Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student Counselling

1. Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student Counselling Quality Promotion Committee (QPC): Centre for Psychological Services and Career Development (PsyCaD) S. Taylor, F.S. Jogie & M. Snyman October 2009 The Impact of Mergers in the South African Higher Education System Conference, Tshwane University of Technology

2. Brief Overview • History • Process Followed • Implementation & Milestones • Quality Processes & Measurements • Institutional Audit, Self-Evaluation & Review • Conclusion References UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

3. Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student CounsellingPsyCaD QPC • History UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

4. History • The HE landscape in SA has changed & HE Act had to be amended. • Result: • and then + = ERC & SWC incorporated into 2004 2005 UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

5. History(continue) • SCD + SSB = SCCD • CEU SCCD • ICAG + SCCD =PsyCaD unique in HE Internalmergers: Unified psychological & career services July, 2007 March, 2008 Sept, 2008 incorporated into A Centre in the Division: ADS UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

6. Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student CounsellingPsyCaD QPC • Process Followed UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

7. Management Principles • Accountable, Fair, Participative, Responsible & • Transparent. • Outlined integration plan: A phased approach (6). • Communication. • Involvement of & support from line managers. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

8. A Phased Integration Approach • Phase 1: Campus Visits (7 & 22 May 2008); • Phase 2: Deliberations (12 – 30 May 2008); • Phase 3: Attendance & Observations of Meetings (13 May 2008); • Phase 4: Individual Interviews (17 June – 8 July 2008); • Phase 5: Organisational Structure Workshop (28 & 29 July 2008)Wheel of Services; & • Phase 6: Population – Functions (30 July - 11 September 2008)PsyCaD Organogram. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

9. Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student CounsellingPsyCaD QPC • Implementation & Milestones UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

10. Implementation • 1st PsyCaD Management Meeting: 19 September 2008. • Service Units launched projects & took responsibility. • Key quality mechanisms relating to staff. • Board of Governance (BoG). • Constitution, Procedures & a Code of conduct. • Process Owners. • Year Plan 2009. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

11. Milestones • Cross functioning of teams & members. • Generation of the feeling of a common purpose. • Branding of PsyCaD. • Research capacity within PsyCaD. • Establishment of committees: QPC, Language. • Income generation. • Ethics. • Implementation of quality processes & measurements. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

12. Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student CounsellingPsyCaD QPC • Quality Processes & Measurements UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

13. Quality Processes • “..good quality is not accidental and that it does not result from mere wishful thinking” - Gitlow, et al. (2005). • PsyCaD QPC: 14 January 2009. • Feedback loop. • Organisational cultures (Goetsch & Davis, 1994). UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

14. Quality Measurements • All activities are underpinned by ethics & professionalism. • HPCSA legislation. • CPD Workshop: Director. • Confidentiality Oath. • A uniform filing system. • Electronic tracking system. • Surveys & Quality Evaluation of Services. • Procedures: ISO9000/2000. • “New Staff Guide & Welcome Pack”. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

15. Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student CounsellingPsyCaD QPC • UJ Institutional Audit, Self-Evaluation & Review UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

16. UJ Institutional Audit, Self-Evaluation & Reviews • Former ICAG & SCCD underwent the HPCSA evaluation in 2007. • UJ Institutional Audit: 21 – 24 August 2009. • PsyCaD Self-Evaluation: 2010. • Celebrated first year of service. • Reflection Day (“Orchids & Onions Day”): 21 October 2009. • Planning Day: 23 October 2009. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

17. Challenges and Opportunities: Mergers within Mergers in the Context of Student Counselling PsyCaD QPC • Conclusion UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

18. Conclusion • The integration process to form PsyCaD is hailed as a success story. • Key to success: • - Careful planning; • - Effective & extensive communication; • - Involvement & support of top management within UJ; and • - A participative, transparent & fair process. • PsyCaD’s structure was developed as a team. • Short timeframe this was achieved is to be commended. • Now is the moment to reflect & review: New challenges of 2010. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

19. Dankie • Keya Leboha • Ngiyabonga • Thank you UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

20. Centre for Psychological Services and Career Development (PsyCaD) Contact us • University of Johannesburg • PO Box 524 • Doornfontein Campus • Johannesburg • Republic of South Africa • Louisa Street, House nr 4 • Tel.: +27 11 559 6042 • Fax: +27 11 559 6649 • Email: staylor@uj.ac.za • Website: http://www.uj.ac.za/ UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

21. References • Asmal, K. 2002. Transformation and reconstruction of the higher education system. Press statement released by the Ministry of Education, 30 June 2002. • Gitlow, H.S., Oppenheim, A.J., Oppenheim, R., and Levine, D.M. 2005. Quality Management. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. • Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S. 1994. Introduction to Total Quality. New Jersey: Prentice Hall International Inc. • Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), 2004. Form 223: Rules of conduct pertaining specifically to psychology. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa

22. References(continue) • Hoyle, D. 1994. ISO9000 Quality Systems Handbook. Great Britain: Butterworth-Heinemann. • South Africa, 1997. Higher Education Act 101 of 1997. Pretoria: Government Printer. • South Africa, 2000. Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000. Pretoria: Government Printer. • South Africa, 2003. National Health Act 61 of 2003. Pretoria: Government Printer. UJ, PsyCaD, South Africa