Higher education in South Africa is faced with a paramount task to help erode the social and structural inequalities that have been inherited from the Apartheid system (Department of Education 1997; Council on Higher Education 2000:12). The findings from the Soudien Report (2008:116-117) point out that the post-Apartheid higher education system in South Africa is characterised by various forms of discrimination and institutional cultures that marginalise some members of institutions resulting in pervasive feelings of alienation. In the South African higher education field, the concept of a “home” for all has been used by a variety of commentators to depict a vision of what transformed, inclusive higher education institutional cultures might look like. In this thesis, I interpret the experiences of residence life on the part of gay, lesbian and bisexual students on a largely residential campus. I ask how gay, lesbian and bisexual students experience being “at home” in the campus’s residence system. The thesis is based on 18 in-depth qualitative interviews with students who self-identify as gay/lesbian or bisexual who have experienced residence life on the campus for a period longer than six months. A wide literature exists on the concept of “home”. Drawing from many different disciplines including anthropology, history, philosophy, geography, psychology, architecture and sociology, I distil the essential features of “at homeness” as incorporating comfort, privacy, security, acceptance, companionship and community. The research was concerned to inquire into how central the idea of home is to human flourishing and then into how gay, lesbian and bisexual students are routinely denied many of the essential comforts associated with being “at home” that heterosexual students have the privilege of taking for granted.

This study is a qualitative review to identify factors impacting on the management of student development and support at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in a developing country. For the purpose of the study student development and support includes all developmental and supportive services and interventions for rural and urban students within an institution of higher learning, regardless of the current structuring of the functions. The study first contextualises the scenario of a developing country in terms of the socio-economic, political, higher education, labour and other factors that set the scene for student development and support and then continues with a systematic exposition of factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future of student development and support. A systematic investigation of NMMU by means of interviews with student affairs professionals make it possible to identify factors that have direct relevance and impact on the future management and provision of student development and support. The result of the study is a construction of the specific factors identified on the international, national and institutional levels as well as the intricate relationships between rural and urban students. This research provides a potential framework for future management and provision of strategic focus areas for student development and support functions within NMMU and higher education in a developing country to ensure that it effectively positions the function within higher education as a key component of the core agenda.

Yes / It is an increasingly acknowledged fact that one of the most effective ways universities in war-affected countries can be functionally relevant to the everyday needs and challenges of their immediate environment is by promoting peacebuilding through peace education. This paper explores the role of universities in fostering peace education in diverse post-conflict and conflict-prone countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Specifically, the research investigates the contending models and strategies (notably the Bradford Model and the Centralized Unitary Model) of conflict-sensitive peace education in the context of universities in post-conflict and volatile societies in Africa. The study also analyses the problems and challenges associated with promoting peace education in Sub-Saharan Africa and recommends policy-relevant intervention measures designed to strengthen the process. Data for the study have been generated from secondary sources, as well as a raft of conflict intervention, regional security and peacebuilding projects the researcher has taken part in across a number of conflict-prone and war-affected African countries (notably, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and South Sudan).

