University of the Free State: Key Performance Indicators

Nico CloeteUOFS

January 2014

Theory and Research Issues

1. Strengthening knowledge production is a matter of training but needs to be informed by research, and not be mimicking ‘so called global best practices’

2. Higher education is supposed to be about new knowledge and innovation, but it is largely about imitation of high status institutions or ‘global fads’ (Goedegebuure and Meek, 1998)

3. Through a process of mimetic normative isomorphism, the ‘new’ professionalising management’s notions of ‘successful’ institutions have been mimicked and exchanged through professional networks to promote and consolidate their position in the institution (Gornitska and Larsen, 2004) .

4. Country and institutional differentiation seems to be largely ignored in ‘universal prescriptions’ (medicine)

5. Riesman’s ‘snake dilemma’ in higher education

3

A differentiated public university system (2010)

University Entrants End of year 1 End of year 3 End of year 5 *End of 6 years

North West University 2 896

Dropping out AT: 21% 32% 35% 37%

Graduating AT: 38% 61% 63%

University of Cape Town 1 900

Dropping out AT: 22% 32% 35% 36%

Graduating AT: 38% 62% 64%

University of Free State 2 474

Dropping out AT: 24% 43% 50% 55%

Graduating AT: 20% 42% 45%

University of Johannesburg 3 362

Dropping out AT: 23% 32% 36% 39%

Graduating AT: 35% 58% 61%

National(excl. UNISA) 32 542

Dropping out AT: 24% 37% 41% 44%

Graduating AT: 29% 53% 56%

Completion of 3 year degrees – 2006 cohort

* Includes students that would have returned the next year

Progress of 2004 intakes of new doctoral students after 7 years

UFS

UJ

NWU

UCT

US

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

38%

44%

54%

66%

71%

62%

56%

46%

34%

29%

graduates as % of new doctoral intake of 2004 after 7 years% drop outs or incomplete after 7 years

UJ

UFS

NWU

UCT

UNISA

WITS

UKZN

UP

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14

2.5

4.1

4.1

7.6

8.2

11.2

11.5

12.3

African doctoral graduates by institution as % of total doctoral graduates, 2011

Percentage of the academic staff with doctorates by institution, 2011

UCT NWU UFS UJ National Average0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

63%

49%

42%

33%37%

Ratios of doctoral graduates to academic staff with doctoral degrees, 2011

UFS UCT UJ NWU National Average0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.30

0.24 0.24

0.20

0.25

UCT UJ NWU UFS National 0.00

0.50

1.00

1.50

2.00

2.50

3.00

1.29

0.870.70 0.68 0.71

2.38

1.48 1.411.26

1.38

Publication units per perm acad staff Weighted research output per perm acad staff

Research outputs, 2012

National

NWU

UJ

UFS

UCT

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

54%

28%

31%

36%

48%

Proportion of black doctoral graduates as % of total doctoral graduates per university,

2011

Increases in doctoral graduates, 2008 to 2011

Cape Town Free State North West Johannesburg0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

-5.0%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

151

55

100

73

163

107115

68

2.6%

24.8%

4.8%

-2.3%

2008 2011Average annual growth rate: 2008 - 2011