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DISCUSSIVE INTERVENTION

PARADIGM FOR SUSTAINABLE

ACADEMIC BUSINESS ENTERPRISE:

RE-ENGINEERING BUSINESS MANAGEMENT CAPACITY BUILDING IN ACADEMIC MANAGERS

Valentino Alily

Head, Research & Conference Production,

Melrose Advanced Training, Johannesburg, South Africa 17 August 2015

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CONTENT

ABSTRACT...................................................................................................................... 3

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP………………………………………………………………………….. 4

CORE BUSINESS & CULTURE…………………………………………………………………………….. 5

NEXT GENERATION LEARNING………………………………………………………………………….. 6

RESEARCH, INNOVATION & ENTERPRISE…………………………………………………………… 6

BRANDING & MARKETING WSU PHILOSOPHY…………………………………………………….. 7

STUDENT MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISE………………………………………………………………. 8

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & CSI……………………………………………………………………… 8

VISION…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 9

RESEARCH REFERENCE……………………………………………………………………………………10

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ABSTRACT

Academic professionals need constant updating on the knowledge and skills required to effectively position them as providers and managers of knowledge creation and dissemination in a rapidly changing educational sphere. This is particularly required of academics whose duty is to educate learners at the university. Globalisation and rapid technological advances have brought about generational shifts in values today that are re-shaping the way university students view education generally. The changing dynamics of our technology-driven century has totally altered the way education is perceived and even studied. Online studies and „real-time‟ off campus tutoring is becoming an accepted medium of study. To meet these changes, academics of higher institutions must become more proactive and entrepreneurial. Capacity building for academics is therefore an imperative re-engineering process, if teachers must be equipped to meet the demands of their work and personal life in this changing dynamics, as well as remain effectively ahead of their learners. The academic mindset must shift considerably from just that of transferring knowledge, to that of providing innovative insights that will generate entrepreneurs and creative thinkers. In today‟s internet-driven world, just remaining in the status quo as far as professional academic achievement is concerned is no longer an option. Like captains of private industries, academics must undergo a fundamental transformation in response to the changing student values, the Internet, globalisation, and shifting demographics resulting from unprecedented global economic challenges. Higher education is entering a unique era where dynamics are constantly evolving – forcing students to make decisions that impact on their future. To help achieve this, academics must devise effective management strategies in order to determine how to better meet the future needs of education business. This paper presents highlights and important insights into how this can be achieved through strategic courses and consultative intervention that emphasise Teacher Development Programs with focus on how to make today‟s academics more tech savvy, innovative and entrepreneurial.

INTRODUCTION

The rapid development in information and communication technology established two critical factors: 1. the exponential growth in knowledge acquisition and assimilation, and 2. the need to apply that knowledge in engagement and productive feed-back. The growth in knowledge of course led to constant updating, innovations and developments in specific area of expertise to ensure knowledge users remain relevant and competitive in their sphere of influence. Also the engagement and productive feed-back from technology provided users with the skill set to become proficient and tech savvy enough to know what to do with knowledge acquired. This especially puts the teacher, whose job is to mould the mind and behaviour of the learners, in a difficult position as he/she is no longer the purveyor of knowledge. This paper is a preface to a two-day executive course that provides on-the-job training for academics to equip them with the know-how for embracing changes in education brought about by technological advancement. It will also prepare them with the leadership expertise necessary to drive creative and innovative excellence required in managing an effective academic business enterprise. Specifically, the Course will:

1. Look at academic management, leadership and administrative excellence 2. Look at higher education policy and its legal landscape 3. Look at the control of teaching / learning 4. Look at the control of research and innovation 5. Look at student pipeline management 6. Look at the control of community engagement This paper will further seek to:

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7. Work with the Deputy Vice-Chancellor to identify further opportunities for the advancement of societal impact of WSU research through enterprise 8. Ensure effective due process and governance in relation to enterprise activities at WSU

