University of Fort Hare Vision

Vision:

A vibrant, equitable, and sustainable African university, committed to teaching and research excellence at the service of its students, scholars, and the wider community.

Mission:

To provide high-quality education of international standards contributing to the advancement of knowledge that is socially and ethically relevant and applying technological and socio-economic development of our nation and the wider world.

Values:  

Integrity –  To respect and affirm the dignity, equality, freedom, and rich cultural diversity of all human beings as the basis for peace and social justice, the pursuit of truth, intellectual honesty, and openness to ideas.
Excellence – To be recognized as an international center for excellence that is both rooted in its environment and sensitive to the challenges of human progress, and to foster a culture of teaching and learning and research excellence in the University as a basic minimum requirement for living up to the claim of being a site of knowledge generation.
Innovation – To focus on the challenges presented by new information technologies, information management systems and processes, and opportunities for innovation. And to do so in an enterprising way that benefits the University and humanity.
Ethics – The attainment of the highest professional and ethical standards in teaching, learning, research, community engagement, and corporate governance.

Strategic Objectives:

Excellence in teaching and learning, research, and community engagement;
This strategic objective focuses on the broad social vision which is required to sustain the University as an international center for excellence that is both rooted in its environment and sensitive to the challenges of human progress; the imperative to revive a culture of teaching and learning and research excellence in the University as a basic minimum requirement for living up to the claim of being a site of knowledge generation and in order to be able to compare with similar institutions elsewhere in the world; and the fundamental mission of the contemporary African university and the inter-connection between that mission and broad-ranging expectations of the social responsibilities of the University to the communities it serves. It also focuses on accessing new technologies that could facilitate teaching and learning, and research.
Improve the Student Experience:
This strategic objective has to do with managing the experience of student life at the University so that critical, engaged citizens and appropriately skilled graduates leave the University of Fort Hare. It focuses on the administrative, residential, sporting, cultural, and social support systems for students.
Build a Service Culture:
This objective is designed to ensure that the ethical principles of service and ethos of service excellence permeate the University culture, for students, staff, and stakeholders; as well as improved efficiencies in administrative and management systems that support the primary processes.
Optimize the Multi-Campus model:
This objective introduces the ‘Planets in Alignment’ model as the optimal model for our multi-campus university; and describes how we intend to leverage the relative strengths and strategic niches of each of our three campuses while ensuring equivalence of status and coordination across the geographic space.
Harness Technology Effectively:
This objective focuses on the challenges presented by new information technologies in terms of the investments that need to be made, information management systems and processes, and opportunities for innovation.
Develop Human Resources:
This objective is about refreshing – or possibly re-negotiating – the psychological and developmental contract with our staff. We will also have to revisit our models of management and leadership, and significantly improve our management capacity and capability. Managers will need to take responsibility for managing and supporting staff to make the transition to a new balance of activities, considering new models of teaching and learning, and planning staffing needs to deliver that model. We also need to inculcate a firm, but compassionate culture of individual and collective accountability; and reinforce staff expectations about being managed in line with this agenda.
Achieve financial viability and sustainability:
This enabler is concerned with the development of a sustainable funding base for the University; and with ensuring that the size and shape of the University are both viable and support its strategic goals.
In summary, the University will focus on transformation in higher education, good governance and accountability, and its social responsibility function in the coming period. It will also emphasize technological development and the establishment of a sustainable funding base.