoil in global 

financial markets) are reflected in the annual 

financial statements. 

• Unisa’s total asset base increased from R2.802 

billion in 2004 to the current R5.419 billion 

(unaudited) at the end of 2008. 

• The liquidation of Post Retirement Medical Aid 

and Leave liabilities. 

Integration of data from the ITS System used by 

the former TSA into the Oracle system used by 

Unisa presented a major challenge. Over the past 

five years the existing Oracle system has been 

upgraded and thus enhanced, the Unisa in-house 

student system has been linked to the Oracle 

system and new Oracle modules have been introduced. 

The system is evaluated on a continuous 

basis to ensure a system that is operational, value 

adding, easy to use and efficient. The Oracle 

Financial System includes many programmed procedures 

that have made manual controls obsolete. 

One such example is that no expenses can be 

incurred unless there are sufficient funds available 

in the budget of the relevant Responsibility Centre 

(RC). This functionality takes away the process of 

manually checking available funds on a budget when 

a requisition is raised on the operational budgets. 

67

R E I N F O R C I N G T H E S U P E R S T R U C T U R E : R E S O U R C E S , T E C H N O L O G Y A N D P E O P L E 

One of the challenges presented by the 

merger was to come up with an integrated budget 

model that is aligned with the overall strategy of 

the University. Prior to the merger and for the first 

year of the merger, the budget was a fairly simple 

process, whereby budget managers were merely 

invited to submit their budgets on Excel spreadsheets 

along the lines of a provided set of budget 

guidelines. These budgets were then consolidated 

by the Directorate: Budgets & Management Accounting 

(DBMA) - an extremely arduous and 

time-consuming process. 

The 2005 budget was a more consolidated 

effort in that it placed more emphasis on the various 

portfolios in place at the time. The portfoliobased 

approach for the 2005 budget was the first 

of a number of steps taken to streamline and improve 

the budget process. It was, however, still a 

drawn-out paper-based exercise. In order to address 

this challenge, in the first quarter of 2005 

DBMA invested in idu, a web-based budget software 

system, in time for the 2006 budget. 

The budget software enabled budget managers 

to submit their budgets from their desktops 

onto a separate, dedicated central server, from 

where the information is consolidated electronically 

for use by the DBMA. This process shortened 

the whole budget process by about one month. 

The software also incorporates a Management Information 

System (MIS) functionality, enabling 

budget managers to make enquiries into their 

budgets online, instead of having to enquire about 

transactions and other relevant information from 

the DBMA. 

Upon completion of the 2006 budget, it was 

agreed that the time was ripe for the development 

of an integrated Strategic Resource Allocation 

Model (SRAM). This preceded the process of 

embarking on a fully-fledged investigation into and 

implementation of Activity Based Costing and 

Management (ABC/M). During 2005/6 the SRAM 

Model was developed and approved for implementation 

with effect from the 2007 financial year. 

The SRAM is a budget tool for focusing the allocation 

of resources into those value chain activities 

critical to strategic success. Some activities in the 

value chain are always more critical to strategic 

success than others. The SRAM takes this into 

account and structures the allocation of resources 

so as to support the core business, the primary 

academic support and the secondary support 

functions of the University. Planning the proper 

allocation of resources is the key to the successful 

implementation of the University’s 2015 

Strategic Plan. 

The SRAM methodology includes rules for 

allocating resources, terms of reference, and a 

strategic matrix. The SRAM is a set of decision 

rules for allocating resources to the executives 

to ensure that the University uses its resources 

efficiently and responsively. 

The primary purpose of Unisa’s ABC 

model was to determine the consumption of 

costs by products and services and improve the 

standard of service and product delivery. With 

this aim in mind, Unisa’s ABC model was 

designed to define the business processes and 

activities associated with both core and noncore 

business functions within the Institution. 

Unisa aligned these processes and activities 

with the Higher Education Programme Classification 

Structure, a prerequisite for higher education 

reporting purposes, during the initial 

design of the model. This structure gave added 

reporting capabilities to the model and enabled 

Unisa to embark on future benchmarking 

initiatives with other local and foreign higher 

education institutions. 

The Boston Consulting Group matrix (BCG 

matrix) was linked to the model, and this assisted 

in determining the viability of certain products 

and services. During the 2005 budgeting 

process, Unisa linked the various ABM processes 

to the strategic objectives of the Institution. 

This in turn, resulted in a budgeted cost 

per strategic objective; a proactive move 

towards full Activity-Based Budgeting. 

As with any ABC/M implementation, such 

an initiative was not without its hurdles. Firstly, 

within the South African Higher education 

Sector, systems are structured and designed to 

support the requirements of the Department 

of Education and therefore focus mainly on 

external, rather than internal, reporting. 

Secondly, because cost data is gathered by 

general ledger account rather than by activity, 

the implementation is time-consuming and can 

result in rising costs. 

TOTAL PROPERTY 

PORTFOLIO 2008 

3% 

11% 

17% 

69% 

Alterations 

8,468m 2 

Investments 

34,344m 2 

Regions 

52,621m 2 

Gauteng 

208,0268m 2 

68


Employee participation and management support 

are also critical success factors for any ABC/M 

implementation. Unisa struggled with adequate 

driver information, as the information was not 

available on the current MIS systems. Lastly, the 

most important hurdle was the level of the ABC 

implementation and its strategic intent. Changing 

the model after implementation results in rising 

costs which could be saved if the strategic intent or 

aim had been clearly defined at the outset of 

implementation. 

In the past, Unisa responded to economic 

challenges by trying harder to balance the budget, 

reduce costs, and to increase enrolments, thus disregarding 

one of the most important elements of 

business, namely pricing. Historically neither the 

old TSA nor the old Unisa had a scientific pricing 

instrument that focused on sound strategic financial 

management decisions that could have a 

major impact on the achievement of strategic 

objectives and on financial performance. For the 

2005 budget, a fully scientific pricing mechanism 

was developed and introduced by the Directorate: 

Special Projects in the Department of Finance 

(FDSP). This mechanism took cognizance of the 

actual costs of presenting the various courses, and 

of the emphasis of the Department of Education 

(DoE) on certain fields such as Science and Technology, 

etc. 

To ensure that the new Institution was able 

to meet its strategic objectives and maintain its 

financial viability, it became increasingly important 

that the financial aspects be addressed adequately. 

Unisa does not measure financial performance by 

annual profits. Factors such as declining state 

subsidies and increasing costs make it impossible 

to achieve certain financial objectives. However, in 

order to execute Unisa’s objective as stated in the 

Strategic Plan, it is imperative that the Institution 

is financially stable and resource sustainable, and 

as such, it must operate increasingly like a business. 

ABC was implemented to help the new Institution 

sound data on the costs of their range of 

activities and to assist in setting prices for courses 

on a justifiable basis. The approved pricing instrument 

emphasises that pricing decisions can often 

be complex in nature and a range of different 

factors, not just costs, need to be taken into 

account. Thus, in order to make sound pricing decisions 

and assist with the pricing process, the 

FDSP obtained additional information about markets, 

student growth, government funding and 

other aspects of pricing. Unisa is at the forefront 

of the development, implementation and maintenance 

of a pricing model relevant to a world 

class ODL Institution, and ensuring its long-term 

sustainability. 

