A report on a survey of private higher education institutions conducted under the auspices of the CHE.

A report on a survey of private higher education institutions conducted under the auspices of the CHE

Background Early in 2010 the CHE released a

Monitor on the state of higher education – there is virtually no reference to private higher education

Data on private higher education is scarce and unreliableAnnual reportsIndividual research projectsCPED work done for NSFAS reviewReport done for ETDP SETA by Tony Khatle

Background Under the auspices of the Monitoring and

Advice Directorate of the CHE a working group was constituted at a workshop and a questionnaire was designed and sent to 116 private higher education institutions

94 completed the survey The survey covered: size and shape,

qualification areas and levels, research, staffing, resourcing, teaching and learning

The survey

A report was compiled – copies are available The data will be presented by:

Size and shape – Felicity CoughlanTeaching and Learning – Nicolene MurdochResearch – Paul BeardCommunity Engagement – Bennie Anderson

The respondentsINSTITUTIONAL TYPE TOTAL IN

THIS CATEGORY

AVE % REVENUE EARNED FROM HE

FOR PROFIT 61 74

South African 54 76

International owner 7 61

NOT FOR PROFIT 28 39

Community benefit 20 42

Part of international organisation 2 55

In support of other enterprise, e.g. healthcare training.

6 17

OTHER 5 24

94 61

Where?

“Registered addresses” – sites differ None registered in Free State or

Northern Cape 58% in Gauteng 29% in Western Cape 16% in KZN

How big?Size Number of students Institutions

Very large 5000+ 3

Large 1500 – 4999 8

Medium 500 – 1499 18

Small 100 – 499 38

Very small Less than 100 20

Sector students These 94 institutions seem to represent

about 95% of private institution enrolments (HE students only) - 84% of institutions but 95% of enrolments

Therefore can assume about 88 000 students in private higher education in 2009

ETDP figure suggests 80 000 with an FTE count of 43 000 suggesting many are part time

Our students

77 393 students in 2008 and 83 314 in 2009

Our students

48% male 52% female Public HE in 2008 was 790 490 and

private HE 81 466 (extrapolated) – 9.3%

Our staff

9438 staff 4898 academics

Our academics (n=4898)

Academic qualifications (n=4157)

Our income

61% from higher education student fees

15% from donations and donors 9% tuition service fees 8% non HE full qualifications 8% short courses

Our fees LOWEST HIGHEST

Certificate R5 500 R70 000

Under-graduate Diploma R1 500 R52 000

Bachelor’s Degree R1 500 R53 000

Post-graduate Diploma or

Honours DegreeR9 000 R52 100

Post-graduate Degree R7 200 R97 500

Bursaries

80 of the 94 offer bursaries

Knowledge Areas

CESM CATEGORIES INSTITUITONS CESM CATEGORIES INSTITUITONS

Business, Commerce and

Management Sciences

40 Engineering and Engineering

Technology

5

Philosophy, Religion and

Theology

22 Physical Education, Health

Education and Leisure

5

Arts, Visual and Performing 21 Public Administration and Social

Services

5

Health Care and Health

Sciences

17 Industrial Arts, Trades and

Technology

4

Communication 12 Social Sciences and Social Studies 4

Computer Science 10 Law 2

Education 10 Life Sciences and Physical

Sciences

2

Psychology 9 Agriculture and Renewable Natural

Resources

1

Architecture and Environmental

Design

7 Military Sciences 1

Languages, Linguistics and

Literature

6

Knowledge Areas / CESM Categories 3 of the 22 CESM categories (Home

Economics, Libraries and Museums and Mathematical sciences) had no HE programmes

No relation between the size of the institutions and the number of knowledge areas

Knowledge Areas / CESM Categories Several institutions classified as “very

small” (<500 students) offer programmes in up to 6 CESM categories

One institution classified as small (500-2000 students) offer programmes in 9 CESM categories

One of the largest institutions offers all its programmes within a single knowledge category

Total Graduate Output (28 797)

Graduate Output

Graduate Output

Postgraduate level increase by 22.8% from 945 in 2008 to 1161 in 2009

Postgraduate students constituted 6.59% of all graduating students in 2008 and 8.02% in 2009

While designing the Questionaire, the hypotheses was that research activity would be minimal. Results confirmed this “educated guess”

After 10 years of development given the size and shape of the sector, there are a few pockets of good research of institutions, good researchers and quality outputs

Research 2008-2010

Research in Private Higher Education Institutions

Less than one-third (24 of 94) of all PHEI’s are producing research as traditionally understood

Just under 50% of (or 43 of 94) PHEI’s reported that they undertake research

Research collaboration is more likely to take place with public universities than with other private institutions and business/industry, and most likely to be local rather than international

Academic staff at institutions which indicated that they undertake research is about five times more likely to be supervising or externally examining research degrees than academic staff at institutions not undertaking research

Academic staff at institutions with emphasis on visual arts, design, creative writing, drama and music who stated that they undertake research is about twice as likely to be producing creative and performing art work than staff at institutions not undertaking research

Institutions undertaking research indicated that over the reporting period (from January 2008 to November 2010) they had produced:13 books;243 journal articles and book chapters;290 conference papers; and86 other publications (including book

reviews, opinion and positions papers, editorials, theses, reports and contributions to newsletters, newspapers, magazines and exhibition reviews)

Of all the Non-South African based journals, about six (6) are health-related, five (5) theology-related and four (4) economics-related.

Of all the South African based journals, 20 are theology-related, 10 business management-related and five (5) health-related

Of the institutions undertaking research, academics were five times more likely to be supervising higher education degrees or externally examining research degrees

Research output by type of publication, 2008-2009

PublicationsNOT SOUTH AFRICAN

Journals45

ISI Indexed16

IBSS Indexed2

Books27

Conference Proceedings4

SOUTH AFRICAN

Journals55

ISI Indexed7

IBSS Indexed3

DHET Approved24

Books7

Conference Proceedings1

Many reporting mistakesNot all institutions responded Incomplete informationSome information was inaccurateInformation was duplicatedInformation was not formally verifiedInformation placed in wrong categoriesIncomplete work eg. Work in progressMissing informationOutput published in in-house training manuals

The above places major limitations on the analysis of data

Need for capacity building

Quality of Data

Community Engagement

Definition Focus on institutions partnerships (39)

In service learning programmesCommunity research activitiesRepresentation on institutional advisory boards

Community Engagement

DriversSocially responsive curricula (28 – integration

across curricula)Service learning (64 – including assessment of

outcomes)Voluntary community services (including

consulting work)Creating alternative forms of knowledgeInvolvement in applied research activities

addressing societal needs

Community Engagement

Leadership involvementSustainable community development (27)

• Long term funding• Lobbying input from community

representativesIncorporation in mission, vision, dream

statements (36)Integral to identity (24)Utilising of own facilities (54)