Quality Enhancement is part of the new division known as Integrated Planning and Strategic Intelligence (IPSI) that was established during the recent restructuring of the NWU. IPSI also consists of two other units, Strategic Intelligence (formerly known as Management Information) and Institutional Research (the latter still has to be developed).

 

The line manager of IPSI is Prof Linda du Plessis, who is the deputy vice-chancellor for planning and for campus operations in Vanderbijlpark.

 

Two sections and a new approach

 

The Quality Enhancement office comprises two sections: academic programmes and support services. On the academic side, the evaluation of qualifications and programmes will continue as in the past, but the support side boasts a new approach.

 

Johanna Müller, quality manager for support services, says their new approach is all about empowering support staff through workshops, ensuring that they have the skills to produce work of the highest quality from the outset, and to deliver the same service on all three NWU sites.

 

Johanna says the long-term goal is the compilation of each department’s new, aligned quality manual.

 

First to be empowered

 

First in line to be empowered by this new approach in 2018 are the following departments:

 

• Career Centre
• Higher Degrees Administration
• Centre for Teaching and Learning
• People and Culture

 

Looking ahead

 

In 2019, the Quality Enhancement office aims to empower the Student Life department through workshops.

 

“These workshops will focus on new and aligned processes for the three campuses and will address themes such as a department’s vision, strategy, objectives, compliance, role clarity, quality assurance and risk management,” Johanna says.

 

Keep an eye out for the next instalment of Structures 101, as we will shine the spotlight on IPSI’s second part, namely Strategic Intelligence.