Institutional Statement

1999, The following is an edited version of The University of the Western Cape's HDI Institutional Statement prepared for the USIA TELP Linkage Grant Program.

Institutional Objectives and Priorities

A major academic priority for the immediate future should be science and technological education (which has been identified as a national priority and which remains the disciplinary area in which black people and women are least represented). UWC is therefore committed to establishing its Faculty of Natural Sciences as an area of concentration. This process will be aided by its organization into divisions of Life Sciences, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, and Physical and Chemical Sciences.

The second area which has been identified for expansion and development is Economic and Management Sciences, in order to prepare graduates for managerial positions in both the public and private sectors. The consolidation of the School of Government, and the production of skilled graduates in fields such as Accounting, Economics, Industrial Psychology, Information Systems and Management are the key objectives for the EMS Faculty.

The third area which has been identified for expansion and development is Community and Health Sciences, including Dentistry, in order to prepare graduates for the rapidly changing provision of health professions regionally and nationally. UWC's community-based approach and academic emphasis on primary health care are in accord with national policy trends. The consolidation of UWC's health education and training into a single Faculty of Health Sciences (identified as an objective since 1990) is a short-term imperative with a view of making UWC the locus of the allied Health Sciences and Public Health in the Western Cape.

UWC has developed considerable expertise in the discipline of Education, both in the training of teachers and research. Despite cuts in teacher numbers in the Western Cape, the introduction of an entirely new school curriculum, the inception of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), and sweeping changes in the provision of further and higher education ensure that capacity in training and retraining of teachers will remain important; and that analysis and policy research will acquire new salience. This requires the Faculty of Education (and the EPU located with it) to undertake precise and pro-active planning for research and training opportunities. There may also be significant scope for regional rationalization/coordination in teacher training, not only among the tertiary institutions but also with the teacher training colleges.

The legal profession has been nationally identified as one in which there is an urgent need to alter existing demographic patterns by the training of qualified black attorneys as well as magistrates, prosecutors and advocates. UWC should respond to this challenge in producing legal professionals to address this imbalance.

The faculty of Arts has developed areas of excellence and core initiatives in the Arts. Recognizing that the Arts has been at the forefront of research and teaching innovation and has been critically important for the university's national and international profile, UWC should nurture and develop these areas.

In addition to these academic areas, the harnessing of information technology, for learning, teaching and administrative purposes, is of paramount importance. Finally, in key administrative departments, such as Finance and Students Affairs, and certain faculties, such as Arts, there is a need for professional and technical staff development.

Specific Projects in Faculties

In the Faculty of Science teaching and research activities can be divided into a number of programs within which specific projects exist presently. We only mention examples of the projects. These programs are:

• Applied Biotechnology (which includes Cell and Molecular Biology) with projects in plant biotechnology, protein engineering, and food safety and security;
• Applies Informatics including Computer Science with projects in computational genomics, internet bio-education, training strategies underpinning life long learning in computer science and statistics;
• Environmental Sciences including Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, and Water Resource Management with projects in ecological and environmental structures, groundwater and water resource usage, marine and estuarine systems;
• Chemical and Physical Science including Industrial applications with projects in electrochemistry, biological molecules, material science, nuclear physics;
• Engineering Geology and Geohazards;
• Mathematical, Statistical and Computational Sciences (including Mathematics of Finance) with projects in algebra, analysis, topology, computational mathematics;
• Medical Bio-Science with projects in molecular cell biology studies of disease models, and
• Science (and Mathematics) Education including Public Understanding of Science with a range of projects in teacher education, teaching and learning strategies, and curriculum development.

The Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (C&HS) is constituted by the following departments: Dietetics, Human Ecology, Human Movement Studies, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Psychology, and Social Work. The academic and service endeavors of Institute of Child and Family Development (ICFD) also resort under this faculty.

As a response to the new imperatives in Higher Education in South Africa, the Faculty of C&HS identified, as one of its central endeavors, the development of curricula and research opportunities which will facilitate inter- and transdisciplinary interaction among its faculty. In order to ensure that such development occurs in an orderly and planned fashion, the Faculty instituted a process, during the second semester of 1998, to prepare a common foundation first year program. Human and material resources have been identified as the main constraints to the implementation, monitoring and re-planning, as required, of this common vision. One of the practical ways to overcome some of these constraints is the development of a Skill Laboratory which can cater for the acquisition of skills by students relevant for the different allied health professions parallel with cognitive learning. It is envisaged that skills-teaching should be organized longitudinally and be based on defined structure with underlying principles and goals, and should be teacher independent. In pursuance of this goal, the faculty has already developed linkages with the Hogeschool of Nijmegen and the University of Maastricht in The Netherlands. The faculty would therefore welcome contributions which will further enhance the development of interdisciplinary Skillslab training and teaching among the different departments.