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP

Academic management focuses on knowledge management and transfer based on set institutional structures and processes. To embrace leadership attributes, it requires a strategic appraisal of administrative expertise and leadership excellence within set processes and visionary fluidity. Achieving these levels of excellence therefore is an integral aspect of academic leadership and effective management. However leadership and management are significantly different in approach. While management controls and directs processes and resources according to laid down rules and regulations and maintains the status quo in line with established patterns or systems; leadership sets new direction and vision for processes to follow, and empowers followers to be visionary, innovative and creative. Management is rigid and efficient; leadership is fluid and innovative. Yet, management without leadership lacks vision and capacity for change, and leadership without management lacks structural capacity to achieve its vision and overall goal. In WSU (Walter Sisulu University), Academic management, leadership and administrative excellence should be interwoven. The positioning of WSU is that of a comprehensive university based on its academic structure and architecture. By definition, this means that its core policy and legal framework, as agreed with the department of Higher Education and Training is to institute an academic structure that is broad-based to include programmes, qualifications, research and community engagements that reflect the philosophy of Traditional Universities as well as those of typical Universities of Technology. The core component of this policy being the emergence of a comprehensive university that provides technological, scientific, innovative and responsive entrepreneurial management and leadership capacity in its definitive academic enterprise. To achieve this, WSU will have to initiate a comprehensive programme and qualification mix (PQM), a research mix, and a community-engagement mix that combines both management and leadership expertise that can merge this diverse mix through strategic transformation. The envisaged transformation strategy will have to be initiated through a three-pronged perspective that will see changes to the traditional university programmes, that to the University of Technology, and the eventual emergence of a comprehensive university collective capable of addressing every aspect of the diverse WSU academic enterprise. The ultimate goal at WSU is to introduce an academic management structure that encourages leadership expertise through a unified vision that showcases administrative excellence. Intervention:

The Course program will:

Look at academic management, leadership and administrative excellence

Look at the emergence of a comprehensive university that provides technological, scientific, innovative and responsive entrepreneurial management and leadership capacity in its definitive academic enterprise

Look at a transformation strategy with a three-pronged perspective to create changes to the traditional university programmes; that of the University of Technology, and eventually fostering the evolution of a comprehensive university collective

Look at setting both management and leadership expertise that can merge the diverse mix (Programme and qualification mix (PQM), Research mix, and a Community-engagement mix) through strategic transformation and vision

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CORE BUSINESS & CULTURE

Transformation is a relentless, multifaceted and integrated process of change management. It is an ongoing process that should affect all aspects of an institution‟s functionality, whether academic, administrative or support structure. It is designed to drive excellence, through continuous improvement in the core business sphere of the university with the aim of achieving the set vision and goal of the institution. However transformation must take cognizance of the overall culture and mores of the university, for its change or improvement to be relevant and appreciably accepted. The core business of WSU is to create and manage knowledge, and to establish an entrepreneurial academic enterprise. However the critical driver of that vision is human capital. Human capital is at the core of transformation of WSU, since it embodies the intellectual assets and collective skills structure of the academic structure.

Hence to transform the academic structure, the human capital structure must first change, because effective transformation of the academic structure can only succeed, if there is a shift of the mindset and perspective of the human capital structure. The imperative view point here is that WSU should evolve an empowered and visionary academic architecture that can drive an enhanced academic structural evolution with a strong and virile entrepreneurial attitude. To avoid academic stagnation and mitigate academic drift in both knowledge creation and knowledge management, WSU‟s human capital structure must identify key aspects of the university‟s culture – key aspects that foster integrity, knowledge management excellence, student management business enterprise, and academic quality excellence – as primary core business perspective to drive its transformational process.

The pursuit of excellence and diversity in all aspects of its functionality is a critical aspect of WSU‟s transformation. As a comprehensive university, a detailed diversity management strategy (both for the academic staff and students) must be developed and implemented to facilitate the cultural change process and bring about a constructive, empowering and positive contribution of the diverse university community. It is equally important that diversity competency be re-engineered within the university to help establish it as a „values-driven‟ university, and help maximise its vision and institutional strategic goals.