The purpose of this study was to to investigate the impact of leadership practices on service quality in private higher education in South Africa as a source of competitive advantage. Higher education institutions and, more specifically, private higher education institutions, have faced increasing pressure on many fronts in recent years. These pressures include increased competition, lack of support from key constituencies, an increase in the size and diversity of the student population, dealing with changing technology, increased calls for accountability, a higher demand for quality by all the stakeholders involved, more responsibility for research and teaching and greater emphasis on efficient and effective management. The literature review for this study suggested that leadership impacts positively on quality and, equally important, on service quality. The academic leaders at these institutions have a tremendous influence on the quality of the education provided and the service rendered to the growing number of students. Using a quantitative methodology and a cross-sectional survey research design, this study was conducted on five campuses of a prominent private higher education provider across South Africa using two survey instruments. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) questionnaire was utilised to conduct the leadership survey while the SERVQUAL instrument was applied in the service quality survey. The campus principals of the five campuses and some of their selected subordinates completed the LPI survey. The SERVQUAL questionnaires were completed by 984 students from the five campuses. Correlation analysis was the major statistical tool used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated a strong positive linear correlation between the leadership practices of principals and service quality to students at these institutions. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Technology: Public Relations Management, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South African, 2015. / The Southern African Higher Education system in the post-apartheid period had to respond to the various discriminatory practices that existed during the apartheid era. This entailed responding to inequalities in the education system at various levels. As far as higher education was concerned there was a need to serve society based on the principles of equality, equity and inclusivity. One such response was to merge higher education institutions such as ML Sultan Technikon and Technikon Natal to form the Durban Institute of Technology now referred to as the Durban University of Technology (DUT). The merger process revealed numerous challenges one of which was the human resource issue that underpinned the merger of staff between the two technikons which differed in practice. The rationale for this study was that staff at DUT were experiencing alienation; mistrust and a lack of shared purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of internal communication in the transition process of the merger at the DUT. The objectives were to examine existing organisational communication tools; to evaluate staff perceptions of the current methods of communication utilised in the internal communication process; and to determine how internal communication has contributed to the transition process. The study used a quantitative research method; this enabled an evaluation of the role of internal communication in a higher education setting during a transition process. The sample population was 400 administrative and academic staff from across the seven campuses. Staff were assessed via a survey questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS. The study found that living and coping with change in the work environment is a fact of life for organisations and individuals. The success of any change programme depends on the organisation’s ability to communicate effectively with its employees; therefore internal communication plays a pivotal role in any change programme. Staff at the DUT had limited communication from Management during the change phase. They were of the opinion that effective internal communication could improve productivity in the workforce.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Value added links a company’s financial statements to the national income and performs a useful function in macro-economic measurement. At the national level, productivity is a major determinant of economic growth and progress and of vital importance to the survival and wellbeing of all South Africans. The presentation of information in added value terms can provide an effective communication tool that enables all personnel at all levels to understand where the business stands, what their roles in it are and what can be done to improve certain ratios. The concept of value added does not only act as a communication medium in showing how a company is performing, but also demonstrates the need for increased wealth to ensure higher distribution to all the stakeholders. This research report aims to establish, amongst other matters, the future use of value added as a proxy for productivity as a basis (a new mindset) for determining salary increases at tertiary institutions. Because this could be regarded as a leap into the unknown, this study used the results of the industrial sector for benchmarking. As tertiary institutions never previously published a value added statement it was decided to follow the practice of the Value Added Scoreboard since 2002; that is, to compile a value added statement for tertiary institutions using the audited annual reports and, specifically, the income statement. The handling of part-time, casual or seasonal employees can cause measurement