Call for Nomination of Members of the Institutional Audits Committee (IAC), a sub-committee of the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE)

The Council on Higher Education (CHE) is an independent statutory body established by the Higher Education Act, No. 101 of 1997, as amended. It is also governed by the NQF Act No. 67 of 2008 which declared it the Quality Council for Higher Education, and further operates as a Schedule 3A public entity in terms of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA, Act 1 of 1999), as amended.

The CHE adheres to principles of good governance, public accountability, independence, transformation and integrity and is accountable to Parliament of the Republic of South Africa.

The Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) is a permanent committee established to perform the quality assurance functions of the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The functions of the HEQC include promoting quality in higher education, auditing the quality assurance mechanisms of higher education institutions, and accrediting programmes offered by higher education institutions.

The IAC is a specialist sub-committee of the HEQC that supports the HEQC work in the area of institutional audits. The IAC monitors, supports, guides and quality assures the efficient and effective implementation of the HEQC institutional audit processes.

In relation to institutional audits, the main functions of the IAC are to:

a. Critically analyse draft institutional audit reports and documentation and recommend these to the HEQC and Council for approval or endorsement to be sent to institutions for their input.

b. Provide input and advice to the CEO and Institutional Audits Directorate on matters within the domain of the IAC.

c. Recommend audit panels for institutional audits to the HEQC for approval.

d. Consider and recommend the final audit reports of institutional audits to the HEQC for approval. The approved final reports will also be recommended to Council for noting/input before they can be released to institutions.

e. Consider and recommend institutional improvement plans based on the audit panel’s recommendations to the HEQC for approval.

f. Consider and recommend institutional audit progress reports on the implementation of the approved improvement plans to the HEQC for approval.

g. Recommend the amendment of the registration cycles of private higher education institutions to the HEQC for a specific timeframe based on the outcomes of the institutional audits of such institutions.

h. Recommend the re-accreditation of the programmes of private higher education institutions to the HEQC for a specific timeframe based on the outcomes of the institutional audits of such institutions.

i. Recommend the closing of an institutional audit cycle for an institution to the HEQC when the audit recommendations have all been adequately addressed.

j. Identify the need for and recommend the auditing of individual institutions or particular aspects of one or more institutions in themed or special audits.

k. Advise generally on the preparatory work for the implementation of the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF), and specifically how institutional audits will be reconceptualized and repositioned as institutional reviews within the broader range of quality reviews in the QAF.

The members of the Institutional Audits Committee are appointed for a period of three years. The term of office is renewable for one additional term. The terms of office of all members cease if the IAC is dissolved by decision of Council.

The Nominations and Governance Committee (NGC) of the CHE is inviting formal nominations of candidates who can be appointed as members of the IAC. A letter from the nominator, a comprehensive CV of the nominee, and a letter from the nominee indicating his/her acceptance of nomination should be sent to:

The Organisational Secretary:                                                          Email: netshidzati.t@che.ac.za 

Mr TE Netshidzati                                                                              Telephone: 012 349 3936

Closing date for receipt of nominations: 31 March 2022