One of the lessons drawn from the process of establishing the foundation year is the need for the development of academic staff whilst process issues are addressed simultaneously. Opportunities for lecturers who have not yet completed their Masters or Ph.D. degrees to participate in "sandwich" type programs will therefore be welcomed. However, it is also important for academics to comprehend the essentials of the appropriate role of technology in education.

The Public Health Program has a role of developing and strengthening education and research in public health/primary health care in those departments, schools and faculties responsible for health and allied social sciences at UWC. A major factor in the success of the PHP is its innovation, both on terms of content of its activities and the process of their development. Its teaching programs consist of Winter and Summer School Programs, interdisciplinary undergraduate core courses in collaboration with other related university departments, and a part-time multi-disciplinary Masters degree in Public Health, which is currently being redeveloped to provide for distance learning as well. Other new graduate courses being developed include a Masters degree in Health Promotion and a Doctorate in Public Health. Research is concerned with enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the health system, improving health status and promoting development. Research projects include the evaluation of out-patient care, the development of management information systems, the development of school health programs, the development of interventions to counter the 'dop' or 'tot' system on wine farms in the Western Cape, evaluation and redesigning components of the Primary School Nutrition Program, and research into policy and planning of human health resources. Linkage opportunities will be used to enhance teaching, curriculum development and research in the various programs and projects mentioned above.

The emphases and need for collaboration of the Institute of Child and Family Development (ICFD) are best reflected in their Mission Statement: "As an institute of the University of the Western Cape, which is committed to the development of the historically marginalized communities in South Africa, the Institute is particularly concerned with development in areas of social well-being. With such a concern in mind, the Institute is particularly concerned with development in areas of social well-being. With such a concern in mind, the Institute recognizes the rights and needs of children, youth, families and communities. It is committed to research and information gathering, research-based development activities and facilitation of change, (research) capacity building, advocacy and policy development, teaching and professional training in various areas concerning the quality of life of children, youth and their families."

In the Faculty of Dentistry there is a particular need for the development of graduate programs which would include good supervising support for graduate students as well as serving as mentors and/or co-investigators for faculty members at UWC who are eager to complete Ph.D. degrees. The extensive histology, pathology, and oral disease, including virgin caries, found in the populations served by the UWC Faculty of Dentistry, can form the basis for research and teaching collaboration.

The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences views the opportunity for linkage collaboration in a very positive light, especially since a number of new initiatives have been identified during a recent strategic planing workshop. At a more theoretical level, reference was made to the faculty's potential in providing excellence in education, in being co-works for transformation in the community, in government and in business, and, indeed, in showing the way towards empowerment through transformation while striving for international recognition of programs and achievements. Actual new initiatives would include:

• the development foundation courses across the faculty with a view of enhancing quality learning;
  • the expansion of short training programs using the model being implemented by the UWC School of Government;
  • reorganizing the faculty into Schools to encourage inter-disciplinarity in teaching and research;
  • special emphasis on Management Information Technology
  • the introduction of internet-based courses which eventually can facilitate the extension of programs to outlying districts such as the Northern Cape, where the School of Government is already active;
  • improve relations with business, industry, government departments, community structures and NGOs;
  • the restructuring of the undergraduate program to provide for extended four year degrees as well as a bachelors degree in Hotel Management;
  • the introduction of new Masters programs in Diversity Management, an MBA with options to concentrate on general management, and information systems.

Clearly, the success of such an extensive mission depends on the quality of the academics and administrators involved. Collaboration in all the five focus areas is therefore sought by the faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Special emphasis is put on curriculum development, staff development and research collaboration. Meaningful and functional Information Technology systems are considered to be the backbone for success in all the faculty's endeavors.

The Faculty of Education at UWC is considered to be a leader in the fields of Special Needs/inclusive education, life skills education and educational support services. The Faculty wishes to expand this area of concentration in which it offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It therefore requests assistance to expand its activities through workshops, short courses, internships and training programs in the area of Special Needs/Inclusive Education, the development of education support services and life skills education in this field.

