Abstract
Higher education state governance fulfils an important function in providing policies and
procedures, which in turn provides guidance and strategic vision to higher education in
South Africa. The reformed South African higher education policies have to guide,
rebuild the nation and drive transformation that is necessary in post-apartheid society.
However reformation and transformation of regulations require change and restructuring
in order to ensure alignment within the entire system.
The Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) is positioned in a newly restructured
and merged educational landscape within a comprehensive university, in which new
strategic goals and objectives have been formulated. The faculty is also in the midst of a
programme offering debate due to the circulation of the draft Higher Education
Qualification Framework (HEQF), which revealed the lack of inclusion of previous
technikon type qualifications in this framework. FADA is considering recurriculation and
conversion from diploma to degree programmes in order to create a competitive
advantage, and ensure a postgraduate future for the faculty. However the majority of
the FADA academic staff are specifically qualified and experienced in technikon type
programme offerings.
The aim of this study is therefore; to determine the challenges and expectations
presented in reformed state regulation that should be considered in the strategic
management of faculty programme offering in order to ensure strategic alignment to
state regulation. The primary research objectives of this study are:
• To determine the role and impact of reformed state regulation and state policies on
the strategic management of the programme offering in FADA.
• To establish the challenges and expectations that the faculty face, in order to
strategically manage programme offering that is in line with relevant state policy
expectations.
• To identify and assess the concerns and expectations expressed by FADA
academic staff, that will impact on the strategic management and strategic alignment
of faculty programme offering.
The research design follows a qualitative research approach in order to observe and
document the perspective of the academic within higher education. A case study
approach is adopted in examining FADA which is a single higher education faculty.
Using literature survey, documentary and policy analysis and interviews with academics
within the faculty, the study has provided a comprehensive review of higher education
state policies. This review also presents the challenges and expectations that will be
required within strategic management, of faculty programme offering to ensure strategic
alignment to state regulation.
The most important findings revealed that greater focus is placed on management in
higher education. An increasing move towards a management paradigm is evident in
the restructured higher education environment. Furthermore, the reformed higher
education system is described as being extremely rigid with an increase in bureaucracy,
which relates to the increase in the number of reformed higher education policies and
procedures. The increase in policy requirements resulted in a greater administrative
workload which impacts on teaching contact time and interaction with students.
The research recommendations have identified that FADA should ensure that the
faculty management team is experienced and skilled in strategic management and that
they include a market orientated approach in strategic planning. FADA should also aim
at reducing the negative impact of state regulation on lecturers and ensure that
continuous growth and development takes place in the faculty.
Ms. M. Clark