The Challenge of Change in Africa's Higher Education in the 21st Century
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The Challenge of Change in Africa's Higher Education in the 21st ...

Chapter 1:  Africa's 21st-Century Renaissance in Higher Education: The Need for Strategic Planning
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  • Enhancement of students: Institutions exist to serve both current and future students. It is imperative, therefore, that an institution should want to attract, retain, and allow for graduation of quality, diverse students consistent with both its vision and mission. A vital diversity element, in Africa, is the need to recruit female students, whose low numbers in African universities are still a source of concern.
  • There are many things involved in enhancing the quality of students, including strategically managing both undergraduate and graduate enrollments. In this chapter, we will discuss only one of many student enhancements: the need to promote student involvement in internship programs.
  • Enhancement of external relations and recognition: The need for universities in Africa to enhance communication and relationships with external stakeholders and seek national and international accreditations cannot be overemphasized. For business schools in particular, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International) is the premier global accrediting agency for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. AACSB was established in America in 1916, and its headquarters today are located in Tampa, Florida. What, exactly, is accreditation, and why is it important? Two definitions capture the essence and importance of accreditation. The South African Council on Higher Education (2003, p.7) has defined accreditation in terms of “criteria…statements regarding the minimum standards or requirements for programs which…are necessary and non-negotiable to support and enhance the quality of programs. Thus, accreditation is defined as recognition status granted for a stipulated period of time to a program after an evaluation indicates that it meets or exceeds minimum thresholds of educational quality.”The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (2004, p.1) offered the following statement on the nature of accreditation: “Accreditation in higher education is…a collegial process based on self- and peer assessment for public accountability and improvement of academic quality. Peers assess the quality of an institution or academic program and assist the faculty and staff in improvement.”
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