April 15, 2025

Community engagement in higher education: From conversation to action

Often seen as the “stepchild” of higher education, community engagement (CE) took centre stage during SAPHE’s Faranani session held on 10 April.

Dr Sanele Nene, Director: National Standards and Reviews and Acting Director: Institutional Audits at the Council on Higher Education (CHE), led an engaging and thought-provoking session. While community engagement tends to receive less attention than teaching and research, Dr Nene reaffirmed that it remains a core pillar of higher education. Encouragingly, more institutions are now working toward formal integration of CE within their frameworks.


Drawing from insights gathered during institutional audits of public higher education institutions, Dr Nene unpacked some of the persistent challenges CE faces — including the difficulty of balancing CE with the demands of teaching and research, limited funding, capacity constraints, and the absence of robust quality assurance mechanisms.

The session was particularly valuable for private institutions, many of which are preparing for upcoming institutional audits. Dr Nene outlined a series of recommendations to strengthen CE practice such as sustainable, formalised resource allocation, policy and strategic integration of CE, incentives and recognition for CE, alignment with transformation and context, and building meaningful community partnerships.


SAPHE Chair, Dr Carin Stoltz-Urban, closed the session by reaffirming SAPHE’s commitment to taking these insights forward — a commitment echoed by many in attendance.

Revisiting the value of assessment

July 22, 2025
The Faranani session on 17 July examined assessment from various perspectives. With just two carefully crafted questions, David Maclean, facilitator and founder of Learning Advisory, created a space for lively conversation and engagement on the real purpose and value of assessment. The first question, What would assessment look like if it served learning rather than sorting?, prompted reflection on the difference between ‘assessment for learning’ and ‘assessment of learning’. Participants explored the role of continuous assessment as a compass that guides learning, rather than a tool for ranking or gatekeeping. The second question, How do we truly know when learning has occurred at the deepest level?, encouraged participants to share personal experiences and teaching practices that reveal meaningful learning beyond surface-level achievement. The session reframed assessment by focusing on its potential to enhance learning and support development, moving beyond its traditional role as a final evaluation tool.  Embodying the spirit of a wisdom circle, the Faranani session offered space for collective reflection, shared insights, and mutual learning.

SAPHE launches research CoP

July 17, 2025
SAPHE’s first Research Community of Practice (CoP) meeting took place on Monday, 30 June, marking an important step toward strengthening research capacity and collaboration within private higher education. As research is a core pillar of higher education, SAPHE members welcomed the opportunity to engage on research-related matters. The first session focused on supporting those who have made submissions for the upcoming SAPHE Conference. A highlight of the session was a presentation on the use of AI in research. From sparking ideas to helping with literature reviews and writing, AI was framed as a powerful research tool, similar to a calculator for a mathematician or a camera for a photographer. But, the message was clear: AI can assist, but the researcher remains the author!  True to the spirit of a Community of Practice, this new SAPHE initiative creates a collaborative space for sharing, questioning, and growing together. We look forward to many more engagements as this CoP evolves.

Strengthening QA through collaboration

By Sibusiso Ngidi • June 17, 2025
The imaginative and metaphorical title of our recent Quality Assurance Community of Practice (QA CoP) meeting, Shared spellbook: Unlocking the magic of collective wisdom, beautifully captured the spirit of the event and the collaborative energy among QA professionals from SAPHE member institutions. Leading the conversation, Dr Franzél du Plooy-Cilliers invited participants to reflect on the unique value that emerges when ideas, knowledge, and experiences are shared. Collaboration in QA doesn’t just foster innovation—it challenges complacency, inspires ongoing improvement, and raises the quality bar across institutions. The ripple effects are powerful: Not only do individual PHEIs benefit from stronger practices, but the entire higher education sector is elevated through shared commitment to quality-assured education. During the session, participants discussed common challenges, such as limited staff engagement in QA processes and the need for integrated workflows that support shared values and a common understanding. Looking ahead, key themes were identified for future QA CoP engagements. Plans are already underway for the next meeting on 14 August, where the community will continue "writing the shared spellbook" - sharing insights and best practices to improve quality. Together, the CoP is shaping a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation—one "spell" at a time.