Intervention:

The Course program will:

Look at the core business relating to the intellectual and academic project of WSU, i.e. teaching, learning, research, engagement/outreach and academic business enterprise

Look at the Institutional processes and outcomes and the effectiveness thereof vis-à-vis the overall vision of WSU‟s core business

Look at establishing a detailed diversity management strategy to facilitate the cultural change process and bring about a constructive, empowering and positive contribution of the diverse university community

Look at evolving an empowered and visionary academic architecture that can drive an enhanced academic structural evolution with a strong and virile entrepreneurial attitude

Look at achieving academic excellence through teaching, learning, research and engagement associated with distinct entrepreneurial-based programme qualification mix (PQM) and academic discourse

Look at achieving business management excellence through effective and efficient business enterprise with knowledge-based service delivery bias, to internal and external stakeholders of WSU

Look at fostering an enabling institutional culture which reflects the multifaceted value and respect of diversity of WSU as a comprehensive university

Look at re-engineering diversity competency within the university to help establish it as a „values-driven‟ university, and maximise its vision and institutional strategic goals.

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NEXT GENERATION LEARNING

Next generation learning is focused on the concept of “learner-centered teaching”. The changing dynamics in education brought about by advances in information technology and readily accessible connectivity has shifted education focus from the traditional „teacher-centered teaching‟ (where previously, teachers focused on what they taught and how they taught it) to “learner-centered teaching” or „student-centered learning‟ (where focus is now on what students are learning and how they acquire such knowledge through various relevant media). This emphasizes engagement of students through a variety of methods that shifts the role of teachers from providers of information to facilitators of student learning and knowledge transfer.

Traditionally teachers focused on what they did, and not on what students learned. This process often left students as passive learners who were not responsible for their own learning and future, but rather relied on teachers as custodians responsible for charting and fashioning out their academic destiny. Learner- centered teaching however places emphasis on the student doing the learning, therefore placing educational content acquisition on the student in such a way that builds strong knowledge foundation and learning skills which enhances independent values, empowering capabilities and learner self-awareness. Intervention:

The Course program will:

Look at changing the dynamics of teaching to enable students take responsibility for learning

Look at implementing learner-centered teaching that emphasize a variety of methods that shift the role of teachers from providers of information to facilitators of student learning and knowledge transfer

Look at placing educational content acquisition on the student in such a way that builds strong knowledge foundation and learning skills which enhance independent values, empowering capabilities and learner self-awareness

Look at instituting processes and purposes of assessment that shift from only assigning grades at exams to one that includes constructive and consultative feedbacks that assist with improvement

Look at shifting the balance of power so that the teacher shares some decisions about course content with students to enable instructor and students collaborate on course policies and procedures

RESEARCH, INNOVATION & ENTERPRISE

It is imperative, that to truly embrace the concept of a comprehensive university or a „University for modern renaissance‟ as WSU should aptly be called, a new model of research that encourages innovation and enterprise must be implemented to enable the university engage and fully embrace its creative capabilities and provide facets for third stream income. In this context therefore, the university must shift focus away from just the traditional role of pursuing basic research, to that of focusing on long term blue chip research, teaching and learning that can achieve immediate medium term relevance to business and society and provide that third stream income that should be more than another source of income; but rather an innovative approach of creative outreach to business and community in WSU‟s institutional base. It should be able to make „Academic Enterprise‟ a „noble academic activity‟ that can stand equally alongside „Teaching & Learning‟ and „Research & Innovation‟. Not only will this encourage the concept of „Commercialising Innovation‟, but it would showcase that there is complementarity of business relevance and basic research innovation.

Intervention:

The Course program will:

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Look at „Academic Enterprise‟ as a partnership between education, community and business in the

municipality, province and even national and international arena and identify opportunities for

collaborative work and mutual knowledge exchange

Look at fashioning a knowledge hub of integrated activities involving consultancy, research capability,

and knowledge transfer.

