CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE: CHE CONFIRMS ACCREDITATION OF UNIZULU LLB

I am proud to announce that the Council on Higher Education (CHE) has confirmed full accreditation for the UNIZULU LLB programme in the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law at the University of Zululand.

The CHE is the statutory body responsible for quality assurance in higher education in South Africa and thus responsible for accreditation and review of higher education qualifications. In 2012 the CHE, in conjunction with the South African Law Deans’ Association and in consultation with the organised legal professions, worked on the development of a National Standard for the LLB qualification, against which all faculties and schools had to evaluate their own offerings.

In November 2017 when the University of Zululand made an important announcement that it would work tirelessly towards an improvement plan in order to ensure continuity of the LLB programme there was speculation and uncertainty.  We were in no doubt of the quality standards which are incorporated into our LLB programme as attested by leading members in the judiciary who are products of this University.  The newly-inaugurated Chancellor of the University of Zululand, Justice Raymond Zondo, studied at UNIZULU.

We worked diligently and assured students who had graduated from UNIZULU Law Programmes that they would not be negatively affected by the announcement of the CHE’s national review of the LLB qualification. The University was certain that it would continue improving upon its reputable LLB programme which has produced fine, world-recognised alumni in the practice of Law. We are jubilant to inform the UNIZULU community that we delivered on our word because we knew for sure that UNIZULU academic outputs are of high standards.

The University implemented a turnaround approach and worked collaboratively with the CHE through robust and earnest stakeholder engagements which were aimed at bridging the gap and matching CHE standards. This was also to ensure that the Institutional Improvement Plan is responsive and deals spot-on with the issues raised without delays.

Many of the programmes in the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law, have undergone internal and external reviews and re-accreditation. In 2018 the LLB programme and the Accounting programme were both re-evaluated by CHE and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants respectively. These quality-driven processes have ensured that the various departments reconceptualise the way in which knowledge and sources of knowledge are organised, valued and represented within the respective disciplines. Law and Accounting programmes adapted to the requirements of the professional bodies in relation to the ethical development of their disciplines in a democratic society. There has been a concerted effort by these departments to add technological innovations in the learning process and most have undertaken to pursue inquiry-led teaching and learning with a strong emphasis on writing and research.

It came as no surprise therefore, when at its meeting of 07 June 2018, the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) reviewed the progress report together with other relevant documentation to determine the progress made in meeting the conditions specified in the HEQC accreditation report. The outcome stated that based on the evidence provided, the HEQC revised its accreditation decision to Full Accreditation for the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme offered at the University of Zululand.

As the Vice-Chancellor and Rector of this prestigious institution I would like to convey my appreciation to all role-players in the accreditation process.

Issued by: Professor XA Mtose

University of Zululand Vice-Chancellor & Rector