CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF SAAIR

We are still reminiscing on our 30th Anniversary Celebration, and this time, we would like to take the opportunity to recognise some of the remarkable individuals who have contributed to SAAIR over the years. 

Pictured left, Prof Elizabeth Archer who was recognised for her contribution to securing sponsorship for SAAIR. Pictured middle, Mrs Carin Strydom who was recognised for her outstanding contribution, commitment and dedication to SAAIR and Mr Innocent Mamvura for his continued commitment to offering capacity development workshops in institutional research. Pictured right, Prof Jan Botha who was recognised for developing and strengthening institutional research in higher education through SAAIR. 

Congratulations to Prof Lessing Labuschagne from UNISA, who won the Best Conference Paper Presentation award for the 2023 conference.  He had the opportunity to present his paper at the AIR Forum in Denver, USA from 28-31 May 2024.  In his reflection, Prof Labuschagne indicated, "The AIR Forum 2024 underscored the critical role of artificial intelligence in shaping the future of institutional research."  Read more here.

We still have a number of upcoming events in 2024 and we hope that you would make time to attend!

We are counting down to registration for the 2024 SAAIR Conference hosted by Tshwane University of Technology. 

We are excited to introduce the four keynote speakers who will be speaking during the conference.  

REGISTRATION WILL BE OPENING SOON!

We are delighted that North-West University is hosting the 2024 HEMIS Institute from the 20th to the 23rd of August 2024.  Registration is currently open and there are only a few spots left.  For more information or to register, click here.

Planning for the 2024 Quality Forum is well underway and we are excited that UKZN will be hosting us in Umhlanga on the 21st and 22nd of November 2024.  Please be on the lookout for more information in the coming months. We look forward to seeing you at the Quality Forum :)

We would like to applaud the University of Pretoria for a very successful Learner Analytics Institute held from 13-15 May 2024 on the theme "From Descriptive to Prescriptive". The event drew 80 delegates across all nine provinces in South Africa as well as one delegate from Botswana. 

Dr Hossein Masoumi Karakani (UP) reflects on it here.

SAAIR 2024 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN 

SAAIR is delighted to announce an exciting opportunity for early career staff (with less than five years of working experience) in Institutional Research (IR) / Quality Assurance (QA) / Institutional Planning (IP) / Academic Planning (AP) or related field to develop their skills and knowledge as practitioners supporting decision making in Higher Education.The five (5) SAAIR Scholarships will provide an opportunity for early career IR / QA / IP/ AP professionals to attend the 2024 31st SAAIR Annual Conference and pre-conference Workshops, hosted face-to-face by the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in Pretoria on 5 - 8 November 2024.

We look forward to receiving applications by the 30th of August 2024. Please read through the scholarship information here and complete the application form here. 

ENROLMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING SIG

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the Enrolment Planning and Strategic Planning Special Interest Group at the upcoming SAAIR Conference in November! Get ready to dive into dynamic discussions, innovative strategies, and collaborative solutions in these pivotal areas. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to shape the future of higher education!

CELEBRATING DR LIILE LEKENA-BAYAGA

On the 25th of March, Dr. Lekena-Bayaga celebrated the completion of her PhD in Science and Technology Studies, a testament to her dedication, resilience, and scholarly prowess. Under the guidance of Professor Jan Botha and Co-supervisor Professor Heidi Prozesky, her dissertation titled “The use of Institutional research outputs by university managers: An embedded case study of a university in South Africa” has made a notable contribution to the field.

Dr. Lekena-Bayaga’s research delves into the utilisation of institutional research (IR) outputs within a South African university context, emphasizing the pivotal factors that influence (read more).

JOIN THE SAAIR EXCO 2025/2026

We will be electing a new SAAIR Exco at the 2024 SAAIR Conference in November.  Be on the lookout for the call for nominations in the next newsletter!

RENEW YOUR SAAIR MEMBERSHIP

Members of SAAIR enjoy the following benefits

• Reduced event registration fees for any SAAIR event (Institutes, Forum, Workshops, etc.)

• Networking opportunities through SAAIR events

• Access to the SAAIR website downloads for Presentations etc.

• Keeping you in touch with activities/trends in the sector