1 Presentation to ITS Integrator User Group Conference 2014Central Application Service (CAS) The current status, process and service Presentation to ITS Integrator User Group Conference 2014
2 The Challenge “Let me reiterate .... now that we have achieved so much, we must claim our rightful place among the achievers in terms of deliverables. The task at hand remains a daunting one but the prize is big. Forging change is not easy. We have to confront established ways of thinking and working. We must continue to gain the momentum to fight for a truly educated and skilled workforce in our country.” Mduduzi Manana, Deputy Minister Budget speech to Parliament, 08 May 2013 CAS must be part of the solution
3 Vision 2030 To provide a service to applicants and Higher Education institutions through a clearinghouse mechanism that will make available a platform of all educational opportunities A smooth path for the applicant Trouble-free registration for the institution Best use of national resources Vision 2030 – we realise that this cannot be achieved overnight! All applicants intending to study at a tertiary education institution in South Africa will have access to the information necessary to make informed choices. The CAS will provide a single, affordable, easy to understand application process giving access to multiple institutions without the need to queue at institutions, and applicants will be kept fully informed of the status of their application. Institutions will receive accurate data on which to base selection decisions, and have access to the pool of unplaced applicants if necessary to meet enrolment targets. Consolidated national statistics will give an overview, never before available in South Africa, of the demand for higher and further education. The CAS will handle all applications for selection into higher education programmes at first time entering undergraduate level, including applications for residence and financial aid. The selection of prospective students, or allocation of spaces and admission of students will remain the responsibility of higher education institutions. The service will be extended over time to include all 50 public further education and training colleges as well as learnership programmes as offered by the SETAs. The CAS will only cater for first time entering undergraduate students to apply to any of the public universities and other participating institutions.The service should guide and advise prospective students of all the different institutions that are available within the post-school system with specific information about available admission requirements within the 23 public universities in the country. The CAS will include a first level clearing house to provide support and guidance to those who are not accepted at institutions they had applied to.
4 National Imperatives Meeting Human Resource targetsStudents with potential registered in appropriate University programmes Students channelled into vocational training Understand and exercise leverage over trends in demand for fields of study Statistics on qualifying applicants and places in specific fields of study Smooth start to the academic year No last-minute rushes or adverse publicity Mis-match in placements arising from ill-informed choices and last minute selections contributes to high student drop-out rate Trickle-down to FET Colleges and SETA learnerships is critical. Late registrations, which predispose students to failure, to be minimised.
5 Understanding trends and statisticsCannot manage what you do not understand Currently no statistics possible on applications Generally held that inappropriate applicant choices predispose to failure Anecdotal evidence points to impact of fashion and perceived availability of funding on applicant choices Are universities chasing ghost students? Anecdotal evidence: many people I have spoken to attribute the exponential increase in applications for Education, Nursing and Social Work on the publicity given to bursaries. If people are choosing careers that are traditionally seen as vocations, requiring a high level of commitment, because they want to be paid while studying, is this going to translate into the skilled professionals we so badly need?
6 CAS: What has been achieved so farResearch and information gathering Planning, preparation of business requirements Setting up PMO Awareness building
7 Research and information gatheringAll universities visited during 2012 Overview of the applications process built up Institutions asked to identify the challenges they face Information available for identification of obstacles and points of leverage for central system Is the report going to be made public?
8 Challenges identified by institutionsIncreasing pressure on resources Ill-informed applicants Walk-in dilemma NSC results too close to registration, poor match rate, upgrade results missing Communication challenges Applicants trying to beat system Conflict with funding agencies Meeting diversity targets Middle-class gap From 2012 survey of institutions Pressure on Resources: Developing policies for dealing with high demand, dealing with an increasing number of applicants for limited places Developing policies for meeting enrolment and diversity targets, despite unpredictable, and often low, take-up rates Managing growth and coping with more students than they can teach successfully Ill-informed Applicants: Poor subject choices at Grade 9, applicants needing help in selecting appropriate study programmes They submit incomplete forms or fail to submit the requested documentation They apply for programmes that are not offered at the institution or campus Applicants apply (often several years in a row) without checking the published entry requirements Many applicants do not understand that an application must go through a selection process. They should be encouraged to apply well ahead of closing dates for admission and financial aid They report for registration on the basis of a letter which does not contain the offer of a place Walk-in dilemma: Walk-ins absorb a great deal of staff time in January and are difficult to control Often needed to achieve their enrolment targets and to get good quality students regretted by the institution of first choice. Queues are not an efficient way to select students and expose the institution to the risk of fraud (bribery, forged exam results) Applicants trying to beat the system: Learners with low school marks apply late rather than submit low marks Applicants with previous study history often fail to disclose his Walk-ins frequently present forged results, and other fraudulent behaviour is also found Applicants who have been regretted will often go from office to office on campus trying to find someone who will offer them a place Exam results: Late release of NSC results puts pressure on institutions. Some systems allow staff to overwrite the downloaded NSC results Results for people who have upgraded not in download, potentially excluding them from consideration Cambridge results are available two weeks after registration. Institutions may admit conditionally, but if the student fails to qualify it is then too late to fill the place Communication issues: Failure to communicate with applicants or selection decisions so late communication before registration impossible Reliance on high-tech methods of communication that are not working with some categories of applicant Conflict with funding agencies: Late information about NSFAS funding. Applicants who do not qualify coming with offers of funding from the Premier’s Office Funza Lushaka and Social Work bursaries promised late to people who have not been selected or registered Students who had been refused funding according to the institution’s policy coming back with letters from NSFAS reversing the decision Middle-class Gap: Lack of funding, impacting on many students but particularly those from lower-paid professional families, who are unable to find funding to register
