TRANSFORMATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INTERNATIONALLY AND NATIONALLY: FORCES OF CHANGE

THE CHANGING HE ENVIRONMENT

DR. SOMARIE HOLTZHAUSEN

SHES: 1 AUGUST 2012

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CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION: AN OVERVIEWWorldwide issues.

Common to all higher and further education institutions.

Highly competitive institutions emerge as a result.

Responsible for change in the nature and structure of higher and further education.

The working environment for academics is changed drastically.

But is transformation necessary in higher education? Please motivate.

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CONCEPTUALISATION: CHANGE VERSUS TRANSFORMATION What is transformation?

Is it the same as change?

Any consensus about what it means?

Is transformation necessary? In higher education in general? And in H.E. in South Africa?

What are the different forces compelling transformation?

What are the different actors?

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ACTIVITY 1DEBATE:

DIVIDE INTO TWO GROUPS, ONE GROUP DEFINES CHANGE AND THE OTHER GROUP DEFINES TRANSFORMATION.

THEN STATE/HIGHLIGHT THE DIFFERENCES/SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE CONCEPTS.

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A WORKING DEFINITIONWhy is a working definition important?

Transformation entails the following:

Altering the culture of an institution by changing underlying assumptions, values, behaviours, attitudes, processes and products

It is deep and pervasive, affecting the entire institution

It is intentional

It occurs over time (Eckel, Hill & Green 1998)

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WHAT DOES CHANGING THE INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE ENTAIL?

Note that institutional culture is not monolithic but it is often a composite of many different sub-cultures.

Includes the organisation’s artifacts, espoused values and underlying assumptions.

Artifacts: are the concrete representations of culture (can you name the different artifacts we have at the UFS? Or at your institution?).

Espoused values: are what we say & promote, beliefs about what is “good”, what “works”, and what is “right” (not always what we do) (Examples?).

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WHAT DOES CHANGING THE INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE ENTAIL?Underlying assumptions: form the innermost core of a culture; are ingrained in beliefs and are rarely questioned. Difficult to identify (can you think of examples in higher education?)

N.B. -Transformational change challenges/involves altering the espoused values and underlying assumptions -Underlying assumptions need to be congruent with the desired changes -Changes that challenge the core values are often restricted to part of the institution

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TRANSFORMATION IS DEEP AND PERVASIVE

It affects behaviour and alters structures

It implies a shift in values and assumptions underlying the normal/usual way of doing things

It requires people to think and act differently

Pervasive change is far-reaching

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DEPTH

AdjustmentAdjustment IsolatedIsolated

Far-reaching Far-reaching ChangeChange

Transformational Transformational ChangeChange

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Pe

rva

siv

en

ess

Low

Lo

w

High

Hig

h

TRANSFORMATION IS INTENTIONAL

It leads to purposeful desirable outcomes

It does not happen by chance

Driven by a conscious decision

Has a direction

N.B. Intentionality is usually rare in higher education, since there is often a need to respond to environmental changes and pressures

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TRANSFORMATION OCCURS OVER TIME

Not a big bang

Evolutionary

Transformational change = change in processes, values, rewards and structures throughout a system/at at all levels of the system (hence it cannot happen overnight)

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ACTIVITY 2:CRITICALLY REFLECT ON THE FOLLOWING:

A TRANSFORMED HE IN SA – A POSSIBILITY OR A DREAM?

(SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENTS)

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ACCESS AS FORCE OF CHANGE/TRANSFORMATION

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• Diverse definition of access (e.g. by politicians, academics, public, etc.) AND consist of multiple intertwined dimensions (e.g. academic, financial, gender, disability, physical facilities, Geographic, Cultural, etc.• Hall (1991:9) … equality through inclusiveness and opportunity for all people regardless of background. • Riley (1994:13) “appends a notion of equality of opportunity” which involves leveling the playing field …• In SAHE (DEPT. OF EDUCATION & UNIVERSITIES) looking for a way to taking into account social background and full range of characteristics. • Thus minimising the barriers with the ultimate aim of “ACCESS WITH SUCCESS”. • EXAMPLE (NECESSITY OF CPP – WHY?)