Dr Mathews Phosa 

(Chairperson: 

Unisa Council) and 

Prof Barney Pityana 

(Principal and Vice- 

Chancellor) at the 

opening of Building 15 

on the Sunnyside 

Campus. 

69


INFRASTRUCTURE AND 

DEVELOPMENT 

The Unisa property and estates portfolio is vast, 

comprising a variety of land and buildings, including 

65 owned buildings with an assignable space 

of 273 800m 2 and an estimated market value of 

around R2 billion. In addition, approximately 25 

buildings (30 000m 2 ) are leased, predominantly to 

support the regional infrastructure. This portfolio 

represents more than half of Unisa’s assets, and 

consumes a substantial percentage of its annual 

operational and capital budget. 

To ensure a best-value estate for Unisa, while 

improving the aesthetic and functional capacity of 

its buildings, a comprehensive Property Plan was 

developed during 2005, to give direction to the 

development of the estate for the next ten years. 

This Property Plan highlighted some imbalances in 

the allocation and use of space, and goals were set 

to rectify these imbalances. The Property Plan laid 

the foundation for ensuring that Unisa’s infrastructure 

and facilities support the University’s core 

business and match its image as a progressive, dynamic 

and people-friendly African university. The 

Property Plan provides for optimal space utilisation, 

comprehensive maintenance, and construction 

and renovation projects. It is revised on a regular 

basis to keep track of the objectives and goals 

of the University’s vision to become the African 

University in the service of humanity. 

One of the major achievements since the approval 

of the 2005-2015 Property Plan is the 

commencement of construction of the new entrance 

building on the Muckleneuk campus. The 

purpose of the building is to project the vision of 

the University and its mission as an ODL institution 

by creating a first and lasting impression on entry 

to the campus, promoting Unisa as the University 

of South Africa, serving as an information hub and 

promoting safety and security throughout the 

campus. Phase one of the project, comprising the 

construction of the platform, was completed in 

2007 and the building phase is currently in 

progress, with expected completion by the end of 

2009. The estimated cost of this project is R219 

million. 

Another major achievement is the construction 

of the new registration building on the Sunnyside 

campus. This was a fast-tracked project which 

only commenced in April 2008, with a budgeted 

cost of R158 million. The development of the 

Sunnyside campus as a student hub is well underway. 

The renovation of building 15 has been com- 

The sod-turning 

ceremony of the 

new entrance building 

in August 2007. 

70


Architects impression 

of the new entrance 

building. 

pleted and buildings 13 and 14 will be completed 

during the course of 2009 and 2010. The buildings 

will provide for the ever-growing student 

needs of the University by providing registration 

and information services, study space, computer 

laboratories and other student facilities. 

The southern portion of the Sunnyside campus 

(referred to as Sunnytown) will be developed 

in partnership with Zenprop and will include a 

Graduate Centre, a Genocide and Holocaust Centre 

and Museum, with a monument to be known 

as the Eternal Flame of the Human Spirit, as well 

as commercial buildings. 

The refurbishment of the Concert Hall at Sunnyside 

campus and the Film Auditorium in the 

Theo van Wyk building, at a cost of R11 million, 

led to the Film Auditorium being regarded as one 

of the best of its kind in Africa. These venues have 

since been renamed the Enoch Sontonga Conference 

Hall and the Miriam Makeba Concert Hall. 

The upgrading of levels 2, 4, 5 and 6 in the OR 

Tambo building led to the consolidation and 

improvement of the operations of a number of 

support departments of the University. 

Progress was made towards the upgrading 

and refurbishing of Unisa’s regional centres, and 

feasibility studies were conducted for the expansion 

and alterations at Parow, Durban, Pietermaritzburg 

and Polokwane. This was necessitated by 

the increasing amount of young students requiring 

study space on a full-time basis. Four projects for 

the expansion of study areas in Polokwane, Durban, 

Sunnyside and Parow are being partly funded with 

a grant of R100 million from the Department of 

Education for the improvement of infrastructure 

and the efficiency of Unisa’s regional facilities. 

The Management of Unisa took the strategic 

decision to establish a newly-developed and 

purpose-built Science Hub at its Florida campus. 

During the latter part of 2008 this was partly 

realised by the relocation of CAES to Florida, and 

the appointment of a Project Team for the 

construction of highly specialised and customised 

laboratories required to accommodate the needs 

of the Science Colleges. 

All construction projects are planned and executed 

in line with the Unisa 2015: An agenda for 

transformation and the Property Plan is regularly 

updated to ensure that changing needs and trends 

are catered for. The depressed financial climate has 

also impelled further caution in our approach. 

71


HUMAN RESOURCES AND 

STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND 

WELLNESS 

Unisa’s vision and its core values of integrity, social 

justice and fairness, and excellence, attest to the 

centrality of human resource development in carrying 

out its mandate as an Institution. The Unisa 

2015 Strategic Plan further acknowledges the importance 

of Unisa’s people in implementing this vision 

and mandate. At the same time, Unisa’s 

human resources are identified as one of its main 

internal challenges, specifically in respect of the 

representivity of Unisa’s general staff complement 

(especially its academic staff); difficulty in attracting 

and retaining high-quality black academic staff; 

and the importance of succession planning, skills 

transfer and accelerated development given that 

many of Unisa’s staff are nearing retirement. 

1 January 2004 heralded an era of seemingly 

insurmountable challenges in the Human Resources 

Department. This was underscored by the 

need to retain the different and non-aligned 

human resource policies, processes and procedures 

of the merger partners while the new Conditions 

of Employment could be negotiated, 

approved and applied. 

The University Council approved a new structure 

for the merged Unisa on 1 October 2005, 

after extensive and arduous consultation with all 

stakeholders. The purpose of such wide consultations 

was to develop a comprehensive but cost-effective 

structure that is geared to supporting the 

achievement of the strategic goals of the University. 

The approval process culminated in the confirmation 

and placement of management down to 

the level of Directors. 

At the same time, the process of harmonising 

the existing conditions of service, policies and key 

human resources processes began in earnest. The 

proposed new Conditions of Employment, benchmarked 

against the best in the higher education 

sector, were successfully negotiated and agreed to 

for implementation with effect from 1 October 

2007. In conjunction with the successful agreement 

on these new Conditions of Employment, 

the University counts amongst many of its successes 

a robust, yet employee-centred placement 

process and a voluntary staff adjustment process 

that was geared towards retaining scarce skills, 

thereby safeguarding the operational effectiveness 

of the Institution. 

A new and comprehensive Remuneration 

Policy was also introduced for managing the cost 

of employment, with performance based pay and 

72


Colleagues enjoying a 

lighter moment during 

the IPMS workshop. 

market related salaries that ensured that the University 

would remain a preferred employer in the 

higher education sector. Further innovations include 

an Integrated Performance Management 

System (IPMS), a successful Training and Development 

Management Framework, accelerated development 

programmes such as a Young Academics 

Programme, the ICT Academy and an Executive 

Development Programme. 

