Institusionele forum van die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys (PU vir CHO) vir die tydperk 1999-2003 : 'n kritiese evaluering / Melvin Diedericks

• Main Author: Diedericks, Melvin
• Published: North-West University 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10394/1076

This study has focused on a critical evaluation of the effective functioning of the Institutional Forum at the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE) during the period 1999 to 2003. The transition of South-Africa (during 1990-1994) from an apartheid government to a democratic state has brought about many changes, including the transformation in the higher education sector. The higher education sector is a unique sector, typically consisting of institutions where knowledge is generated. The generation of knowledge and information has strong ties with independent teaching and research as well as community projects. Higher education institutions differ remarkably from each other, and each has its own ethos, mission, vision and institutional autonomy. Only higher education can contribute to research, training of highly skilled workers and the development of relevant, useful information to afford developing communities the capacity to participate in a fast changing national and global context. As part of the transformation of higher education, institutional forums were established by the Minister of Education. These forums had to contribute to the council and management of institutions, to advise them on a number of issues as stipulated in the Higher Education Act, 1997, section 31 (1)(2)(3). Higher education institutions, however, interpreted the establishment and functioning of forums in different ways. Some of the forums experienced an identity crisis in their endeavours to define a place for themselves in the governance structure of higher education. Forums were not regarded as highly effective because some of the higher education institutions still ignored the principle of cooperative governance. An imbalance was experienced with regard to membership within the forums, and membership consisted to a large extent of union representatives. Similar problems were experienced at the PU for CHE. (In this mini-dissertation there are referred to problems rather than issues because the term problem is a general acknowledged term in the higher education context.) The above-mentioned problems led to the research of the following aspects: 0 What did transformation in higher education entail? 0 What did the Higher Education Act (Nr. 101 of 1997) exactly determine with regard to the role that Institutional Forums should play in the transformation of the higher education sector before 2003 and how was it interpreted at the PU for CHE? Did the Institutional Forum at the PU for CHE succeed in its goal to motivate transformation during the period 1999 to 2003? These aspects are investigated within the capacity of this mini-dissertation === Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.