Overview and Mandate of the department

The Department Programme Accreditation and Curriculum Development (PACD) reports to VUT’s Registrar’s portfolio. The Department’s activities are directly aligned with the Registrar’s strategic, operational, and academic planning activities. The department’s focus is to build and manage VUT’s PQM by facilitating the qualification design and accreditation processes of new qualifications to be included in VUT’s Programme and Qualification Mix (PQM) and reviewing existing programmes on the institution’s PQM. In 2022, the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and South Africa Qualifications Authority (SAQA) introduced the Integrated Accreditation Process (IAP) of qualifications, which is associated with the approval, accreditation, and registration of qualifications as outlined in the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). The QAF consists of processes which are associated with various stages of internal and external approval of quality assurance, which includes accountability of qualification improvement, planning and delivery. The QAF informs a shift in focus from programme to qualification design and accreditation aligned to QAF guidelines and criteria, which includes:
• Development of Standards, Guidelines and Criteria
• Draw attention to the enhancement of the quality culture and the interconnectedness of quality experiences
• Strategic Management approach – Quality, Planning, Funding
• Review of Qualifications and Programmes (address the Proliferation, as well as key niche areas relevant to the institutional identity and context)
• Pay attention to your institution’s EQA track record

Qualification approval as per IAP is strongly shaped by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) programme accreditation framework and QAF requirements and criteria, as well as other statutory and professional council’s legislative requirements (CHE, 2021). Internal programme approval and accreditation mechanisms (Advisory Committee, Faculty Board, Academic Planning and Development Committee [APDC) Senex, Senate) ensure that all new and existing academic qualifications meet the necessary quality requirements for submission as per QAF for external accreditation, registration and funding agencies. PACD monitors and audits qualification design and reviews according to the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework (HEQSF), the process is done through collaboration with faculties to ensure that the standards of qualifications meet the requirements and criteria of Higher Education National agencies as outlined by the QAF, such as Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Council on Higher Education (CHE), Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC), South Africa Qualification Authority (SAQA) and external professional bodies.