On the recruitment front, the University has 

made significant strides in engaging and retaining 

several top rated academics, researchers and high 

calibre executives. In keeping with its tradition of 

excellence Unisa continues to explore flexible employment 

innovations such as the ‘professors 

working from home’ project, shared appointments 

with other universities and research institutions, 

and retention and succession interventions in 

order to sustain itself amidst the local, continental 

and global war for talent. 

On employee wellness, the University remains 

true to its ethos of being a caring employer, 

providing wellness programmes and facilities, such 

as the campus clinic. Other facilities and services 

rendered as part of employee wellness are HIV 

voluntary counselling and testing, HIV/Aids impact 

assessment, prevention campaigns, consulting, 

counselling and advocacy. An annual Health and 

Wellness Day is observed where health awareness 

is raised and employees are encouraged to adopt 

healthy lifestyles and deal with stress. Similarly, an 

annual Aids Day is observed and several awareness 

campaigns have been launched. A draft Integrated 

Employee Assistance Strategy has also been developed, 

which seeks to expand and centralise the 

services currently rendered. 

The Human Resources Department has, over 

the past five years put in place the firm foundations 

of a human resource management function 

geared to fulfil the vision and mission of the new 

Unisa. As custodian of the workforce, its challenges 

now turn to optimal service delivery and assisting 

the University as a strategic partner to focus 

on the HR Department’s impact on the University’s 

highest level strategic objectives. 

PERFORMANCE 

MANAGEMENT 

Unisa’s Integrated Performance Management 

System (IPMS) is an important element of the 

institution’s strategic management process. It gives 

expression to Unisa’s tenth strategic objective, 

which reads to ‘establish a performance-oriented 

approach to management, promote quality assur- 

73


The University 

remains true to its 

ethos of being a 

caring employer. 

ance, assess outcomes and reward productivity 

and excellence’. This objective also attests to the 

close link between performance management and 

quality assurance, both of which consist of a cycle 

of planning, implementing, monitoring, reviewing 

and improvement. 

The first iteration of the IPMS was implemented 

for the newly merged institution at the 

beginning of 2004. Soon after the placement of 

the new Senior Management Team, performance 

agreements were concluded down to Executive 

Director level and the first round of performance 

appraisals for these senior managers was conducted 

at the end of 2004. 

Since then, members of Management have 

been signing performance agreements with their 

direct line managers at the beginning of each year. 

At the end of each year, a panel consisting of the 

Vice-Chancellor and Pro Vice-Chancellor conducts 

performance assessment interviews with each 

member of top management. The Vice-Chancellor’s 

and Pro Vice-Chancellor’s performance 

assessments are conducted by a panel consisting 

of the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of 

Council and the Chairperson of the HR Committee 

of Council. 

During 2007 the IPMS was cascaded down to 

the level of Director. Unforeseen delays in the 

finalisation of HR merger processes, such as placements 

and new Conditions of Employment, prevented 

the full implementation for staff members 

below Director level. For these staff members, the 

IPMS was consequently only implemented in 2008 

on a trial basis. The IPMS Policy was also approved 

by the Unisa Council during 2008. The full implementation 

of the system will occur in 2009, with 

a targeted compliance rate of 95%. 

During 2008 a new dimension was added to 

the IPMS when the Executive Management Team 

underwent 360º performance feedback. This exercise, 

which is aimed at assessing and developing 

the leadership and management competencies of 

the top team, will be extended to Executive Deans 

and Executive Directors during 2009. 

A comprehensive quality assurance and promotion 

system has been put in place to ensure the 

quality of the IPMS. During 2008 the IPMS will 

also be automated onto the Oracle HR information 

system. The IPMS Division has already completed 

the mapping of the IPMS processes for this 

purpose. 

During 2008, the Accelerated Professional 

Excellence (APEX) initiative was instituted as a 

sub-project of the IPMS project to enhance its 

impact and deepen implementation of the Unisa 

2015 Strategic Plan. The purpose of the APEX 

initiative is to ensure that the performance expectations 

that are agreed for the various categories 

of employees at Unisa are continuously aligned 

with Unisa’s 2015 Strategic Plan, its Institutional 

Operational Plan (IOP) and the various institutional 

policies. The initiative is also aimed at identifying 

and rewarding meritorious performance in 

line with the IPMS. 

The first phase of the APEX initiative has recently 

been concluded. It was dedicated to identifying 

and selecting for recognition permanently 

appointed full professors on or above the 40th 

percentile of their salary range who have demonstrated 

consistent meritorious performance over a 

five-year period. Of the 60 candidates who applied 

for salary progression, 43 were successful. 

The aim of the exercise was to affirm the status 

of professors as the core of subject matter expertise 

in the University, and to ensure that they 

serve as role models and mentors for other academic 

employees. In accordance with the APEX 

criteria, mentorship will form an important part of 

the performance agreements of successful APEX 

candidates. 

Performance management shows promise as 

an enabling mechanism for transformation of behaviours 

through the measurement of strategic 

performance indicators and by acknowledging and 

rewarding performance excellence through initiatives 

such as APEX. 

74


Dr Mala Singh 


Human Resources), 

Prof Mandla Makhanya 

(Pro Vice-Chancellor) 

and Prof Barney Erasmus 

(Vice Principal: 

Operations). 

LABOUR RELATIONS 

After the merger, Management began to engage 

organised labour to address the need to negotiate 

and consult. At that stage, Unions representation 

at Unisa comprised: 

• The National Education, Health and Allied 

Workers Union (NEHAWU) 

• The South African Parastatal and Tertiary Institutions 

Union (SAPTU) 

• The Academic and Professional Staff Association 

(APSA) 

• The National Union of Tertiary Employees of 

South Africa (NUTESA). 

Initially the aim was to streamline union 

representation at the University into a coherent 

structure based on the principles of sufficient 

representation and the non-proliferation of Unions 

in the workplace, as per the guidelines of the 

Labour Relations Act. This was a prerequisite for a 

process of negotiation and consultation on the key 

human resources issues that would facilitate the 

merger process. 

As expected, the process was robust and protracted, 

due to entrenched positions and divergent 

ideologies. After months of meetings, discussions 

and compromises the process culminated in the 

establishment of the Unisa Bargaining Forum 

(UBF) as the single Institutional bargaining entity, 

presided over by an independent external chair- 

person. The UBF was constituted when the first 

Union, NEHAWU, signed the Constitution of the 

Bargaining Forum on 11 November 2005. This 

was followed by SAPTU and NUTESA on 31 

January 2006. The signing of the Constitution by 

the three unions marked a very important milestone 

in the achievement of harmonised conditions 

of employment and HR policies and 

processes. Regrettably, SAPTU and NUTESA did 

not meet the agreed membership threshold by 

the target date and consequently neither of the 

two unions was recognised as from 05 May 2007. 

APSA chose not to join the UBF and, following 

protracted litigation, was no longer recognised by 

Management as from 30 August 2007. APSA 

have subsequently again been engaged with a 

view to their joining the Bargaining Forum. 