problems in the value added per employee ratio. The matter is also further complicated by the fact that there is a lack of full description of employee data in the financial statements as to whether or not the published employee numbers refer to either full-time equivalent, average number of employees over the period or number of employees at year end. If one is to use employee numbers to do an analysis of certain ratios there needs to be clarity in future on how these numbers must be reported. In conclusion it was found that the low increase or decrease in salaries, together with the increase in employee numbers resulted in a negative growth rate in salaries per employee. The conclusion can thus be made that the tertiary institutions did not take productivity into account when granting salary increases. Finally, though this research report was only exploratory, the recommendation can be made that the concept of value added should be implemented at tertiary institutions, preferably by firstly taking the research staff of the entire institution and from there the distribution per department into account, and lastly to reflect the value added for the institution as a whole. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Toegevoegde waarde verbind ’n maatskappy se finansiële state met die nasionale inkomste en vervul ’n nuttige rol as makro-ekonomiese maatstaf. Op nasionale vlak is produktiwiteit ’n vername bepaler van ekonomiese groei en vordering en is dit van kardinale belang tot die oorlewing en welstand van alle Suid-Afrikaners. Die aanbied van inligting in terme van toegevoegde waarde kan ’n doeltreffende kommunikasie-instrument wees wat alle personeel op alle vlakke in staat stel om te verstaan wat die stand van sake is, wat hulle rolle binne die besigheid is en wat gedoen kan word om sekere ratio’s te verbeter. Die toegevoegdewaarde-konsep dien nie slegs as kommunikasiemiddel om die maatskappy se prestasie aan te dui nie, maar toon ook aan dat daar ’n behoefte is aan groter rykdom om hoër verspreiding aan alle belanghebbendes te verseker. Hierdie navorsingsverslag het ten doel om onder meer die toekomstige gebruik van toegevoegde waarde te vestig as ’n aanduider vir produktiwiteit as ’n grondslag (’n nuwe geestesingesteldheid) vir die vasstel van salarisverhogings by tersiêre instellings. Aangesien dit beskou kan word as ’n sprong in die duister, het hierdie studie die resultate van die nywerheidsektor as normstelling gebruik. Omdat tersiêre instellings nog nooit vantevore ’n toegevoegde waarde-staat gepubliseer het nie, is daar besluit om die praktyk van die Toegevoegdewaarde-telbord sedert 2002 te volg. Dit beteken dat ’n toegevoegde waarde-staat vir tersiêre instellings saamgestel is deur die geouditeerde jaarverslae en, spesifiek, die inkomstestaat te gebruik. Die hantering van deeltydse, los of seisoenwerkers kan metingsprobleme in die toegevoegde waarde per werknemer-ratio tot gevolg hê. Die saak word ook verder bemoeilik deur die feit dat daar ’n gebrek aan volledige werknemerinligting in die finansiële state is wat betref of die gepubliseerde werknemergetalle verwys na die voltydse ekwivalent, die gemiddelde getal werknemers oor die tydperk, of die werknemers met jaareinde. Indien die werknemergetalle gebruik word om ’n ontleding van sekere ratio’s te doen, is dit duidelik dat daar in die toekoms meer klaarheid moet wees oor die wyse waarop hierdie getalle gerapporteer moet word. Daar is gevolglik bevind dat die lae styging of daling in salarisse, tesame met die styging in werknemergetalle, tot ’n negatiewe groeikoers in salarisse per werknemer lei. Die gevolgtrekking kan dus gemaak word dat die tersiêre instellings nie produktiwiteit in ag geneem het toe salarisverhogings toegestaan is nie. Laastens, alhoewel hierdie navorsingsverslag slegs verkennend van aard was, kan die aanbeveling gemaak word dat die konsep van toegevoegde waarde by tersiêre instellings geïmplementeer word. Verkieslik deur eerstens die navorsingspersoneel van die instelling te neem, daarna die verdeling per departement en dan laastens om toegevoegde waarde vir die instelling as geheel weer te gee.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Transformation of South Africa's historically white universities IS evidenced by a diversification of their student and staff populations. The transition from exclusion to inclusion of minority cultures in these university campuses has not been without its challenges for those students. This study provides a record of the experiences of five coloured women who are undergraduate students at Stellenbosch University (SU), a predominantly white institution. The approach used is feminist, grounded participatory action research. Despite institutional policy initiatives, the Coloured undergraduate students in the study did not experience the university environment as inclusive. What emerged was that the women had an acute awareness of othernesses and their own minority status. Factors such as the small number of minority students and the absence of symbols or icons that reflect and acknowledge the presence of diverse cultures exacerbate their feeling of being in the minority or 'tolerated otherness'. The women experienced SU as a university where established practices and traditions continue despite the changing demographics of the student population. This type of organisational culture in which covert and overt resistance to transformation is the norm acts as a constraint on the political will to move from policy to practice and entrenches the marginalisation of minority groups. The study found that integration is left largely to personal initiative. Personal variables such as resilience, strategies for coping with stress and the resolution of identity issues, appear to playa key role in academic success. However, academic success is not always accompanied by successful social integration. Social isolation was found to have a negative impact on personal and academic confidence. Although the women in the study have had relatively negative experiences of transformation, their willingness to engage in reflexive praxis and dialogue could serve as a challenge to SU to engage in a process which acknowledges the concerns, resistance and experience of all role-players. