CPUT welcomes Higher Education Quality Committee delegates

CPUT recently welcomed a delegation from the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) to the Bellville campus. This was the first HEQC visit to the institution.

The purpose of the HEQC’s visit was to discuss the nature of the upcoming quality audit, agree with the institution on the scope of the audit, explain the audit methodology, discuss the preparation of the self-evaluation review document, confirm the audit schedule and generate a common understanding on the audit.

The delegation was made up of Dr Lumkile Lalendle, Director: Institutional Audits; Luyanda Ndabankulu, Project Administrator and Belinda Wort, the Manager of Institutional Audits.

Representatives from the CPUT Quality Management Department, Senior Executives, the Deans of the six faculties and the Heads of Units attended the HEQC meeting held at the university’s Council Chambers.

Prior to meeting the senior management, Dr Lumkile Lalendle, and his colleagues briefly met Vice-Chancellor Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga in her office.

CPUT Quality Management Director, Dr Dan Coetzee, said: “The HEQC’s advice on preparing for an audit was a helpful guide on undertaking our own self evaluation.”

Among other things, the meeting was intended to provide an opportunity to consider the connection between quality assurance, transformation and fitness of purpose and how these will be examined during the audit visit.

Dr Lalendle also highlighted the fact that while the audit is principally developmental, “accountability issues are not excluded”.

The institution was made aware of the preparation of an institutional profile which involves information from official sources both within and outside CPUT. The HEQC delegation also confirmed the audit schedule for CPUT, which would take place from 18 to 22 October 2010.

Luclaire Airey, the CPUT Quality Management Manager, said: “Over the past year, tremendous effort has gone into developing the quality management systems that support the quality activities needed for good academic practice. The audit has now been launched by the HEQC and it will be interesting to find out what benefit we give to the students and the CPUT community at large.”

According to Dr Lalendle, one of the things that the audit looks at is the issue of transformation.

“Transformation in this instance is not just about getting the numbers right, but also looking at how the institution contributes to the student and how it contributes in producing students that will go out there and be proud that they studied at CPUT,” said Dr Lalendle.

CPUT Quality Management Director, Dr Dan Coetzee, said: “The HEQC’s first visit has helped in setting boundaries for the audit and has given an overall introduction to what the audit will be about.”

By Andiswa Dantile

Photograph: CPUT Vice-Chancellor, Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga welcomes the HEQC delegation Dr Lumkile Lalendle, Director: Institutional Audits; Belinda Wort, Manager and Luyanda Ndabankulu, Project Administrator.

Written by CPUT News
Email: news@cput.ac.za