Unisa’s new Conditions of Employment are 

regarded as an important mechanism for the 

creation of a working environment conducive to 

achieving the Unisa 2015 Strategic Plan and 

attracting and retaining the calibre of staff required 

to deliver on the strategy. The HR Department 

had already completed the first draft of the proposed 

new Conditions of Employment in early 

2004, however, owing to the above-mentioned 

delays in constituting the UBF, negotiations on the 

new Conditions of Employment in the UBF could 

only start in earnest in the second half of 2006. 

Following a protracted and arduous process, the 

proposed new Conditions of Employment were 

successfully negotiated and agreed to for implementation 

with effect from 01 October 2007. 

Similarly, the HR Department completed a 

first draft of the merger placement document in 

July 2004. As Directors did not form part of the 

Bargaining Forum, the Management Committee 

proceeded with Director placements in the newly 

approved structure and had finalized the majority 

of the placements by the end 2004. The negotiations 

for staff below Director/Chair of Department 

level were delayed until after the constitution of 

the UBF. The Merger Placement Document was 

eventually adopted by the UBF on 6 September 

2006. 

The UBF continues to play an important role 

in the Institution, particularly in regard to new policies 

and other institutional initiatives that require 

appropriate consultation before adoption. 

75


INFORMATION AND 

COMMUNICATIONS 

TECHNOLOGIES 

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 

started the post merger period in 2004 with a well 

aligned strategy entitled ‘ICT by Design: A new 

Odyssey’. Reflecting on the past five years, ICT has 

had a long and adventurous journey during which 

staff have had to be resourceful and brave in dealing 

with challenges. 

The strategy included objectives and strategic 

initiatives for responsible governance and the integration 

and renewal of infrastructure, systems, 

data, services and staffing structures. The major 

accomplishments regarding governance included 

the quality management initiative that culminated 

in ISO 9001:2001 certification; the implementation 

of a proven Disaster Recovery Plan; and the 

approval of several ICT policies. Frameworks such 

as ITIL for service management and a methodology 

for project management were also adopted 

and introduced over the years. 

The integration of the systems and the transfer 

of data was the major focus during 2004 and 

the core systems (student, financial and human 

resources) were fully operational during 2005. 

A new hardware platform for these systems was 

also introduced during 2005/2006 and this platform 

provided capacity for future growth in processing 

and systems deployment. The server and 

e-mail infrastructures of the pre-merged institutions 

were also successfully merged. 

In terms of the renewal strategy, a number of 

critical initiatives were successfully completed. 

A milestone was the introduction of the 

Microsoft Collaborative Platform. The migration 

from Novell/Groupwise to the MS Exchange/ 

Outlook technologies was completed. It included 

the migration of approximately 5500 user accounts 

and clusters (groups, mailboxes, software configurations 

and archives) from the existing Novell 

76


At the end 

of 2008 the 

number of 

students using 

myUnisa had 

already grown 

to more than 

200 000. 

eDirectory infrastructure to the newly established 

Microsoft Active Directory infrastructure. The 

infrastructure for this project included state-of-theart 

technology, such as blade servers and highcapacity 

storage devices. 

The quality of desktop equipment has been 

improved by adopting a three-year refreshment 

cycle for workstation hardware. More than 4 000 

workstations were replaced as part of a lease 

agreement with a major manufacturer. General 

workstation software has been standardised on 

products to ensure maximum compatibility for 

exchange of documents and data within the 

University and between organisations. 

An agreement with TELKOM SA has consolidated 

all voice and data services and entitles 

Unisa to a discount on all voice calls, as well as a 

huge increase in bandwidth between the main 

campus, Florida, the regional facilities and the 

Internet. A modern and advanced network infrastructure, 

that includes voice services, has been 

implemented at the new Sunnyside Registration 

Complex. 

A state-of-the-art infrastructure and Client Relationship 

Management system was implemented 

for the Unisa Contact Centre. 

In support of the institutional vision of Unisa 

as a truly African university, ICT established 

computing and telecommunications facilities in 

Ethiopia, despite the extremely complex regulations 

governing cross-border digital collaboration. 

ICT deployed a technology-based collaborative 

teaching and learning infrastructure that includes 

modern video conferencing and satellite 

delivery facilities at the main campus and 23 remote 

locations. These facilities are used extensively 

for learner support activities such as tutorial 

classes and group discussions. Academics, including 

a group of young academics, were trained in 

the use of these facilities. Students were also afforded 

free Internet access at 30 multipurpose 

community centres in urban and rural areas, such 

as the telecentre in Moteti Village in Mpumalanga. 

In January 2006, ICT launched myUnisa v.1 

(https://my.Unisa.ac.za/), based on the community 

source software framework, called ‘Sakai’ 

(http://sakaiproject.org). myUnisa is an integrated 

virtual learning environment that provides Unisa 

with a reliable system that includes the functionality 

for teaching, learning and student support, and 

addresses emerging global trends in teaching and 

learning methodologies and technologies. 

At the end of 2008 the number of students 

using myUnisa had already grown to more than 

200 000. In 2009, the first phase of a comprehensive 

online student support and social infrastructure, 

myLife, was initiated by providing all 

registered students with e-mail. Subsequent 

phases will include a social networking environment 

similar to Facebook, extensive virtual disk 

space for storing electronic resources and an 

online productivity toolset similar to MS Office. 

The latter infrastructure is hosted offshore by 

Microsoft. 

Another noteworthy accomplishment was the 

implementation of the SMS system to improve 

communication with students. During 2008 more 

than six million messages were sent to students 

and students were also able to request their examination 

results through this system. 

Major enhancements were made to the student 

system during 2008 to accommodate the 

new registration model and extensive system 

changes have been and still need to be made to 

support the ODL model. The financial system and 

HR system have been, and are still being enhanced 

with additional functionality. Several other systems 

were also developed and enhanced to support 

and ensure cost effective business processes 

and operations. 

ICT staff at Unisa played a major role in the 

planning and organisation of the successful Conference 

for Information Technology in Tertiary Education 

(CITTE) in 2006. 

The ODL model leans very heavily on ICT 

technology and support. Accordingly, ICT at Unisa 

has a pivotal role to play in ensuring the successful 

implementation of ODL. To this end it continues 

to work very closely with all University stakeholders 

in ensuring the necessary support for successful 

and efficient operations. 

77


CORPORATE COMMUNICA- 

TION, BRANDING AND 

MARKETING 

Within a mere five years Unisa has succeeded in 

establishing its identity as a comprehensive open 

and distance learning university, not only nationally 

but also in the global higher education arena. 

Unisa is recognised far and wide not only by its 

fresh and vibrant visual identity, but also by its vision 

to become ‘the African university in the service 

of humanity’ and its values of integrity, social 

justice, and fairness and excellence. 

Following the merger of the former Unisa 

and Technikon Southern Africa, and the incorporation 

of Vista-Vudec, the Department of Corporate 

Communication and Marketing’s (CC&M) focus 

was geared towards crafting a new corporate 

identity for Unisa, and towards marketing and 

communicating its new status as: 

• South Africa’s first dedicated and comprehensive 

distance education institution of higher 

learning; and 

• A mega-university on the African continent, 

one of twelve such institutions worldwide. 

