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News
Media Release 20 October 2008 - Collaboration Protocol between City and four local universities
A Collaboration Protocol between the City of Cape Town and the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC) representing the four universities of the Western Cape was signed at a colloquium held 20 October 2008. The Collaboration Protocol represents an important step in developing a partnership between the City and CHEC institutions.
The partnership was first considered at a meeting between the City and CHEC held in November 2007. Following this, a task team was asked to draw up a framework for engagement, to explore possible areas for engagement and to suggest pilot projects.
The purpose of the Collaboration Protocol is to:
• achieve growth and development related to social, economic and environment goals within the city’s boundaries and to realise the full potential of the city,
• build a more skilled and skilful citizenry, equipped to contribute effectively to the development of our democracy and the growth of the economy,
• consolidate Cape Town’s status as a "rising urban star" and the prime centre for higher education in Africa.
The first phase of the partnership will begin with the implementation of projects in human resource development, including internships. Work groups will continue to refine proposed projects in ICT and infrastructure development. Both partners welcomed the possibility to build capacity in the City and higher education through working together. The partnership represents an exciting possibility to draw from the strengths of both sectors.
A Summit meeting between CHEC and the Western Cape Provincial Government
Past Premier E. Rasool and the Vice Chancellors of public universities in the region signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) at an historic Summit held on 16th October 2006. Read further...
Bold approach to Nursing Education
The four universities and the Provincial government in the Western Cape have designed a common teaching platform for undergraduate nursing education leading to professional registration in a bold attempt to meet the crisis of undersupply of nurses in public health in the region, currently estimated to be in the order of 1000.
This is undoubtedly CHEC’s most complex academic programme collaboration initiative to date. Complex because it has involved national and provincial government, five higher education institutions (two of which have since merged), and the Western Cape College of Nursing, a provincial college, and the South African Nursing Council.
Governance is effected by a Board whose current members are:
Prof Anthony Staak - Cape Peninsula University of Technology (Chair)
Prof Thandabantu Nhlapo - University of Cape Town
Prof Julian Smith - University of Stellenbosch
Prof Ramashwar Bharuthram - University of the Western Cape
Ms Nasima Badsha CHEC
A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), crafted after many months of negotiation, was signed in 2004 by the four universities to deliver nursing education on the common teaching platform. Under the terms set by the Ministry of Education, the University of the Western Cape is the enrolling institution for the undergraduate degree curriculum, and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology is the enrolling institution for the diploma curriculum. All four HEIs are offering institutions, however, and offer various teaching modules of the four year qualification. The Western Cape College of Nursing will ultimately be incorporated into the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, which is managing it on behalf of the Province on an agency basis from 2005. The MOU makes provision for a regional governance structure, a core curriculum, a model for financing teaching and clinical practice, and a mechanism for resolving disputes as and when they may arise.
The common teaching platform was launched in January 2005 with 300 students enrolled for the degree programme and 200 students for the diploma programme. The Province has made 500 full-cost bursaries available to these students. In terms of student enrolment this represents a significant increase over previous years. Enrolments have been kept at these levels in 2006 and 2007 (although enrolments at CPUT have increased to nearly 300 new students entering the first year)so that various elements of the platform can settle and so that the incorporation of the WCCN into CPUT can be finalised. Regular meetings are held within the platform and with our partners in the province and the South African Nursing Council to resolve issues as they arise. Our aim is an annual intake of 1 000 students in all categories of nurse training.
CHEC's initiatives in Human Resource Development
The regional middle management development programme, called Creating the Leading Edge, is now in its fourth annual cycle. 395 middle managers in the Western Cape HEIs have now been developed through attendance at one or more modules. 14 managers have completed all the core modules and have received a CHEC certificate in recognition of this. Many more are a few modules short of completing all core modules. The core modules were identified by the project team (made up of the Training and Development Managers of the 4 universities) as the broad base of knowledge and skills required by any middle manager working in HE in SA today. In 2006, 10 core modules and 4 electives are being offered. (More details to be found elsewhere on this website)
The Directors of HR Departments in the Western Cape also initiated national meetings of HR Directors working in HE – called the National HR Directors Forum. Eight such meetings have been held to date all serviced by CHEC. HESA has now accepted that the HR Directors constitute a ‘Community of Practice’ and HESA will be assisting in the costs of the national meetings and national HR initiatives in future. An HR “desk” within HESA may be created (options to be debated at the next meeting).
A need identified at the very first National Forum of HR Directors was that of building the capacity of HR staff working in higher education. A proposal with national support was put to the ETDP SETA and R1,3m was granted by the SETA in 2005 for an HR in HE Academy. CHEC organized and managed this 2 week live-in skills programme which was presented by IPM and accredited by the University of Pretoria. Two cohorts have been through the programme, in total 60 HR staff from 19 different HEIs.
CHEC is also project managing a feasibility study of health care provision for staff (and possibly students).
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Page updated 12 November 2008
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