Abstract
The remarkable revitalisation of the University of the Western Cape (UWC) at the turn of the century was an unprecedented achievement in the history of higher education in South Africa. In November 2001 UWC was an institution in dire straits, burdening a huge financial debt, a disillusioned and demoralised staff complement still reeling from the trauma of retrenchments, coupled with an academic project facing collapse as student numbers dwindled by a third to less than 10 000. Is there a future for such an institution, described by some as a ‘basket case’ with very bleak prospects of survival? This was the landscape that confronted the newly-appointed Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the University of UWC. Fast forward to December 2014. The CEO retires from office, bestowing upon his successor a financially sound institution with a flourishing academic project, recording unprecedented achievements, enriching the lives of more than 20 000 students, and widely acknowledged as a research-led university. This paper discusses how visionary and inclusive leadership with the steadfast belief that your past does not determine your future, galvanised an entire organisation into achieving through a process of sense-making that which was once deemed impossible. While the focus is institution specific, it nevertheless sets out some of the critical issues facing higher education transformation as it seeks new paradigms for linking teaching and learning with research and innovation.
Presenters
Ramashwar BharuthramEmeritus Professor and Special Consultant to the Vice Chancellor, Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of the Western Cape, Western Cape, South Africa
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Educational Organization and Leadership
KEYWORDS
Higher Education Visionary Leadership Inclusivity Sense-making