By August 2003 the executive committees of 

the councils of the three merging institutions had 

unanimously approved the name of the new institution 

as the University of South Africa (Unisa). 

But, who was the new Unisa? What did it look like 

and how did it fit into the changed higher education 

landscape? CC&M’s first task was to assist in 

developing and designing the new Unisa brand: its 

positioning, corporate identity, imagery and symbolism. 

The foundation of the new Unisa brand 

was underpinned by the formulation and adoption 

in July 2004 of the new vision, mission, values and 

strategic objectives, set out in Unisa 2015: An 

agenda for transformation. 

The development of the Unisa brand identity 

within the context of the new higher education 

landscape locally, and in the market internationally, 

entailed an inclusive process in which various 

stakeholder groupings participated. The process 

also needed to leverage the former institutions’ 

collective heritages, and had to be swiftly made familiar, 

understood, trusted and championed by all 

stakeholders. In this way developing a new brand 

identity went hand-in-hand with creating institutional 

loyalty, the breaking down of barriers, and 

building of a new Unisa community. The political 

underpinning of the new brand was the spirit of 

creating a new higher learning institution that 

would genuinely contribute to building a vibrant, 

African learning society. 

The design of the new brand imagery and 

symbols commenced in 2004, in alignment with 

the planning programme of the newly merged institution. 

In March 2005 Unisa’s new brand identity 

was launched by CC&M. 

Dr Marié Ferreira 


Corporate Communication 

and Marketing) and 

Sir Richard Attenborough 

at the Homecoming 

Ceremony in London. 

78


The University’s newly launched brand and 

identity added impetus to the communication and 

marketing efforts from 2005 onwards. They provided 

an important platform for CC&M to perform 

a defined, key role in the strategic positioning of 

Unisa. In support of the strategic intent of the Institution, 

CC&M took responsibility for strategic 

communication and marketing management in 

the University, both internally and externally. 

The implementation of Unisa’s new brand 

identity was greatly reinforced by, amongst others, 

two comprehensive multi-media positioning campaigns. 

The first occurred during 2005 and coincided 

with the launch of the new brand, giving 

expression to the University’s quest to become the 

African university in the service of humanity. In 

2007 the second campaign profiled the University’s 

academic colleges by using specially commissioned 

icons associated with their range of 

disciplines. Again, it was met with wide acclaim. 

Enrolment campaigns highlighted the University’s 

distinctive nature as a provider of comprehensive 

and open distance learning, affording 

students flexible opportunities to study wherever 

they are, in their own time and at their own pace. 

An impactful information campaign in 2008 focused 

on the University’s new, improved process 

of registration. The new identity was, within a 

short period of time, reflected in the primary and 

directional signage across South Africa and at 

Unisa’s 28 offices. 

The new identity of the University was also 

promoted through the full range of integrated 

communication and marketing products, services 

and activities. Extensive work was done, and excellent 

results and highlights were recorded in the 

areas of communications, marketing and student 

recruitment, public relations and web communication. 

The stable of corporate publications grew to 

nine off-line, internal and external publications, 

ranging from regular publications to annual 

reports. They include the student newsletter 

Inspired and the external flagship magazine, Unisawise, 

which first appeared in 2008. The freshly 

conceptualized staff magazine Focus appeared in 

2007 and then became a monthly publication. 

In addition to the Corporate Profile and the 

Corporate Annual Report, the Corporate Research 

Report and the Corporate Engagement Report 

have been published since 2006. 

National and international student recruitment 

drives, as well as business-to-business 

marketing, were undertaken. While the student 

recruitment strategy has been continuously 

reviewed, during 2008 it was closely aligned with 

the Minister of Education’s 2010 enrolment 

targets. 

79


This resulted in niche marketing aimed at supporting 

and addressing the national skills shortage, 

as well as recruiting students for qualifications that 

have been identified as areas for growth in Unisa’s 

Institutional Operational Plan. 

From 2004 – 2008, a large number of highprofile 

corporate events was presented. These 

aimed to promote a new institutional culture; to 

assert the University’s role as a major contributor 

to South African society and as an important participant 

in its intellectual and cultural life; and to 

showcase Unisa’s role in the country’s development. 

Key events included Unisa’s celebration of 

ten years of democracy, which saw the fielding of 

twenty events during the week of celebration. Another 

was the inaugural conference of the African 

Council for Distance Education (ACDE), which 

aimed at promoting open distance learning across 

the African continent. The launches of the Mbizana 

learning centre and the Unisa learning centre in 

Ethiopia were highlights. Other corporate events 

included round-table discussions that hosted 

numerous luminaries; public lectures by high profile 

figures such as the Archbishop of Canterbury; 

the final African keynote address by former British 

Prime Minister Tony Blair; the Unisa-UK foreign 

policy dialogue events which included Foreign 

Secretary David Milliband; and the Unisa Inspired 

in-house week. 

The three merger partner institutions’ websites 

and electronic media were integrated and 

rebranded. Besides supporting a great increase in 

web use, CC&M actively assisted in growing the 

number of students registering on myUnisa (from 

100 000 to 200 000 in the past five years). In 

2008 Unisa had more than 1,7 million visitors to 

its corporate website. The Department supported 

the achievement of myUnisa through the effective 

marketing of information to Unisa students and by 

publishing all corporate information on the site. 

A central database for all marketing information 

about Unisa courses was developed. In 2008 

myLife was launched to provide students with an 

e-mail account. This initiative marked the beginning 

of full social networking services to students, 

using the Microsoft Live platform, to be rolled out 

in the near future. The first on-line advertising 

campaigns were mounted in support of promoting 

the University’s new process of registration. 

CC&M has come to 

follow a decentralized 

model of communication 

and marketing, aimed at 

ensuring regular consultation 

with stakeholders 

and coordinated, integrated 

implementation. 

Each of the University’s 

academic Colleges has a 

marketing functionary 

who is responsible for 

communication and marketing; 

communication 

managers and staff take 

responsibility for activities 

in the University’s 

five Regions; and the Department has begun with 

the integration and coordination of communication 

and marketing activities throughout the new 

Unisa (including professional and support departments). 

The Department continued to provide online 

communication and information through 

enews and enotice to staff. 

CC&M has also been measuring the impact 

and overall effectiveness of the University’s communication 

and marketing. In 2005 the brand 

value of Unisa was found to be approximately 

R160 million, and by 2008 independent research 

showed that encouraging levels of brand awareness 

and loyalty existed among students, alumni 

and staff members. These provided a further platform 

for positioning of the University in terms of 

its Unisa 2015 strategy. It was abundantly evident 

that significant equity was available to be leveraged 

in the future communication and marketing 

Former British Prime 

Minister Tony Blair 

delivered his final 

African keynote 

address at Unisa. 

Education Minister 

Naledi Pandor revealing 

a plaque dedicated to 

student martyrs and 

student Aids victims 

at the event at the 

ten year democracy 

celebrations. 

80


South Africa’s ten years of 

democracy was celebrated 

during a week that included 

events from public lectures 

and a book launch to poetry 

reading and a music and 

film festival. 

