Over the last few months, discussions about the upcoming CHE institutional audit and site visit have been taking place. This Communique sets out the who, what, how and where of the audit. As a community, UJ is committed to excellence across its strategic objectives, as set out in the Strategic Plan. Everyone at UJ plays a significant role in the achievement of these goals. The University uses teaching and learning, research and community engagement in ways that express its values and commitment to social justice and to achieving transformation in the lives of its students, as well as in its broader communities. The CHE Audit focuses on UJ’s expression of its mission and values in practice, which relies on the contributions every one of us makes to this process.

The Audit Panel will interview academic and support staff and postgraduate and undergraduate students.

The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is a national, statutory body responsible for quality assurance in higher education, among other functions.  You can read more about institutional audits on their website here. The CHE is undertaking audits of all higher education institutions in South Africa.

The Audit Panel conducting the interviews comprises a panel of higher education peers, drawn from South African universities as well as one international representatives, and three CHE staff members (who act in support of the Panel). the Panel is tasked with ‘triangulating’ their reading of UJ’s  Self-Evaluation Report with what they see and hear in interviews and on campus.

The Audit panel members are not to be contacted under any circumstances. If you have any queries at all relating to the audit, contact the Division for Teaching Excellence (DTE) on DoTE@uj.ac.za.

Dr Engela van Staden (Chairperson)
Vice-Rector: Academic (UFS)

Dr Petronella Retief
Registrar (SUN)

Dr Madoda Makola
Director of Quality Assurance and InformationManagement (UWC)

Dr Joy Alexander
Academic Developer: Teaching Excellence Specialist (NMU)

Prof Jo-Anne Vorster
Head: Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching & Learning

Dr Lokesh Ramnath Maharajh
Senior lecturer: Curriculum and EducationStudies (UKZN)

Prof George Veletsianos
Canada Research Chair: Innovative Learning & Technology (Royal Roads University, Canada)

Audit focuses on the policies, procedures, strategies and resources that comprise and support the University’s quality management system and which support the University’s core functions which are teaching and learning, research and community engagement. The audit’s scope is therefore all academic activities and relevant support functions. Specifically, the audit Panel will assess UJ’s capacity for quality management of its academic activities in a manner that meets its specified mission, goals and objectives, and engages appropriately with the expectations and needs of various internal and external constituencies. The University’s quality management system which supports the core functions of the University will be assessed in terms of the extent to which they create a learning environment that acts in support of student success.

If you have a question, see the  Audit FAQs on the Intranet.

The outcome of the audit is significant, as it will determine the nature and extent of the University’s engagements with the CHE. The length of the audit cycle, the types of requirements for accreditation, and the extent of capacity development required depends on the outcome of the Audit. A finding of a mature quality assurance system will be positive for the University.

• UJ submitted its Self-evaluation Report to the CHE in January 2022.
• The CHE panel will be conducting interviews and campus visits from the 16^th to 20^th May 2022.
• On Friday 20 May 2022, the CHE audit panel will visit the four campuses.

All interview sessions will be online. If you have been selected for an interview, you will have received a link and invitation from the Division for Teaching Excellence (DoTE@uj.ac.za).

On Friday 20 May 2022, the CHE audit panel will visit all UJ campuses.

In addition to the Audit FAQs, DTE will be running a series of briefing sessions on the audit for interviewees. You are welcome also to address any questions relating to the audit to your line manager, or to the DTE DoTe@uj.ac.za.