2006 Annual Report

I began my previous report with some reflections on the report issued at the end of 2005 on the audit of quality assurance mechanisms by the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQC). It seems appropriate to reflect on how far we have gone towards responding to our self-review and the validation of that by the HEQC.

First, as the subsequent reports will show, we have developed a comprehensive quality improvement plan. The first periodic review to ensure that this is effectively translated into action has been completed.

Secondly, significant attention has been given to pass rates (the proportion of courses passed) and throughput rates (the proportion of those entering a programme who leave UCT with a qualification). Academic development interventions, which are crucial to both widening access and ensuring student
success, have been strengthened. The analyses of cohorts of students allow us to track throughput rates, and faculties are giving particular attention to ways of reducing the number of students dropping out in good academic standing. Towards the end of 2006 we were able to approve an imaginative plan for Engineering which, with the aid of targeted funding from the Education Ministry, has put in place a multi-faceted programme aimed at increasing the output of engineering graduates both by increased enrolment (civil engineering enrolment reached record levels in 2007) and, equally importantly, by increasing throughput rates.

The teaching and learning report provides further evidence of progress towards achieving our quality goals. The research report shows progress towards our goal of being a research-led institution. Among the many indicators of progress in research was UCT’s success in winning seven of the first 21 national NRF research chairs, in competition with all other institutions. The research report for 2006 shows an
increase in the number of peer-reviewed publications, another measure of progress in the research area.