The Archbishop of 

Canterbury, Dr Rowan 

Williams (middle), spoke 

on ecumenical issues at 

Unisa in March 2007. 

With him are Prof Barney 


Vice-Chancellor) and 

Archbishop Njongonkulu 

Ndungane. 

of the University, and in support of Unisa achieving 

its future strategic position. This fact has also been 

borne out by the consistently high publicity coverage, 

name recognition and reputational mentions 

achieved by the University over the five years post 

merger, evidenced for example in an increase from 

R40m in 2006 to R200m in 2008. 

The Department of CC&M will continue its 

strategic impact in the Institution by vigorously 

supporting corporate priorities, most particularly 

the University’s transformation towards a fullyfledged, 

leading-edge open distance learning institution. 

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

AND PARTNERSHIPS 

Following the merger in 2004, the International 

Relations Office was established to handle international 

relations while African relations were left to 

the Africa Directorate established in 2002. However, 

in order to create a streamlined and coordinated 

approach to the University’s international 

collaborations and partnerships, the International 

Relations Office and Africa Directorate merged in 

2006 to form a new entity called the International 

Relations and Partnerships Directorate (IRDP). 

Internationalisation is defined as ‘the process 

of integrating an international, intercultural or 

global dimension into the purpose, functions or 

delivery of higher education’. As the global village 

becomes smaller, the institutions of higher education 

are compelled to change and/or adapt in 

alignment with the demands imposed by globalisation 

and internationalisation. 

In advancing Unisa’s vision, its international 

efforts have focused on the development, reconstruction 

and promotion of South Africa and 

Africa, while advancing academic partnerships and 

research collaboration initiatives. 

Unisa strives for the establishment of valueadding 

partnerships with the aim of positioning 

81


the University as an African and internationally 

recognised ODL Institution. Through these partnerships 

Unisa also avails opportunities for various 

forms of cooperation such as academic exchanges 

for students and staff, sharing of resources and 

learning materials, exchange of critical expertise, 

pursuing of joint developmental projects and programmes 

in different jurisdictions, and collaborative 

research - a key component of developing 

scholarship. 

The success of partnerships in terms of tangible 

outcomes is dependent on sustained commitment 

and investment from the University and 

collaborative partners. At the beginning of 2004, 

Unisa had about 104 agreements with international 

institutions. In March 2005, the international 

relations function was assigned to the Vice Principal: 

Strategy, Planning and Partnerships. A review 

of all agreements was subsequently initiated. All 

agreements were reviewed and harmonised, and 

dormant ones were terminated. Several new 

strategic partnerships were initiated. Currently, 

Unisa has 89 active international agreements and 

about 20 national agreements with institutions of 

higher learning. Unisa has also seen an increasing 

trend in the numbers of international students. 

Spearheaded by the Vice-Chancellor, one of 

the key initiatives of Unisa in the international 

arena is that of the the African Council for Distance 

Education (ACDE), which was founded in 

2004 to promote and advance ODL on the Continent. 

Prof Pityana, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, 

was the founding chairperson of the ACDE. In 

2005, Unisa hosted the inaugural conference and 

general assembly of the ACDE at its main campus 

in Pretoria. In February 2008 an important stakeholders’ 

workshop was held at Unisa to lay the 

foundation for the establishment of the consortium 

of ODL institutions in Africa as well as a Quality 

Assurance and accreditation regime for the 

Continent. The ACDE Secretariat is based in 

Nairobi Kenya. 

The Southern Sudan Capacity and Institution 

Building Project was started in 2004 as a partnership 

between the Government of Southern Sudan 

(GOSS), the Government of South Africa through 

the Department of Foreign Affairs and the University 

of South Africa. At Unisa the project is coordinated 

by the IRDP and the Centre for African 

Renaissance Studies (CARS). 

The project will come to an end in 2011. The 

aim of the project is to contribute to the postconflict 

reconstruction and development of Southern 

Sudan and to develop a critical mass of 

leadership, management and administrative skills 

in the country. Unisa’s role in the project is to 

develop and manage capacity-development programmes 

for Southern Sudanese government 

leaders and officials at national, regional and local 

levels. 

Unisa participated in the academic seminar of 

the first India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Summit 

of the head of states held from 12-13 September 

2006 in Brasilia, Brazil. The summit was hosted by 

the Gusmao Foundation, and consisted of two 

days of academic discussions on strategic areas of 

interest to the IBSA countries. Unisa used the 

opportunity to conclude collaboration agreements 

with the University of Brasilia, the Federal University 

of Rio Grande du Sol in Porto Alegre, and the 

Candido Mendes University based in Rio de 

Janeiro. 

The Unisa International Fellowship Programme 

(UIFP) was established in 2007 to lend 

impetus to partnerships and collaborative initiatives; 

to facilitate internationalisation through an 

exchange of academic and professional staff 

between Unisa and its collaboration partners; 

provide the necessary momentum to Unisa collaborative 

agreements and relationships, and 

provide opportunities for staff development and 

enhancement of research at Unisa. The UIFP has 

since its establishment, been awarded to about 

16 academic and professional staff. 

Representatives from 

several African educational 

institutions 

attended the inaugural 

conference and general 

assembly of the African 

Council for Distance 

Education hosted by 

Unisa in 2005. 

82


The UIFP has succeeded in creating necessary 

awareness of the role of the University internationally, 

exposing Unisa staff to international education 

and highlighting the importance of international 

networks in promoting research and scholarship. 

Starting in 2007, Unisa and the British Government 

organizations in South Africa, initiated a 

Unisa-UK Dialogue which has become an annual 

event, normally chaired by the British High Commissioner 

and aimed at strengthening the already 

existing ties with the UK government, addressing 

international relations matters, targeting Unisa 

students and the youth in general, and further developing 

cultural and education partnerships. The 

first Unisa/UK Bilateral Forum was presented by 

the Rt Honourable High Commissioner, Paul 

Boateng. The most recent event in 2008 was honoured 

by the presence of the British Secretary, 

David Miliband. 

Following the signing of an agreement between 

the University of South Africa and the Federal 

Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of 

Education In January 2007, a new regional learning 

centre was officially opened at Akaki, 20 km 

outside Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to serve as a training 

facility for Ethiopian students enrolled in Unisa 

programmes. The agreement envisages the training 

of 10 000 students at master’s degree level 

and 2 000 students at doctoral degree level in various 

fields of studies over a period of five years. 

Unisa together with the Homecoming Revolution, 

a non-profit organisation sponsored by the First 

National Bank, signed a cooperation agreement in 

2007 aimed at connecting South African professionals 

in the diaspora with South Africa; encouraging 

South Africans to come back home to address 

the shortage of critical skills in the country, 

jointly organizing and coordinating events to 

showcase South Africa abroad; and sharing resources 

and available resources to target Unisa 

students and alumni abroad. 

A first coordinated event between Unisa 

and Homecoming Revolution was held in London 

during the Homecoming Revolution Exhibition, 

from 5-6 October 2008. This also afforded Unisa 

an opportunity to connect with its alumni and 

potential students in the UK. 

