ADMISSION REGULATIONS A UNISA CASE STUDY :

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ADMISSION REGULATIONS A UNISA CASE STUDY

• Professor Divya Singh
• Deputy Registrar, UNISA
• _at_ The Registrars Imbizo
• 6 March 2008, Durban

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UNISAs CHARACTERTHE COMPREHENSIVE INSTITUTION

• Wide range of qualifications from Degrees to
  Diplomas to Higher Certificates (in a lesser
  degree)
• Articulation imperatives to ensure fairer
  progression pathways within the system. Min Adm
  Reqs Policy, Aug 2005 4

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UNISAS CHARACTEROPEN DISTANCE LEARNING

• Responsible (managed) open admission aligned to
  the institutional Enrolment Plan
• Implementation Plan
• New students must apply for registration
• Diagnostic assessment to evaluate University
  preparedness for calibrated for degree/diploma/HC
• The student will gain either unqualified access
  into a formal programme or be required to take
  graded versions of the University Preparation
  Programme

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MANAGEGED OPEN ADMISSION contd

• MINIMUM ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS POLICY,
• AUG 2005
• Many adult learners who have not achieved an NSC
  or equivalent qualification can benefit from
  higher education. In keeping with the objectives
  of the NQF the Ministry of Education supports
  wider and more diverse access to higher education
  
• At present, institutional admission policies must
  allow for alternate routes of entry that are
  equivalent to the NSC standard, including RPL or
  other means.

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PRESENTATION PLAN

• Unisas application of the Regulations
• Anticipated lacunae in 2009
• Proposed new Regulations, where relevant
• A (desperate) plea that the Regulatory
  environment is finalised before the end of 2008

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REGULATIONSSC without endorsement

• Entry into degree studies
• Direct access if the SC was attained with
  distinction
• Condoned Certificate of Full Exemption
• Senate discretionary rules of access
• SND Exemption Certificate
• Non-formal programme
• SND Exemption Certificate

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REGULATIONSSC without endorsement

• Entry into degree studies contd
• Ordinary Conditional Exemption
• access programme
• SND Exemption Certificate
• They then meet the condition as part of the
  degree studies by completing the full first year
  of studies in the degree programme (10 modules)
• direct entry into the degree programme apply for
  an OCC, commence with the degree and complete the
  condition by re-writing the Grade 12 subject, or
  take an equivalent subject at University.

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REGULATIONSSC without endorsement

• ISSUES RE DEGREE STUDIES
• Access route to degree studies will not be
  available to students who take the NSC exam
• If this is correct
• What is the pathway of a student who does not
  qualify for a degree of choice but there is no
  relevant diploma programme (e.g. LL.B)?
• What is the pathway of the SC student who does
  not comply with the requirements for admission to
  HE by June 2011? Can this student be referred to
  the access programme?

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REGULATIONSSC without endorsement

• Entry into diploma studies
• Senior Certificate
• AND
• SC completed 3 year diploma - access to the
  degree with appropriate credits
• Antedated full exemption certificate
• CONSIDER Stumpf proposals
• CTP Guidelines
• AND
• As above but no credits are granted and
• no antedated exemption certificate
• RE THE GUIDELINES make them part of the
  Regulations

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REGULATIONSForeign Qualifications

• For degree and diploma qualifications
• HESA has a Table of set equivalencies
• In other cases, Senate approved access programme
  with specific admission requirements per school
  leaving certificate
• ISSUE
• The Regulations must provide that the Exemption
  Certificate that is required for degree studies
  must also apply for diploma studies creates
  certainty.

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REGULATIONSMature Age Exemptions

• For degree studies
• 23 years in the 1st year of study AND 4 subjects
  at SC, 3 at 1 sitting and, at least 1 on HG
• 45 years
• ISSUES
• Under the NSC, no SG/HG
• Should age (45 years) alone be a deciding factor?

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REGULATIONSMature Age Exemptions

• For degree studies
• Proposal
• Students over the age of 30 years may
• take the institutions admission assessment and
• either proceed directly into a study programme OR
  take the relevant UPP before proceeding,
  depending on the results of the assessment.

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REGULATIONSMature Age Exemptions

• Proposal
• Minding the Gap in respect of students between
  23 years and 30 years
• For degree studies
• RPL pre-access programme, then the access
  programme, then the degree
• For diploma studies
• RPL pre-access programme, then the diploma

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REGULATIONSA minimum of 30 in the language of
learning and teaching of the HEI

• Innovative use of the diagnostic admissions
  assessment
• PROPOSAL
• All new students to Unisa must take the
  admissions assessment - with its enhanced
  language skills component
• Students are required to score, at least, 30
  (maybe 40) in the assessment
• ALL Students who do not comply with this score
  will have to take the Language Module of the
  UNIPREP programme
• A foreign student without english or Aftikaans
  but makes the 30 / 40 score AND meets all other
  admission requirements, can be admitted
• ? Can this rule be applied to NSC candidates who
  do not achieve the 30 language score?