Management and Administration (Institutional Level)

• The need for tighter management is natural to distance teaching universities, in the sense that the administrative and management units of distance enterprises need to retain a higher degree of control and must command a greater measure of knowledge on the inner workings of their organisation than would normally be used in a non-distance institution. (Guri-Rosenblit 1999: 172)
• The educational provider needs to have a clear sense of purpose and direction, which is informed by national priorities as well as by the quality demands of cost-effective educational provision. (NADEOSA, 2004)
• The staff structure and experience, qualifications, responsibilities and job descriptions of staff need to be appropriate for the education and training services provided. Staff development programmes should equip staff to perform their roles and tasks effectively. (NADEOSA, 2004)
• Information management systems and communication systems are vital in distance education.
• In the interests of cost-effective provision of education and training, collaborative relationships should be formed and collaborative projects undertaken wherever possible.(NADEOSA, 2004)
• Quality assurance and institutional evaluation processes are essential.
  

Useful Resources

Freeman, Richard (1997). Managing Open Systems, London: Kogan Page.

Guri-Ronsenblit, Sarah (1999). Distance and Campus Universities: Tensions and Interactions. A Comparative Study of Five Countries, Oxford: Pergamon Press.

National Association of Distance Education Organisations of South Africa (pre-publication 2004). Designing and delivering distance education: Quality criteria and case studies from South Africa, Johannesburg: NADEOSA.