Table 1: Key Performance Indicators and Activities 2024
Strategic Objective institutional Activity Faculty Activity Faculty Quarterly Activity
Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4
Goal 1: To improve our academic excellence, reputation, and impact.
1.1 Placing increased emphasis on research that advances societal and knowledge impact.
Implement a new modality for resourcing the research enterprise Conduct interventions to promote research undertaking.
Implement a new modality for resourcing the research enterprise Implement initiatives to promote research undertaking in research areas of relevant SDGs.
Implement and monitor the research strategies and agenda, and revise accordingly Conduct workshops in association with the improvement of reputation of UFS.
1.2 Ensuring the quantity, quality, and diversity of academic staff with renowned global reputation.
Continue implementation and monitor the programme output and impact, and revise accordingly Implement research related initiatives to support development of instruction/research staff towards NRF rating.
Continue monitoring, and review the efficacy of the policy and its impact in terms of research reputation and societal impact Develop a faculty research strategy to guide instruction/research staff on publication processes.
Monitor output and impact in terms of graduate desirability and continue to nurture existing and establish new partnerships Conduct initiatives to promote co-publication authorship.
1.3 Ensure that our academic offerings and practices produce desirable and successful graduates.
Evaluate the number and impact of industry collaborations/partnerships and linkages, and amend modes of engagement accordingly Deliver initiatives to promote desirability of UFS graduates.
Measure the uptake of advanced teaching methodologies, and monitor content renewal and relevance Develop research activities to support and attract postgraduate students.
Review the postgraduate environment and revise the strategies accordingly Review the postgraduate environment and revise the strategies accordingly.
Goal 2: To promote an environment of agility, flexibility and responsiveness based on trust and accountability.
2.1 Ensure the policies, systems, processes, and practices are appropriate, effective, and efficient are appropriate, effective, and efficient
Determine the efficiency gains and improvement in responsiveness as well as its impact on the environment Conduct initiatives to improve staff experience of effectiveness of policies, systems, processes and practices.
Monitor the responsiveness of the critical processes Monitor the responsiveness of the critical processes
2.2 Ensure appropriate academic structures as well as management and leadership capacity
Implement new faculty structures Produce a discussion document on faculty’s future departmental viability.
Implement new faculty structures Conduct interventions to support development of senior/leadership academic staff.
2.3 Leverage the use of digital technologies, business intelligence, and analytics to enable evidence-based decision-making
Maintain BI systems, monitor user experience, and revise accordingly Conduct initiatives to encourage management staff’s sign-in to UFS PowerHEDA.
Goal 3: To advance a transformational institutional culture that demonstrates the values of the UFS.
3.1 Creating a vibrant space for, and acceptance of, constructive and critical engagement
Continue monitoring staff climate and refine training programme(s) accordingly Establish a platform to improve staff experience of engagement.
Monitor the effectiveness of new committee structures and their impact Establish an intervention to improve undergraduate student experience of advanced student-lecturer engagement.
Promote and monitor future-centric dialogue Promote and monitor future-centric dialogue
3.2 Become an institution of choice for exceptional students, academics, and support staff
Monitor the UFS reputation through the UFS Brand and Reputation Survey Establish an intervention to improve stakeholder perceptions of the UFS reputation.
Employ and promote a diverse and talented academic staff complement, prioritizing staff with doctorates Implement initiative to recruit high performing students from schools in the country.
Recruit and retain a professional support staff complement that supports the Academic Project and promotes an inclusive and vibrant work ethos Implement initiatives to recruit master’s and doctoral students from top South African universities.
Review and obtain feedback through the Student Experience Survey Review and obtain feedback through the Student Experience Survey
3.3 Become a home for staff and students from diverse backgrounds
Review and monitor the student experience for continuous uptake Establish an intervention to improve students’ experience with being on campus.
Monitor the number and characteristics/ profile of staff leaving the University within the first three years of appointment Implement a strategy to improve staff experience at the University.
3.4 Improvement in the equity profile of academic leadership
Monitor the experiences of new staff members, in particular, those from designated groups Determine a strategy to develop senior academics that are female.
Monitor the experiences of new staff members, in particular, those from designated groups Determine a strategy to improve share of black senior academics
Goal 4: To promote stewardship and the prioritisation of institutional resources for strategic intent.
4.1 Ensure the efficiency of the non-academic support structures and systems
Initiate an institution-wide redesign process of non-academic support structures Establish an intervention to improve staff experience of efficiency of administrative support structures and systems.
Initiate an institution-wide redesign process of non-academic support structures Develop a plan to digitalise relevant faculty administration process.
4.2 Ensure the principles of investment to enable academic excellence with particular emphasis on research and postgraduate activity
Continue with the implementation of investment in infrastructure and relevant technologies Establish an intervention to improve postgraduate student experience with support services.
4.3 Increase our research and innovation competitiveness
Identify potential research centres of excellence and continue with the establishment of research chairs Conduct an initiative to encourage increase of research income.
4.4 Ensure the efficiency of academic programmes, offerings, and academic support systems
Continue with the streamlining of the PQM in accordance with the agreed indicators as reflected in the PQM Viability Index Produce a discussion document on faculty’s future PQM viability.
Reduce modules with less than the threshold to allow for the introduction of other critical modules Establish an intervention to improve student experience with academic support services