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die transformasie van histories-blanke Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite word gekenmerk aan die diversifisering van hulle studente en personeel. Hierdie proses vind plaas deur die geleidelike wegbeweeg van die algehele uitsluiting van die minderheidsgroepe op die betrokke kampusse tot hulle volledige insluiting by aIle bedrywighede. Die proses is nie sonder uitdagings vir die betrokke studente nie. In hierdie studie word die ervaringe beskryf van vyf bruin vroulike voorgraadse studente aan die SteIlenbsoch Universiteit (US), 'n oorwegend-blanke tersiere instelling. Vir hierdie studie is 'n feministiese benadering wat gebaseer is op deelnemende aksienavorsing gebruik. Ten spyte van institusionele beleidsinisiatiewe om genoemde transformasie te bespoeding, het die voorgraadse bruin studente wat aan hierdie studie deelgeneem het, nie die universiteitsomgewing as inklusief ervaar nie. Dit het eerder duidelik geword dat die dames baie bewus was van hulle andersheid en hulle minderheidstatus. Faktore soos die klein aantal minderheidstudente en die afwesigheid van simbole of ikone wat die teenwoordigheid van diverse kulture reflekteer en erken, het hulle ervaring as behorende tot 'n minderheidsgroep versterk. Die dames het die US ervaar as 'n universiteit waar ingewortelde praktyke en tradisies voortgesit word ten spyte van die veranderende demografie van die studentebevolking. Hierdie soort organisatoriese kultuur waar bedekte en openlike teenstand tot transformasie die norm is, plaas 'n demper op die politieke gewilligheid om van beleid na praktyk te beweeg en verdiep die marginalisering van minderheidsgroepe. Die bevindings van die studie is dat integrasie grootliks oorgelaat word aan persoonlike inisiatiewe. Persoonlikeheidseienskappe soos gedetermineerde optrede, die benutting van strategiee om stres te hanteer en identiteitskrisisse op te los, speel blykbaar 'n sleutelrol in akademiese sukses. Akademiese sukses loop egter nie altyd hand aan hand met sosiale integrasie nie. Daar is bevind dat sosiale isolasie 'n negatiewe impak op persoonlike en akademiese vertroue het. Alhoewel die ervarings van die dames wat aan die studie deelgeneem het relatief negatiewe was ten opsigte van transformasie, was hulle tog gewillig om deel te neem aan die reflektiewe praksis en dialoog. Hierdie feit dien as 'n uitdaging aan die Stellenbosch Universiteit om betrokke te raak by 'n proses waarin die bekommemisse, weerstande en ervaringe van aIle rolspelers hanteer word.

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The final school examination is the gateway to higher education (HE) in most countries. Many students are however ill-prepared for HE because of a lack of quality education. Internationally, alternative access programmes are offered to address this problem. SciMathUS is the Science and Mathematics bridging programme at Stellenbosch University with the aim to allow educationally disadvantaged students whose Grade 12 results are below the standard entrance scores for admittance to HE, a second chance to improve their scores in Mathematics and Physical Sciences and then reapply for HE. SciMathUS follows a hybrid Problem-based Learning (PBL) philosophy, encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning. While it is expected that performance in the final school examination correlates with performance in HE, this is questioned in the case of students who do not have access to good education and, as a result thereof, leave school with poor to low results. With the high demand for HE internationally, identifying students with the potential to succeed is however a huge challenge. Alternative measurements have been and are being considered and researched. The focus of this quantitative research is to determine whether Grade 12 results (Mathematics and Physical Sciences) and Stellenbosch University Access Test (AT) results could predict success in HE for students who first attended a bridging programme. Success was defined quantitatively and measured by the results obtained at the end of their first year in HE. Quantitative techniques were used to analyse the possible relationships between the different variables. The findings were that SciMathUS students managed to improve their Grade 12 Mathematics and Physical Sciences and AT significantly after attending the bridging programme. These results allowed them to participate in HE. No correlation could, however, be found between their NSC results or the AT results and their performance in HE. In spite of this, more than 40% of the students in this group passed their first year in HE with an average of more than 50%. Another almost 40% obtained between 30% and 50% and were therefore allowed to continue with their studies. In three faculties at Stellenbosch University, the former bridging programme students performed on par with their peers from the same schools who enrolled in HE directly after school. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die finale skooleksamen bied internasionaal toegang tot hoër onderwys. As gevolg van ʼn gebrek aan goeie skoolopleiding, is baie studente egter nie voldoende voorbereid vir hoër onderwysstudies nie. Om hierdie probleem aan te spreek, het alternatiewe toegangsprogramme ontstaan. SciMathUS is die Wiskunde- en Wetenskapoorbruggingsprogram by Stellenbosch Universiteit. Die program bied aan opvoedkundigbenadeelde studente, wie se Graad 12-punte nie voldoende is om toegang tot hoër onderwys te kry nie, ʼn tweede kans om hul punte in Wiskunde en Fisiese Wetenskappe te verbeter. Met hierdie nuwe uitslae kan hulle dan weer aansoek doen vir toelating. SciMathUS volg ʼn hibriede probleem-gebaseerde leerbenadering wat onder meer daarop gemik is om die studente aan te moedig om self verantwoordelikheid vir hul eie leer te aanvaar. Die verwagting is dat daar ʼn korrelasie sal bestaan tussen skooluitslae en prestasie in hoër onderwys. Dit word egter bevraagteken vir studente wat nie toegang tot goeie skoolopleiding gehad het nie en as gevolg daarvan swak presteer in die finale skooleksamen. Omdat meer studente tot hoër onderwys wil toetree, raak dit toenemend belangrik om die studente met potensiaal te kan identifiseer. Alternatiewe meetinstrumente word dus geruime tyd al oorweeg en nagevors. Dit is ook die fokus van hierdie kwantitatiewe studie: om te bepaal of Graad 12 uitslae (in Wiskunde en Fisiese Wetenskappe) en die uitslae van die toegangstoetse van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gebruik kan word om sukses van studente wat eers die SciMathUS oorbruggingskursus bygewoon het, in hoër onderwys te kan voorspel. Vir hierdie studie word sukses kwantitatief gedefinieer en gemeet aan die student se gemiddelde persentasie wat aan die einde van hul eerstejaar in hoër onderwys behaal het. Statistiese analises is gebruik om die moontlike korrelasies tussen die verskillende veranderlikes te bepaal. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie is dat die SciMathUS-studente se Graad 12 Wiskunde en Fisiese Wetenskappe uitslae en toegangstoetsuitslae noemenswaardig verbeter het nadat hulle die program gevolg het. Hierdie uitslae het hulle toegelaat om toegang te kry tot hoër onderwys. Geen korrelasie is egter tussen die Nasionale Senior Sertifikaatuitslae of die toegangstoetsuitslae en prestasie in hoër onderwys gevind nie. Ten spyte daarvan het meer as 40% van die studente in die groep hul eerstejaar met ʼn gemiddelde persentasie van meer as 50% geslaag. Ongeveer nog 40% van die studente het tussen 30% en 50% behaal en is dus toegelaat om met hul studies te kon voortgaan. In drie fakulteite by Stellenbosch Universiteit het die voormalige brugprogramstudente net so goed gevaar soos die studente wat dieselfde skole as hulle bygewoon het maar direk na skool by Stellenbosch Universiteit ingeskryf het.

This pilot research survey was undertaken as a result of the need to assess the service quality within Higher Education in general and the Department of Management at UWC in particular. This report focuses on the complexities of measuring service quality in higher education. The quality of service delivery within education is becoming more important as the competition for students increases.<br /> The literature was searched to find a suitable measure with a sound theoretical structure. This measure was then adapted for the department.<br /> <br /> In a preliminary way this instrument was then applied to students in the department and initial results are reported on.<br /> The results revealed that undergraduates overall were uncertain in their attitude to the service quality in the department. On the other hand, postgraduate students tended to rate the service quality rather more negatively (p &lt / 0.004). Furthermore there were no gender differences except for tangibles (p = 000.5).<br /> <br /> This pilot study could serve as a pilot study of the service quality in an academic environment. It is the main contention of this report that students themselves should be part of defining quality.

The purpose of this study was to to investigate the impact of leadership practices on service quality in private higher education in South Africa as a source of competitive advantage. Higher education institutions and, more specifically, private higher education institutions, have faced increasing pressure on many fronts in recent years. These pressures include increased competition, lack of support from key constituencies, an increase in the size and diversity of the student population, dealing with changing technology, increased calls for accountability, a higher demand for quality by all the stakeholders involved, more responsibility for research and teaching and greater emphasis on efficient and effective management. The literature review for this study suggested that leadership impacts positively on quality and, equally important, on service quality. The academic leaders at these institutions have a tremendous influence on the quality of the education provided and the service rendered to the growing number of students. Using a quantitative methodology and a cross-sectional survey research design, this study was conducted on five campuses of a prominent private higher education provider across South Africa using two survey instruments. The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) questionnaire was utilised to conduct the leadership survey while the SERVQUAL instrument was applied in the service quality survey. The campus principals of the five campuses and some of their selected subordinates completed the LPI survey. The SERVQUAL questionnaires were completed by 984 students from the five campuses. Correlation analysis was the major statistical tool used to analyse the data. The findings of the study indicated a strong positive linear correlation between the leadership practices of principals and service quality to students at these institutions. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)