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ACCESSWorldwide pressure for greater access to HE – pressure from various sources

Remains on of the divisive challenges due to financial and educational hurdles of disadvantaged students

Access regulated de facto by funding, support provided by state & expected contributions of students (function as regulator of enrollment)

Define access and provide examples in own institution

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WHAT ARE THE OVERALL GOALS OF THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE H.E. SYSTEM

According to the National Plan (2001), these include:

Providing increased access to H.E. regardless of race, gender, age, class, disability & creed

Producing graduates with skills & competencies to meet the HR needs of the country

Promoting equity of access and to redress past inequities (student and staff profiles) to reflect demographic realities of society (see NPHE for more)

Also see (White Paper 3: A programme for higher education transformation 1997)

Goal-setting is imperative at all levels of the HE system. What are the goals at institutional level? (Own institution)

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EXAMPLES OF FORCES FOR CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION

Access and massificationDemands for quality and relevanceIncreased accountabilityDwindling resourcesFundingEmerging societal problemsPolicy and legislationGlobalisationInternationalisation of HEResponse to new demands of technologyNew modes of delivery and materialsNew modes of research - shift from Mode 1 to Mode 2

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QUALITY AS FORCE OF CHANGE/TRANSFORMATIONQUALITY IS THE MOST ELUSIVE NOTION – WHY?

VARIOUS DEFINITION OF QUALITY =

TRANSFORMATION

ZERO DEFECT

VALUE FOR MONEY

FITNESS FOR PURPOSE

APPLICATION

PHILOSPOHY VERSUS MEASUREMENT

HEQC PHASE

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ACCOUNTABILITY

Define: Accountability

Increase demand for HE to become publically accountable – reasons?

Conflict between autonomy versus accountability

Thin line: accountability versus interference in educational policy & academic freedom

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FUNDINGDIVERSIFICATION OF SOURCES OF FUNDING THE ANSWER ? (EFFORT EXAMPLES)QUESTIONS: ECONOMIES & EFFICIENCY VAN VUGHTS (1994:5): “… TEACHING FUNCTION WILL BEAR THE FULL BURDEN OF FUTURE REDUCTIONS IN PUBLIC HE FUNDING, AS IT HAS DONE IN THE RECENT PAST. COMBINED WITH THE INCREASED PARTICIPATION, THIS WILL LEAD TO CATASTROPHIC EFFECTS IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE: NO ADEQUATE EDUC. DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS, AS WELL AS BEING INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT INFRASTRUCTURE TO STAFF, SUPPORT SERVICES AND TEACHER-RELATED DEVELOPMENTAL RESEARCH.” WHO PAYS FOR HE?ACCESS & FUNDING = CENTRAL FOR HE

FUTURE

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TECHNOLOGY

IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGY ON STRUCTURE OF HE, THE THREE FUNCTIONS, STAFF & STUDENTS (POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE)

HOW TO IMPROVE ACCESS VIA TECHNOLOGY (EXAMPLES)

HOW IT IMPACT ON THE INSTRUCTION MODE

REQUIRE INVESTMENT

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INTERNATIONALISATION & GLOBALISATION

DEFINE THESE CONCEPTS

INTERNATIONAL KNOWLEDGE IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR HE SUCCESS: PROMISE OF DISCOVERY, SEEDS OF COMPETITIVENESS AND CHALLENGE OF LEADERSHIP.

IMPACT/CHALLENGES OF THESE CONCEPTS

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NEW MODES OF DELIVERY

NEW MODES OF LEARNING

EXAMPLES: RBL, FLEXIBLE LEARNING, BRAIN-BASED LEARNING, ETC.

IMPACT ON HE INSTITUTION, STAFF AND STUDENTS

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ACTIVITY 3

Question to the group:

What kind of things/issues do you think HAVE/HAVE NOT truly transformed at the UFS/your

institution? What kind of things/issues do you think

HAVE/HAVE NOT truly transformed at the UFS?

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ACTIVITY 4

Identify and describe the implications of change and transformation of the S.A. H.E. on:

Government (Group 1)

The public (Group 2)

Governance and management structures (Group 3)

Academic staff (Group 4)

Students (Group 5)

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CONCLUSIONChange and transformation are imperatives in higher education worldwide.All stakeholders must embrace and support change and transformation.All stakeholders should contribute meaningfully to change and transformation.

Transformation in HE involves a process of new knowledge production, reflexive action, which means

seeing new problems and imagining new ways of approaching old problems and, deconstruction and

reconstruction or constant exploring beneath surface appearances to respond to a future that cannot be

imagined (Esterhuyse 1996:79)

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