Look at integrating the critical human capital structure in WSU in the „Academic Enterprise‟: whether

Academic Staff, Support Staff, Students and interested parties both in public and private sector

Look at using „Academic Enterprise‟ at WSU to transfer innovation from research expertise and

teaching to the market place to generate sustainable income

Look at creating the right marketing mix in „Academic Enterprise‟ to profit from innovation

Look at inventing new technology that can attract business collaboration and investment

Look at investing in creativity to enable innovation and entrepreneurial excellence

Look at attracting business support though „Academic Enterprise‟ in blue-chip research

Look at creating commerce opportunities by investing in the concept of „Commercialising Innovation‟

Look at helping WSU realise its ultimate potential as a „University for modern renaissance‟

BRANDING & MARKETING WSU PHILOSOPHY

Branding is a carefully structured strategic effort to influence desired response or desired association to a particular product, institution or person (the brand). The branding objective is usually to move the target audience from an existing brand to a desired one or to totally change their perception altogether about the brand. Brand sustainability requires that institutions put concerted effort into planning for the future. There must be a carefully laid out marketing policy to drive brand image forward and upwards for the future. Progressive growth and acknowledgement of excellence is essential in academic advancement, and emphasising this through product uniqueness can guarantee future brand loyalty and sustainable growth for WSU. The purpose of branding is to drive existing and new revenue sources, thus branding initiatives should be tied to revenue generation from enrollment, fundraising, project marketing and positioning, including other institutional sources. The success of the brand campaign therefore depends on response from the target audience, but is this a true evaluation of the brand? Does the brand reflect the true philosophy of the product, in this case WSU? How can brand be managed and measured to ensure it communicates the desired WSU philosophy and achieves the projected value?

Intervention:

The Course program will:

Look at creative and proactive branding campaigns to stimulate consumer response to WSU

Look at traditional vis-à-vis new online branding and communication platforms and how to utilise the best tools to achieve success in institutional campaigns

Look at applying specific social media tools to engage the diverse WSU comprehensive university

target audience

Look at aligning WSU‟s unique strategic philosophy with the branding and communications content to meet its marketing objectives

Look at appraising WSU core philosophical value and how this contributes to its institutional reputation and brand image

Look at building and sustaining a successful online brand to leverage WSU‟s core philosophy in a competitive market

Look at increasing WSU brand equity and loyalty through specific learner-focused online streaming

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Look at harnessing new social media apps for reputation management and brand advocacy

Look at building an effective academic niche-marketing and reputation through consistent brand value proposition

STUDENT MANAGEMENT ENTERPRISE

Student Management Enterprise equips students with the capacity to develop their entrepreneurial skills, thus providing the ability to spot opportunities, resolve immediate challenges, and create innovative ideas, no matter their academic leaning. It is also a platform for students to start their own spin-off business partnerships and get their venture off the ground. In order to increase the entrepreneurial capacity of students, WSU‟s „Academic Enterprise‟ must begin by implementing strategies for an inter-university skills development program that encourages partnerships with entrepreneurs where students will interact and experience „real life‟ commercial challenges. This Student Management Enterprise will also create avenues for corporate mentors who should oversee the commercial viability of emerging spin-offs and their intellectual property where necessary. Thus, applying the knowledge and approach of „real life‟ experience, Student Management Enterprise will engage and develop the enterprising minds of students, enabling innovation and entrepreneurial expertise to drive WSU‟s academic enterprise of the future. This will provide the skill set to identify specific industry need and equip students, and consequently graduates, with the skills required to understand commercial reality, business prospect and growth. The strategy of engaging and developing the entrepreneurial capacity of students via Student Management Enterprise is in line with the vision and agenda of new venture creation in WSU, which in a way will ameliorate the challenges of graduate employability. Intervention:

The Course program will:

Look at creating enterprising students, no matter their academic leaning

Look at developing entrepreneurial students in line with the vision and agenda of new venture creation in WSU, which in a way will ameliorate the challenges of graduate employability.

Look at creating avenues for corporate mentors who would oversee the commercial viability of emerging spin-offs and their intellectual property where necessary

Look at creating and commercialising an innovation module for the „Academic Enterprise‟

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT & CSI

In addition to teaching and research, community engagement is a crucial part of WSU‟s overall philosophy. As a comprehensive university it must be seen to demonstrate social responsibility and commitment to the common good, through the provision of expertise and infrastructure for community service programmes, particularly within its sphere of operation. The ultimate objective of this will be to promote and develop social responsibility as well as CSI awareness amongst students at WSU, thereby showcasing them as role models. The importance of CSR and CSI in fostering social responsibility amongst students is key in projecting a positive image of WSU as a responsible „people oriented‟ institution, but more importantly, it helps showcase its role as an institution committed and involved in community engagement

