The Council on Higher Education (CHE) defines the IA as an external quality review process of an institution’s quality management system and its constituent elements, based on that institution’s identity, nature, context and strategic goals. Such a review systematically and objectively evaluates the system’s appropriateness, coherence and effectiveness in assuring the quality of institutional delivery of higher education’s core functions (CHE,2021). While the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) describes an institutional audit as an "improvement-orientated external evaluation of institutional arrangements for quality in teaching and learning, research and community engagement, based on a self-evaluation conducted by the institution".

CHE is conducting institutional audits of all public universities and private higher education institutions. The CPUT institutional audit process started in 2021, following CHE’s endorsed schedule. CPUT has embarked on this project, and the QMD is coordinating the preparation on behalf of the university. In this regard, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) requires institutions to reflect critically and consider the quality provision to improve student success. CHE will assess the internal quality assurance of the university at all levels.

Different working groups were identified, working closely with Faculty Quality Forums(FQFs) to write and collect the Self Evaluation Report (SER) information. The institution appointed the SER writers, and they are also part of the different working groups. A panel appointed by the CHE will carry out the audit. The IA will end with the site visit of an external panel in 10-14 October 2022.

The IA emphasizes the institutional quality management systems identified for audit standards and guidelines approved by the HEQC and CHE. The audit has four focus areas, each with four standards which make out 16 standards in total. Below are the four key focus areas that the CHE institutional audit evaluates:

1. Focus area 1: Governance, strategic planning, management and leadership support the core academic functions.
2. Focus area 2: The design and implementation of the institutional quality management system supports the core academic functions.
3. Focus area 3: The coherence and integration of the institutional quality management system supports the core academic functions.
4. Focus area 4: Curriculum development, learning and teaching support the likelihood of student success.

CPUT has agreed to work based on the following planning framework.

Events that took place in 2021

Events and plans for 2022

The agreed date with the CHE for submitting our SER and portfolio of evidence is June 2022, and the panel site visit will occur between 10 and 14 October 2022. For further details, feel free to email Dr Makaula, the Institutional Coordinator at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.