9 Where standardisation is closeAll institutions but one allow only one application to be made Most institutions do not allow exemption from application fees Most institutions do not close off applications after the ‘closing date’ Nearly all institutions prioritise those who applied before registration ahead of walk-ins
10 Challenges for a unified systemCollecting accurate programme information Enquiries: handled ‘wherever they are received’ by several institutions Three universities open applications around mid-year after approval for programmes/enrolment plans Cost of study information not readily available at time of application Late selection decisions Unsuccessful applicants used to fill other programmes Use of application form as contract/indemnity Variable levels of expertise in institutions
11 Selling points for the CASSome institutions battle to keep up with data capture APS scores calculated manually at 10 institutions Subject requirements checked manually at 9 institutions Institutions unable to match exam results, so rely on hard copy Assistance required with detection of fraud Institutions unable to predict take up rates because applicants receive multiple offers Unified system may be able to address external challenges better than institutions working individually Central service brings economies of scale to data capture and matric matching, allowing more to be invested that some institutions are ale to do. Downside – central service will probably lead in growth in application numbers for institutions (cf CAO) Some institutions do not manage to capture their applications by Christmas, so are unable to make reasoned selection decisions or allow applicants time to prepare for registration To achieve a high hit rate with exam results you need accurate data capture and time to review unmatched applicants. Many institutions have neither.. Forged results are rife. Central service speaking on behalf of all institutions better placed to, for instance, negotiate with DBE for full set of exam results to be made available, gain access to electronic NC(V) results, negotiate with NSFAS on dovetailing application processes, negotiate with major bursary donors about checking placements before awarding funding.
12 Some of the policy decisions neededNumber of choices per institution and overall Extent to which system will cater for international applicants Data to be collected Standard meaning of selection statuses Action required of successful applicants (e.g. acceptance, payment of deposit) Whether private colleges are to be included
13 CACH 2014 Building on the experience of 2013 Open from 2 JanuaryMatching applicants to 2012 and 2013 NSC results for referral to universities Call Centre equipped to provide basic information on opportunities for post school education
14 CACH APPLICANTS 2014 2013 to 3 Mar Full cycle to 3 Mar Full cycle Total registered Not current matriculants Incomplete data (Mostly study preferences not captured)
15 CACH volumes Call Centre: 2014(Jan-3 Mar) 2013 (Jan-Mar)Incoming calls 664 Web ‘Call me’ not recorded Sms requests Outbound calls Busiest day for incoming calls: 10 January (both years) 50% of incoming calls received between 2 and 11 January (both years)
16 Non-matriculants registering with CACH 2014548 confirmed not to be current matriculants exam records not traced foreign nationals with foreign exam numbers
17 2014 Call Outcomes (stats provided for 50% of all calls): Enquiry/registration/follow up 44% Failed/dropped calls 44% Transferred to DHET or SAQA 6.5% Not serious calls/just testing the system 2.5% Requests for information about HE 2% De-registrations 1.5%
18 Things we should try to improve for 2015Get system up and running earlier Be quicker to respond to first requests received from institutions Reducing the number of incomplete records Ensuring applicants are contactable Making provision for applicants who have upgraded AND...AND....
19 Interaction with institutionsReferrals University admissions departments referred late applicants to CACH for counselling Lists General lists supplied to all institutions 9 lists of applicants meeting specific criteria supplied on request to universities. Lists also supplied to 4 registered private colleges, and the Services SETA. Lists are also being prepared for FET Colleges. University Requirements Applicants to fill places in Accounting (3 institutions), Management (3 institutions), Agriculture (2 institutions), Health Sciences, Information Technology and Science.
20 What lies ahead? Finalise Business PlanFinalise Business System Requirements Finalise tender documentation Procurement process Revaluation committee to review bids Award tender Analysis and design Development Business acceptance testing Pilot
21 Planning Business Requirements and Functional Requirements Specification drafted Business Plan in preparation Body to be established to provide governance (an Institute?)
22 Awareness Building Post school education providers SchoolsRoad show to visit universities Build relationships with FET sector through CACH Schools Parents and community Need to correct misapprehensions Holistic approach to career planning – aptitude, requirements, finances Misapprehensions – I heard recently of a school parents meeting where learners were told they were very fortunate to be among the last who would be able to choose what and where they wanted to study, as future generations would be assigned by the central office.
23 And in support Reference Group to be set upDetailed analysis of policy decisions to be made Detailed analysis of information requirements, including Programmes and entry requirements Application data Reporting requirements Road show to visit institutions Advocacy and brand building
24 The probable pilot CACH for entry 2016 – testing collection and distribution of application data, applicant communication Applications for second semester 2016 including one of two FET test sites, testing collection and provision of institutions information, screening entry requirements, selection processes
25 Watch this space!