Homecoming Revolution and Unisa signed a Memorandum of Understanding on 

14 March 2008. Present were, from left: Dr Marié Ferreira (Executive Director: 

Corporate Communication and Marketing), Prof Narend Baijnath (Vice Principal: 

Strategy, Planning and Partnerships), Ms Patricia Lawrence (Director: Unisa Foundation 

and Alumni Relations), Ms Martine Schaffer (Homecoming Revolution), and 

Ms Siza Magubane (Director: International Relations). 

From left, Prof Shadrack 

Gutto, (Director of 

CARS), Rt Hon David 

Miliband MP, (UK Secretary 

of State for Foreign 

and Commonwealth 

Affairs), Prof Louis 

Molamu, (Unisa Registrar), 

Rt Hon Dawn 

Primarolo MP, (UK 

Minister of State for 

Public Health), Rt Hon 

Paul Boateng, (British 

High Commissioner to 

SA), and Prof Rita Maré, 

(Vice-Principal: Academic 

and Research). 

83


INSTITUTIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT AND 

ALUMNI MATTERS 

The Unisa Foundation was reconstituted in 2004 

after the merger. The Alumni Relations Portfolio 

was incorporated into the Unisa Foundation in 

September 2006, which brought about the Unisa 

Foundation and Alumni Relations (UF&AR) Directorate. 

The objective of UF&AR Directorate is to 

create a sustainable alternative revenue stream 

and to build a strategic relationship with donor 

communities and alumni of the University. 

The Unisa Foundation is an independent trust 

duly and lawfully registered as such for the purpose 

of raising funds for the development of 

Unisa. The Board of Trustees consists of ten independent 

members and three ex officio members 

(representatives of the University, including the 

Principal). The Unisa Foundation is responsible for 

soliciting donor support and partnerships for a 

wide variety of projects, primarily focussing on infrastructure 

projects of the University’s strategic 

infrastructure expansion programme. 

The support of our many donor partners is 

also geared towards institutional advancement 

initiatives such as specialist academic chairs in 

various disciplines, academic and community 

outreach programmes such as pan African capacity 

building and skills development initiatives and 

projects on child literacy, African genocide, victim 

empowerment, science outreach, and teacher 

development projects. In many cases, these 

projects deliver research results that can be widely 

utilised, ensuring that the benefits flow beyond 

local boundaries and communities. In addition, the 

Foundation’s objective is to streamline all incoming 

donor funding to the University through the 

Foundation. 

Since 2004, University donor partners have 

endowed the following Academic Chairs at Unisa: 

Primedia Chair in Genocide and Holocaust which 

aims to generate a body of knowledge on matters 

pertaining to genocide and holocaust within the 

context of the African Continent, and the ABSA 

Chair in Banking, which was established to generate 

a body of knowledge to support the banking 

industry. 

The Unisa Foundation was instrumental in 

developing and preparing a project proposal for 

the four major infrastructure projects of the Unisa 

Sunnytown Development Project, including the 

new Registration Building and the Eternal Flame 

to the Human Spirit monument. Other infrastructure 

development project proposals drawn up by 

the Foundation include the Unisa Florida Laboratories 

and the Irene Conference Facility. The 

fundraising drive for these projects started in 

2007. 

With regard to Partnerships and Collaborations 

with other stakeholders, the Unisa Foundation 

facilitated a partnership between the Centre 

for Business Management and Centre International 

d’Etude du Sport (CIES)/FIFA to develop a 

programme in Sport Management at Unisa and to 

boost sports management capacity on the African 

continent ahead of the World Cup and beyond. 

In partnership with the Department of 

Foreign Affairs, Centre for African Renaissance 

Studies and the International Relations and Partnerships 

Directorate, the Unisa Foundation was 

involved in skills development and capacity building 

for the Southern Sudan Project. 

The Unisa Foundation facilitated the agreement 

between Unisa, Primestars and Grinaker LTA 

to assist engineering students to receive their 

tutorials at all Primedia cinemas. This partnership 

in tutorial support is in line with the strategic 

mission of the University. 

The Mississippi project, a reciprocal celebration 

of the 40 years of the civil rights movement in 

the United States, and South Africa’s own ten 

years of democratic freedom, culminated in a 

variety of arts projects between the two countries. 

It was funded by major donors including the CS 

Mott Foundation, Dell computers, and MTN, 

amongst others. 

One of the highlights on the University Calendar 

is the Chancellor’s Club Gala Dinner which 

is the University’s premier fundraising event. 

Along with the Chancellor’s Dinner, is the Chancellor’s 

Club which serves to raise funds for postgraduate 

bursaries and scholarships, academic outreach 

programmes and the Unisa Development 

Fund. 

The Unisa Shop was repositioned to promote 

the Unisa Brand by selling memorabilia, corporate 

HEMIS STUDENT HEAD- 

COUNT BY NATIONALITY 

0.74% All others 

1.16% Other Africa 

7.36% Other SADC 

90.75% South African 

84


gifts and Unisa clothing to the Unisa Community, 

the profits of which will accumulate to the Unisa 

Foundation for project activity. 

There has been a significant increase in donations 

received during the period under review, 

which illustrates that the Unisa Projects resonate 

well with donor focus areas and with national 

imperatives while supporting the Institution’s 

strategic objectives. During the period 2004-2008 

the University received donations totalling R95 

776 551m towards various projects and student 

bursaries. 

In 2004, under the leadership of Prof Pityana, 

the University of South Africa embarked on a campaign 

to make the alumni of the Institution aware 

of the contribution they can make to securing and 

sustaining the future of their alma mater. The key 

objective of the Alumni Relations Office is to mobilise 

alumni in the service of the University. In the 

past five years, over 23 alumni chapters have been 

established in major cities in South Africa and 

beyond SA borders, including such countries as 

England, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, 

Kenya and Mauritius, which are engaging in 

regionally focused activities. 

The UF&AR Directorate publishes a bi-annual 

alumni magazine in order to update alumni on the 

developments and new initiatives taking place at 

the University. The Directorate also publishes 

monthly electronic newsletters to keep alumni 

informed. Graduation ceremonies provide a platform 

for recruiting new graduates as active alumni, 

promoting the Alumni Association membership 

and raising awareness of and promoting the 

University convocation ring. 

With limited financial resources and continued 

caps in government subsidies, there is a growing 

awareness that financial support must be sought 

from sources other than student fees and state 

funding. To this end, the UF&AR has appealed to 

its alumni to support future financial sustainability 

of the University by joining the Alumni Association. 

Declining state subsidies, increased demands 

for access to higher education and changes in the 

way in which stakeholders view higher education 

institutions means that the Unisa Foundation is set 

to play an increasingly important role in the support 

and promotion of the Institution and its activities. 

