Academic planning refers to the planning and design of new academic programmes at SU.
These are new programmes that are not ??currently on the Programme and Qualifications Mix (PQM) of the 肆客足球. These programmes have to undergo an internal approval process as well as an external approval process consisting of approval by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), accreditation by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and registration by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
Programme review, renewal and re-design refer to major or minor changes to existing programmes offered by SU.
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Programme review: A systematic assessment of the effectiveness, relevance and efficiency of a programme. Data and feedback from various stakeholders should be gathered to evaluate the programme's strenght and weaknesses.
Programme renewal: Once the strenght and weaknesses of a programme has been identified, the programme can be updated to address the identified weaknesses. This could include incorporating new knowledge, technologies or pedagogical approaches.
Programme re-design: ?A comprehensive overhaul of a programme, which could include rethinking the programmes core elements such as the learning outcomes, curriculum structure and purpose.
Major Changes
Major changes to an existing qualification/programme on the PQM of SU include any of the following changes:
- The title of a qualification;
- The rationale, purpose, exit level outcomes and associated assessment criteria of a programme;
- An increase or decrease in the total credit value of a programme;
- The programme design, including adding new modules and/or changing the credit value of existing modules that influence the total credit value of the programme;
- The CESM codes assigned to modules that impact on the 50% rule applicable to the use of designators and qualifiers;
- The mode of provision? (applicable when amending face-to-face to distance learning);
Major changes are often the result of new developments in disciplines, fields of study or domains of practices. Professional bodies (statutory and non-statutory) may also introduce new professional standards that may result in significant changes to an existing programme offered by SU. However, not all of these changes requires the accreditation of a new programme.
Programme review is aimed at critically evaluating an existing programme. Based on these results, either programme renewal (minor changes) can be introduced or a programme re-design is required. A programme re-design of an existing programme occurs when:
- the strucutre of the programme changes extensively
- the programme content, curriculum design or CESM categories aligned with the programme changes with more than 50%
- the programme purpose and/or module outcomes changes extensively
- a Professional Body or the CHE issues a new qualification standard and requests the submission of a new programme for accreditation
A programme re-design requires the submission of a request for a new programme. Documentation in this regard should ? be submitted to the Programme Advisory Committee, Academic Planning Committee and Senate for consideration and approval. External approval from the DHET, accreditation from the CHE and re-registration of the qualification with SAQA are also needed. Where a re-designed programme replaces an existing programme, a transition or phasing out plan? is required.?
?Changes to the programme name or minimum duration would not require the submission of a new programme for accreditation, but will require the completion of documentation for external approval. A new programme name may only be implemented once CHE accreditation and a SAQA id code is received.
Minor Changes
Minor changes to an existing qualification/programme (including its modules) on the PQM of SU include any of the following changes:
- Renaming the module(s);
- Redefining the description of the module(s) content;
- Redefining the credit value of module(s) based on changes to the module content (less than a 50% change only);
- Redefining the learning outcomes and associated assessment criteria of module(s) in an existing programme;
- Redefining the rules of combination within the programme design of an existing programme (i.e. pre-requisites and co-requisites);
- Revising the mode of delivery and provisioning from face-to-face contact-based to hybrid learning.
- Implementation of a new learning module.
Minor changes to existing module(s) of a programme on the PQM of SU are considered by the Programme Advisory Committee, Academic Planning Committee and Senate. These changes are often identified as part of a programme renwal initiative.
A module specification? (Form B) must be completed where the following occurs:
- ?extensive changes to the module content (i.e. not only removing one or two topics)
- changes to the name of a module
- changes to more than 50% of the credit value of a module or changing the credit allocation with 10 credits or more
- changes to the mode of provision (i.e. changing a full contact to a hybrid mode of provision)
Where less than 50% changes have been made to an existing programme that impacts more than one year of study, a phasing-out plan of the ‘old’ modules and a phasing-in plan of the ‘new’ modules for the period of transition must accompany the documentation to the PAC. It is vital to ensure no (or very little) difference between the total credit value per year of study between the ‘old’ and the ‘new’ version of an existing programme. ?
Please refer to the
workflow for the internal and external approval process on the development of new academic programmes to obtain more information on the approval, accreditation and registration of a new academic programmes from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Council on Higher Education (CHE) and the
South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) respectively.?
Click 
? for access to all curriculum templates, insitutional dates and resources for the planning of a module (Form B).
In the table below, a distinction is made between new academic programmes, major and minor changes to existing programmes. For additional resources on any of the aspects listed in this table, please click on the hyperlink in the table. Please take note that some resources are currently being developed or revised and will be made available as soon as possible.
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CHE Pr???ogramme Accredi?t?ation??
| ?Crite?rion 1: Program?me Design | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
Qualifi?cation Type?  |
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| NQF Level? |
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Level Descriptors ? |
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| Credits and Credit Values? |
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| Minimum Duration? |
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Mode of Provision? |
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| Research credits |
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| Work place based learning | |
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| Professional body requirements | |
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| Programme in relation to SU vision and mission | |
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| Rationale and justification of programme | |
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| Purpose of the programme | |
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| Programme outcomes & associated assessment criteria (AAC) | |
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| Programme structure | |
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| Rules of combination | |
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| Competencies | |
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| International comparability | |
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| Articulation | |
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| ?Criterion 2: Student recruitment, admission and ?selection | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admission criteria |
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| Selection criteria |
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| Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) |
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| ?Criterion 3 + 4: Staff | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staff qualifications, size and seniority |
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| ?Criterion 5: Learning and Teaching Strategy | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching and learning strategy for programme |
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| Hybrid learning strategy for programme |
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| Academic support |
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| Student feedback |
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| ?Criterion 6: Assessment | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment strategy for programme |
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| Assessment plan for the programme |
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| Internal and external moderation |
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| Integrity of assessment practices |
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| ?Criterion 7: Infrastructure and Library resources | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching and learning facilities |
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| IT infrastructure and library resources |
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| ?Criterion 8: Programme administrative services | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative support |
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| Programme leader |
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| Learner analytics |
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| Integrity of processes leading to certification |
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| ?Criterion 9: Postgraduate policies, procedures and regulation | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approval of research proposals |
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| Appointment of supervisors and examiners |
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| Workload models |
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| Monitoring quality supervision |
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| Academic support of postgraduate students |
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| Postgraduate assessment |
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| Research staff development |
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| ?Criterion 10: Financial Viab?ili?ty | ?New |
?Major |
?Mi?nor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enrolment targets |
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| Programme comparison |
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| Student fees |
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| Direct expenses |
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| Impact on human resources |
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| Funding |
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will be useful in your decision-making.????????