Another area earmarked for collaboration is Postgraduate training in Educational Management, Administration and Policy. The Faculty of Education has one of the largest Masters Degree (by coursework) enrollments in the country. One of the seven areas of concentration is the coursework Masters program in Educational Management, Administration and Policy. The Faculty has great need for teaching and research support in this area as well as in the expansion of its Masters and Further Education Diploma programs in Educational Management, Administration and Policy. There has been regular contact between USA institutions and the Faculty. Specific requests for support:

• Faculty exchanges where, say, two USA professors would come to UWC to assist in the teaching of
  • postgraduate courses in Educational Leadership, Educational Administration and research on educational policy/higher education at the Education Policy Unit. This will be for one Semester.
  • Two UWC professors would go to the USA for one semester to teach courses in Educational Policy, Comparative Education and African Studies. Also to network with other scholars on curriculum development of Masters courses in Education Leadership, Administration and Higher Degree Studies.
  • Student exchanges where two Faculty of Education Masters/Doctoral students will visit the USA institutions for six weeks.

A final area for collaboration in Education is the facilitation of Workshops on Curriculum 2005 and Outcomes-based Education. The Faculty of Education trains the largest number of secondary school teachers in the Western Cape. With the introduction of an Outcomes-based approach in the Department of Education's curriculum through the Curriculum 2005 project, there is great need for training of trainers in this area. The Faculty participates actively in the Western Cape and nationally, also through its in-service training of teachers. It wishes to request support to organize a series of four workshops during one academic year for local teachers, UWC faculty and faculty from U.S. universities who are experts in the field of Outcomes-based Education.

The focus of the Law Faculty is on using linkage opportunities to facilitate:

• reciprocal exchange visits of faculty for up to one semester;
• staff development;
  • curriculum development with specific reference to foundation courses, advocacy training, and commercial and public law;
  • visits by (senior) students from UWC Law Faculty to the USA institutions;
  • special projects to be jointly planned including those in research and publication

Specific academic disciplines in which the above-mentioned opportunities will be used are:

• International Business Law;
• Constitutional Litigation;
• International Human Rights Law;
• Labor Law;
• International Criminal Law; and
• Transitional Law.

Specific outcomes envisaged by the Law Faculty include:

• improved syllabi
• reinforced training and basic legal skills;
• promotion of research activity;
• increased motivation among staff and students for legal studies and the law profession;
• an enhanced learning and teaching culture; and
• upward academic mobility for marginalized academics.

The Faculty of Arts, being conscious of the reality that their graduates find it very difficult to obtain appropriate employment, recently embarked on an innovative development and renewal academic planning process. The outcome of this process is the repackaging of courses in programs as well as the introduction of new programs in such a way that more direct links can be made between university education and the needs of the broader South African society for vocationally trained individuals. At the same time care was taken that these programs retain the traditional strengths of study in the Arts, including vital skills in communication, self-expression and critical enquiry. The faculty is therefore seeking collaboration with appropriately qualified individuals and well-positioned institutions to advance curriculum development, staff development and research in:

• Tourism Studies, in particular tourism as key strategic industry, a critical understanding of how it works, its history, the positive and negative impact it might have on local communities, tourism and heritage management, conservation management and tourism, advertising, the role of government in tourism promotion, travel writing;
• Health Care Studies especially social sciences perspective on issues concerning health, sickness and healing;
• Crime, Social Control and the Criminal Justice System;
• Culture and Media Studies;
• Public History and Museum Studies;
• Women and Gender Studies; and
• Certain aspects of African Studies

The new reality in South African Higher Education has created a need for development of academic and administrative managers. In fact, given the current constraints and "rightsizing" of Faculties at UWC, Senior Administrative Staff have to contend with the many changing scenarios pertaining to the management of Faculties. Faculties have to manage with fewer support staff and as is the case of Arts, even a substantially reduced academic staff. It is obvious that further "shrinkage" needs to take place within Faculties in order to be more economically and academically viable.

Although the Faculty of Arts, for example, has been reduced from 16 to 14 academic departments, it will be necessary to implement further viable initiatives in order to meet more stringent demands by the year 2000 and beyond. In order for a Performance Development System to be implemented effectively in the future, there is a need to investigate crucial areas such as marketable programs, student, staff and academic development, financial viability and management structures. It will really be matter of how to do more with less. Managing an academic unit such a department or a Faculty under such severe financial constraints and in the face of ever increasing competition for students and resources, is a new experience for many academic managers at UWC. There is, therefore a need to provide training support for senior managers in key academic and administrative departments such as Finance, Student Affairs, Development and Information Technology.

Dr. Ron Turner

Executive Vice President

321 University Hall

Columbia, MO 65211

Phone: (573) 882-2011

E-mail: TurnerR@umsystem.edu

Revised on 11/27/2000 by UM University Relations