The Council on Higher Education (CHE), the independent, statutory body that advises the minister of education on matters relating to higher education policy issues, has been struggling to find a chief executive for more than a year.
This body has executive responsibility for quality assurance within higher education and training through its sub-committee, the higher education quality committee (HEQC), which does national reviews of MBAs, university quality management audits and programme accreditation.
The council is facing the same shortage in leadership skills that some universities are experiencing. Its chief executive post was vacated in May last year, when Professor Saleem Badat left to become vice-chancellor of Rhodes University. Dr Mala Singh was appointed interim chief executive. She stepped down at the end of July 2007, despite being offered the position.
‘After almost eight years of working for the CHE, in her capacity as founding executive director of the HEQC and more recently as interim CEO of the CHE, she wanted to have more time to do research and write about higher-education issues,†Dr Lis Lange, the HEQC executive director, told Higher Learning. Lange has agreed to act as chief executive until a new appointment is made in early 2008.
Lange said: ‘Highly skilled professionals with the required academic, policy and strategic experience for this type of position are not easy to find. The CHE has advertised the post twice, but has not been satisfied with the calibre of applicants.†It is reviewing the situation and hopes to fill the post next year.
Meanwhile, an education department official said: ‘The CHE does not want to make an appointment for the sake of filling the post. The position requires a person who can see things at a systems level. This is a position in the public service and some candidates don’t look at the issue of public good.â€
Lange said salary levels are pegged to those of the public service. ‘At the middle- and lower-level posts, the CHE salaries are quite competitive, at the senior level the salaries are less so, particularly when the CEO salary, which is pegged at the deputy director general level, is compared with the remunerations of executive deans, deputy vice-chancellors and vice-chancellors.
‘The problem might also lie in the unnaturally high salaries paid at some of those levels,†said Lange.
Remuneration is not the only reason why it is difficult for the council to find staff. ‘The pace, volume and standard of work expected by senior management and the CHE council and HEQC board may also be intimidating for people interested in applying for jobs with the CHE,†said Lange.
A university senior manager who has worked with the CHE said: ‘The CEO position is a tough job. There is a strain in the workload. Good high-level people in quality management are like hen’s teeth. However, nobody can question Mala’s commitment to the CHE and the development of a better South Africa.â€
Education Minister Naledi Pandor will appoint a new chairperson of the CHE in the next few weeks to take over from Saki Macozoma, whose second term ends this month. Macozoma took over the reins of the CHE in 2002. At the request of then-education minister Kader Asmal, the CHE produced one of its most important pieces of advice, the Size and Shape report, which eventually led to the creation of a new higher- education landscape.
Macozoma told Higher Learning: ‘The minister of education is required to seek the advice of the CHE before any policy is gazetted. This has meant that the CHE was involved in influencing and, in some instances, directly shaping the new policy architecture that was under construction in this period.â€
Meanwhile, Dr Molapo Qhobela, Deputy Director General of higher education said: ‘…The minister will be appointing the new chair of the CHE to replace Mr Macozoma to ensure that the CHE always has a chairperson. The CHE and not the ministry or department appoints the CEO.â€