Vision

Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance will be the foundation and rationale for all decisions and actions aimed at realizing the vision and mission of the university.

Mission

Within the framework of the University’s vision and mission, this directorate promotes and facilitates strategic plans, quality assurance and management information system strategies which guide decisions and actions of the university.

Overview

The Directorate of Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance (IPQA) at the University of Venda (UNIVEN) was established in 2007. At UNIVEN Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance are one directorate. The model conforms to current global practices where university-wide planning and quality assurance activities are integrated. Both strive towards enhancing an effective and credible university. They represent common activities that strengthen each other and allow the university to carry out its core function of teaching and learning, research, and community engagement. The significance of this directorate cannot be over-emphasized, considering the increasingly complex planning and quality control challenges that confront higher education institutions throughout the world.

Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance functions have become matters of great importance for universities around the world. In South Africa, responsibilities and activities of Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance are strongly informed by the statutory reporting requirements of universities to bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) and the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC); as well as the national call for Universities to contribute to higher education policy analysis and development.

Mandate

The IPQA Directorate plays an advisory role to the Vice Chancellor, also executing ad-hoc assignments as delegated by the Vice Chancellor and also to facilitate Institutional Planning, Quality Assurance and Management Information Systems policies and processes that drive decisions and actions aimed at achieving sustainable levels of effectiveness in teaching and learning, research and community engagement.

Much of the work of the IPQA happens at a departmental level with the collaboration amongst the three units of the department.

Prof Thina Ngobeli was appointed Director Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance (IPQA) in December 2009. She is responsible for Institutional Planning, Quality Assurance and Management Information Systems in the University of Venda. Her portfolio includes, among others, facilitating the development of the University's strategic plan, monitoring the implementation of the strategic plan, facilitating academic programme development and submission to external bodies, departmental reviews, and management information system. She is a senior manager and serves in numerous committees in the university.

Prior to her appointment as Director IPQA, Prof Ngobeli was Dean of the School of Human and Social Sciences, a position she held for five years. Before that she had been Deputy Dean of the School of Education from 1997 to 1999; Head of the department of Psychology of Education and Early Childhood Education from 1996 to 2004. She has taught and administered modules from undergraduate to postgraduate levels within the broader Psychology of Education discipline. She has also designed and developed programmes in the School of Education. She holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of South Africa, specializing in Psychology of Education. She is a member of the Limpopo Education Department of Education and Training Council.

Units within the directorate:

• Institutional Planning
• Quality Assurance
• Management Information System

The following is a list of staff members in the Institutional Planning and Quality Assurance:

Designation	Name	Contacts
Director	Prof. Thina Ngobeli	Tel: +27 15 962 8765 Fax: +27 15 962 8824 Email: thina.ngobeli@univen.ac.za
Head: Quality Assurance	Mr Vakele E Nobongoza	Tel: +27 15 962 8705 Fax: +27 15 962 8824 Email: vakele.nobongoza@univen.ac.za
Management Information Systems Specialist	Mr Alfred Mutanga	Tel: +27 15 962 8621 Fax: +27 15 962 8824 Email: alfred.mutanga@univen.ac.za
Chief Admin Officer	Mrs Angeline Singo	Tel: +27 15 962 8338 Fax: +27 15 962 8824 Email: angeline.singo@univen.ac.za
Institutional Planning Officer	Mr Emmanuel Thagwana	Tel: +27 15 962 8737 Fax: +27 15 962 8824 Email: emmanuel.thagwana@univen.ac.za
Institutional Planning Officer	Mr Lufuno Netshifhefhe	Tel: +27 15 962 8740 Fax: +27 15 962 8824/8745 Email: lufuno.netshifhefhe@univen.ac.za
Institutional Planning Officer	Ms Livhuwani Mulelu	Tel: +27 15 962 8668 Fax: +27 15 962 8824 Email: livhuwani.mulelu@univen.ac.za
Executive Secretary	Mrs Royal Nelwamondo	Tel: +27 15 962 8515 Fax: +27 15 962 8824 Email: mulalon@univen.ac.za IPQA@univen.ac.za