Another aspect of community engagement that WSU could be interested in is Local Economic Development (LED) which is defined by the World Bank as “the process by which public, business and non-governmental sector partners work collectively to create better conditions for economic growth and

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employment generation‟. The aim of LED is to improve quality of life for all, which is often in line with “sustainable development”, although usually from the perspective of economic and social elements. In WSU‟s case, LED would be pursued through CSI initiatives that are integrated into its core business area of academic enterprise. The impact of this is far more significant as there are opportunities for innovation that allow institutions like WSU to use their core business to promote LED and sustainable development in a far more meaningful way that both to the university and the community benefit exponentially. Intervention:

The Course program will:

Look at community engagement is a crucial part of WSU‟s overall philosophy

Look at promoting social responsibility and commitment to the common good, through the provision of expertise and infrastructure for community service programmes, particularly within WSU‟s sphere of operation

Look at staying close to the core business of a WSU and incentivise those activities that promote scholarship and academic enterprise

Look at teaching and learning that offers opportunities for service to communities, such as the offering of strategic short courses to build desired skills in the local citizenry

,Look at community-based research and research about pertinent social issues that will impact positively on the community and likely to attract investment .

VISION

Based on the above course preface and suggested interventions, Melrose Training is suggesting the

following highlights as future prospects for continued training and visionary transformation:

Create a highly effective structure of support for enterprise at WSU

We will:

Ensure effective working of „Knowledge Transfer‟ and „Academic Enterprise‟ with the support of departments and faculties

Create an enabling enterprise operations environment to encourage and support research collaborations with industry, and to promote entrepreneurship

Collaborate with the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor to promote the impact of WSU entrepreneurial expertise and invite external organisations into WSU as collaborators, sponsors and investors in WSU‟s research innovations

Become the leading South African University supporting student entrepreneurs

We will:

Establish an extensive entrepreneurship training in line with academic curriculum for students

Establish training courses, workshops and masterclasses for academic staff on an agreed continuous basis

Support the creation of new commercial ventures and enterprises from WSU

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Double the income through spin-off businesses to create third stream income

Ensure that enterprise is embedded in the core of WSU’s academic program

We will:

Identify areas of enterprise that encourage academic vision of each department and faculty

Create „real experience‟ case studies of entrepreneurial activities which reflect innovative breakthrough in at least each department

Establish a structure of support and progression for a network of academic experts for enterprise

Establish support for areas of research which have strong societal impact and commercial value

Become South Africa’s leader in collaboration with external enterprises

We will:

Remove barriers that inhibit external collaboration with commercial and social enterprises

Identify incentives to staff and external enterprise that can increase the volume of industrially sponsored research activities

Greatly expand WSU‟s consulting activities as a „values-driven‟ activity

Maximize the societal impact of WSU enterprise activities through effective branding

We will:

Develop a single WSU Enterprise brand and redevelop the Enterprise website

Identify academic staff and WSU network to help promote WSU enterprise

Produce online image-making materials to promote the societal impact of WSU‟s enterprising community

Identify partners who are interested in promoting WSU‟s „Academic Enterprise‟

RESEARCH REFERENCE

1. Melinda dela Pena-Bandalaria, PhD, University of the Philippines Open University (August 2011) New

Approaches to Open and Distance Learning for Effective Human Capacity Building: A Case Study

of On-the-Job Training for Teachers in the Rural Areas of the Philippines

2. Cardiff University (2012) Commercial Development @ Cardiff

3. London‟s Global University,(2011 – 2015) Transforming Enterprise At UCL Strategy

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4. European Commission, (2008 – 2013), Final Report Of The Expert Group: “Entrepreneurship In Higher Education, Especially In Non-Business Studies”

5. Cardiff University, (2012-2017) The Way Forward: Research, Innovation and Enterprise

6. Prof. SP Songca, Prof. P van Eldik, Dr. CA van der Merwe, Mr. PJ Morris, ( April 2014),The Walter Sisulu University Academic Enterprise

Maximize the societal impact of UCL enterprise activities by effective publicity