Dr Thandi Mgwebi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, welcomed staff members to the workshop.
In preparation for the visit, the Directorate: Quality Promotion (DQP), that facilitates the process on the home front, hosted a workshop on 11 September, where a pool of representative staff were orientated on the CHE national review processes and associated documentation, expected outputs and timelines.
Four working groups were established to conduct the self-evaluation using the CHE National Standard for Doctoral Degrees and produce an institutional self-evaluation report that would be submitted to the CHE in March 2020. The working groups are led by Assistant Deans for Research: Prof Edward Rankhumise, Dr Agnieta Pretorius, Prof Shirley Motaung and Prof Andile Mji.
According to Emily Mabote, Acting Director: Quality Promotion, who drives this process with her dedicated team, the CHE will conduct national reviews of all doctoral degrees across all private and public higher education institutions next year.
“The focus of the national reviews is to check quality assurance mechanisms implemented by universities in assuring the quality of doctoral degrees, and to check how universities are complying with the CHE National Standard for Doctoral Degrees,” she says.
During the said workshop, working group members (mainly Professors, Research Chairs, Supervisors, Senior Lecturers, Faculty Research Officers, and representatives from the Directorate: Research and Innovation) kick started preparations for the development of the institutional Self-Evaluation Report (SER). The workshop was also attended by Prof Stanley Mukhola, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching, Learning and Technology, and Dr Thandi Mgwebi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Engagement, who is the executive leading the project at TUT.
Emily adds that the work done thus far includes an internal review of master’s and doctoral qualifications which was conducted across all Faculties. Areas where the University is doing well in terms of offering Doctoral degrees were identified as well as areas needing improvement.
“This process, especially the information gathered from the internal review, has also indicated areas where the University’s Postgraduate Policy could be strengthened.” Emily concluded by encouraging all University staff across all environments to familiarise themselves with the CHE National Standard for Doctoral Degrees as it provides an overview of the quality threshold standards for Doctoral degrees.
To access the CHE National Standard for Doctoral Degrees document, please click here.