Present at the 2008 Chancellor’s Club Gala dinner were Prof. RH Nengwekhulu (recipient of the Outstanding 

Educator’s Calabash award for his contribution to the field of education in South Africa); Judge Bernard Ngoepe 

(Chancellor); Prof. N Barney Pityana Dr Gwen Ramokgopa (Executive Mayor: Tshwane Metropolitan City), Prof 

David Mosoma (Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice Principal: Student Affairs and Learner Support), Mr Brian Molefe 

(Alumnus and the CEO of the Public Investment Corporation who was honoured with the Outstanding Alumnus 

Calabash award); Mr Billy Gundelfinger (Chairperson of the Board of the Unisa Foundation), and Ms Patricia 

Lawrence (Director: Unisa Foundation and Alumni Relations). 

85

T H E S U N represents the University’s ongoing 

search for excellence and leading role in shaping 

the future of Africans through learning.

IN TO THE F U T U RE 

A S U N I S A LO O K S B AC K on five years of 

dedicated effort in liberating the full potential of 

Unisa, what stands out starkly are the many 

achievements over this time. A remarkable feat 

was to secure stability in the Institution while continuing 

with the massive and ongoing process of 

integration of staff, systems, facilities, and methodologies 

and approaches in different functions. This 

achievement can largely be ascribed to the very 

clear vision and strategy set out in the Unisa 2015: 

An agenda for transformation, and the manner in 

which they were inculcated into the Institution as 

a foundation stone for development, a plan to 

guide us and a tool for transformation. The foresight 

evidenced in this planning process has borne 

fruit in the form of a sound and sophisticated platform 

and framework for all institutional initiatives 

and operations, more particularly, the academic 

project. 

While the many achievements are satisfying, it 

is the many initiatives underway currently that will 

consolidate the transformation process and cement 

Unisa’s position among the leading megauniversities 

of the world. 

The exciting project underway to reform the 

identity and character of Unisa as an ODL institution 

will have a far-reaching impact in every sector 

in the Institution. Everything we do is currently 

under scrutiny through an ODL lens to examine 

how we measure up as a leading-edge ODL institution. 

To assist this effort an Institute for Open 

Distance Learning has been set up to promote 

research and capacity development in ODL. After 

a year in existence, it is poised to make a significant 

impact. 

The fundamental rationale behind all of the 

current initiatives in the Institution, and indeed, 

those envisaged for the future, is a deep understanding 

and appreciation of the need to forge a 

unique Unisa character and identity that is clearly 

evidenced in its Programme and Qualifications Mix 

and its alignment to its social mandate; improve 

success and throughput rates; develop and define 

the quality and calibre of the Unisa graduate; work 

towards a highly qualified, competent and loyal 

staff corps; and embed a culture of continuous 

improvement. 

Major projects such as the ODL implementation 

project, the Integrated Performance 

Management System, the Organisational Architecture 

project, actionable Business Intelligence, the 

massive infrastructure project and successful 

Quality Assurance initiatives – and others – when 

taken to completion, and with their impact on 

the transformation of Unisa crystallised, will 

undoubtedly propel UNISA further in realising our 

vision: towards the African University in the service 

of humanity. 

87

I N T O T H E F U T U R E 

OUR MISSION 

The University of South Africa is a comprehensive, open 

learning and distance education institution, which, in 

response to the diverse needs of society 

• provides quality general academic and career-focused 

learning opportunities underpinned by principles of 

lifelong learning, flexibility and student centredness; 

• undertakes research and knowledge development guided 

by integrity, quality and rigour; 

• participates in community development by utilising 

its resources and capacities for the upliftment of the 

disadvantaged; 

• is accessible to all learners, specifically those on the 

African continent, and the marginalised, by way of a 

barrier-free environment, while responding to the needs 

of the global market; 

• addresses the needs of a diverse student profile by 

offering relevant learner support, facilitated by appropriate 

information and communications technology; 

• develops and retains high-quality capacities among its 

staff members to achieve human development, by using 

the resources at its disposal efficiently and effectively; 

• cultivates and promotes an institutional ethos, 

intellectual culture and educational experience that 

is conducive to critical discourse, intellectual curiosity, 

tolerance and a diversity of views; 

• contributes to good and responsible society by graduating 

individuals of sound character and versatile ability; 

• meets the needs of the global competitive society by 

nurturing collaborative relationships with its 

stakeholders and other partners. 

88

OUR VALUES – Excellence, integrity, and social justice and fairness 

List of contributors (in alphabetical order) 

Prof N Baijnath (Vice Principal: Strategy, Planning and Partnerships) 

Ms JC Botha (Director: Office of the Principal) 

Mrs IE Chadibe (Acting Executive Director: Information and Communication Technologies) 

Adv EJS Coertzen (Director: Institutional and Administrative Law, Legal Services) 

Dr J Diescho (Director: International Relations and Partnerships) 

Prof BJ Erasmus (Vice Principal: Operations) 

Dr M Ferreira (Executive Director: Corporate Communication and Marketing) 

Ms L Griesel (Executive Director: Department of Strategy Planning and Quality Assurance) 

Mr G Grobler (Director: Corporate Communication and Marketing) 

Prof PH Havenga (Executive Director: Academic Planning) 

Dr JC Henning (Deputy Executive Director: Library Services) 

Dr DT Hulbert (Director: ICT Knowledge and Data Management) 

Prof JE Kleynhans (Vice Principal: Finance and University Estates) 

Ms E Kovacs (Acting Director: Organisation Development) 

Ms PB Lawrence (Director: Unisa Foundation and Alumni Affairs) 

Mr JP Lombard (Executive Director: University Estates) 

Ms S Magubane (Director: International Relations) 

Prof MS Makhanya (Pro Vice-Chancellor) 

Prof TS Maluleke (Executive Director: Research) 

Prof MC Maré (Vice Principal: Academic and Research) 

Dr B Mbambo-Thata (Executive Director: Library Services) 

Ms VF Memani-Sedile (Executive Director: Finance and University Estates) 

Dr MB Mokhaba (Executive Director: Learner Support and Student Affairs) 

Prof L Molamu (Registrar) 

Prof DL Mosoma (Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice Principal: Learner Support and Student Affairs) 

Prof MS Mothata (Executive Director: Office of the PVC) 

Mr KS Mubu (Director: Africa Relations) 

Judge President BM Ngoepe (Chancellor) 

Mr KJ Oagile (Director: HR Planning and Information Systems) 

Dr M Phosa (Chairperson of the Unisa Council) 

Prof NB Pityana (Principal and Vice-Chancellor) 

Ms R Prinsloo (Director: Academic Quality Assurance and Re-accreditation) 

Prof PD Ryan (Director: Graduate Support and Research) 

Dr TND Sidzumo-Mazibuko (Executive Director: Corporate Affairs) 

Prof D Singh (Deputy Registrar) 

Dr V Singh (Executive Director: Operations) 

Mr L Smit (Deputy Director Project Portfolio Management) 

Mr VN Stipinovich (Director: Administrative Systems Development) 

Prof GI Subotzky (Executive Director: Department of Information and Strategic Analysis) 

Dr LM Swanepoel (Acting Director: Quality Assurance and Promotion) 

Mr D van der Merwe (Director: Portal and Academic Solutions) 

Prof DH van Wyk (Assistant Principal) 

Design, layout and full-page photographs: Loretta Steyn Graphic Design Studio – Pretoria

Five Years Review - University of South Africa

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