Towards more effective liaison between academics, students and practitioners at NWU: An evaluation

Abstract

Towards more effective academic liaison between academics, students and practitioners in the field of public administration and management in the North West Province In the light of the changing tertiary education arena in South Africa, the Department of Public Management and Governance in the School for Social and Government Studies of the Arts Faculty, North-West University (NWU) had to revisit its policy on macro organisational aspects. Issues such as more effective communication mediums, the merging and alignment of the University's three campuses, the nature of the ever-increasing competition in the tertiary residential and distance teaching environment, the range, variety and quality of its products and the facilitation and rendering of an improved tertiary teaching service were identified. In this article the typical nature of the intra, inter and extra academic liaison regarding the Department at NWU are high-lighted and some recommendations on more effective communication and work procedures as a result of academic liaison are presented. Examples being that academics and practitioners need to meet more frequently, upgrade effective communication media among them and undertake joint research in a more cooperative manner. •'n Beweging na meer effektiewe akademiese skakeling tussen akademici, studente en praktisyns op die terrein van publieke administrasie en bestuur in die Noordwes Provinsie As gevolg van die veranderende tersiêre arena in Suid-Afrika, het die Departement van Openbare Bestuur en Regering in die Skool vir Sosiale en Owerheidstudies van die Fakulteit Lettere en Wysbegeerte, Noordwes-Universiteit (NWU) in besonder sy beleid oor makro-organiseringsaspekte in heroorweging geneem. Aspekte soos meer effektiewe kommunikasiemediums, die samesmelting en belyning van die Universiteit se drie kampusse, die aard van die toenemende kompetisie binne die tersiêre residensiële en afstandsonderrigomgewing, die reeks, verskeidenheid en kwaliteit van sy produkte en die fasilitering en aanbied van 'n verbeterde tersiêre onderrigdiens is geïdentifiseer. In hierdie artikel word die tipiese aard van die intra-, inter- en ekstraakademiese skakeling met betrekking tot die Departement by NWU beklemtoon en 'n aantal aanbevelings oor meer effektiewe kommunikasie en werksprosedures as 'n produk van akademiese skakeling, word aangebied. Voorbeelde hiervan is dat akademici en praktisyns meer gereeld moet ontmoet, die effektiewe kommunikasiemedia tussen hulle moet opgradeer en dat hulle gesamentlike navorsing op 'n meer samewerkende wyse moet onderneem.