College of Business and Economics | Annual Report 2021 30 The following are some of the key outputs relating to student performance in 2021: • The overall UG module success rate was observed at 88,2% in 2021, a decline of 1,9 percentage points from 2020. However, 2020 may be deemed as an outlier, given the extraordinary success rates achieved in that year. An increase of 3 percentage points is evident when compared to 2019. • Interestingly, although there was a decline in the overall UG module success rate, an increase was observed for first-time entering students by 2,3 percentage points from 2020 to 2021. A similar increase was also observed when compared to 2019. • The UG dropout rate in Year 1 remains high but stable at 12%. • Total graduate output for 2021 is forecasted at 5 488 comprising approximately 76% UG and 24% PG students. The overall graduation rate is expected to be 31% for 2021, based on forecasted UG and PG rates of 27% and 41%, respectively. • An increase of 3% is forecasted in the graduation rate from 2020 to 2021, based on an expected increase of approximately 2% in the UG rate and a decline of about 5% in the PG rate. The non-trivial decline in the PG rate is largely due to decreases (forecasted) in the graduate output for postgraduate diplomas, master’s and doctoral programmes. PROGRAMME QUALIFICATION MIX The CBE offers a rich mix of subsidised UG and PG programmes in disciplines related to the field of business and economics, across the NQF spectrum from Level 6 to 10. Further to this, several nonsubsided CEPs are offered, consisting of whole programmes, bridging programmes and short learning programmes (SLPs). The following are key features of the CBE PQM: • In 2021, the CBE offered 146 subsidised programmes consisting of 49 and 97 offerings at the UG and PG levels, respectively. • The UG offering consisted of 11 diplomas, 20 advanced diplomas and 18 degrees. • The PG offering consisted of 22 honours degrees, 4 postgraduate diplomas, 45 master’s degrees (coursework and research) and 26 doctoral programmes. • A total of 139 CEPs were offered in 2021, consisting of whole programmes, bridging programmes and SLPs. • Apart from CEPs, specifically SLPs, having a growing focus on 4IR-related developments, the CBE schools and departments engaged in several academic initiatives aimed at the advancement of education in 4IR. The number of such initiatives increased by 33% from 18 in 2020 to 24 in 2021. • The number of fully online programmes remained unchanged at nine in 2021. Other programme-related aspects: • The temporary transition globally, to a largely online academic environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw a significant movement in the number of inbound and outbound students attending virtual academic events. This was evident in the CBE, as inbound students increased by 26% from 1 231 to 1 549 and outbound students grew by 42% from 2 005 to 2 847 from 2020 to 2021. • The experiences of online teaching and learning in 2020 and 2021, provided an opportunity for CBE schools and departments to develop an increasingly blended mode of delivery of modules in contact-based programmes. This served the CBE well when the University took a decision to follow a hybrid approach to teaching and learning in the first semester of 2022. • The University offers two enrichment modules for UG students, namely African Insights and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in 4IR. It is compulsory for a student to complete at least one of these modules, as a requirement for graduation. In 2021, the CBE recorded a significant growth in the completion rate of the African Insights module, but a decline in that of the Artificial Intelligence module. • CBE schools and departments engage in regular review of programmes and modules, and their modes of delivery, to ensure quality and relevance. These reviews are overseen by the CBE Head of Quality Assurance. • Discussions are at an advanced stage in the development of a generic (and flexible) BCom degree. Submission for approval is expected to be initiated in 2022. • The experiences of 2020 and 2021 provided an impetus for teaching and learning innovation, as CBE staff members continued to explore and/or introduce new approaches, content and courses in the TLA environment.
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