College of Business and Economics Annual Report 2017 27 OVERVIEW A critical dynamic of the new College of Business and Economics (CBE) is the shaping of its teaching and learning environment, which largely entails an integration of the distinct academic strengths of the former Faculties of Economic and Financial Sciences, and Management. The processes involved, and prospects thereof, rely crucially on sensing the pulse of this new creation, to ultimately find a rhythm that is both unique and vibrant. The clustering of academic programmes into six schools along interconnected academic disciplines, creates scope for reflection and innovation with a view to determining meaningful programme combinations. This will enable purposeful horizontal and vertical articulation within and across the different sub-environments of the CBE. Essential to this would be coherence in terms of academic focus that would allow for appropriately blended packaging and branding of the programme offerings of the different CBE schools. Notwithstanding evident synergies, the academic architecture of the new CBE is associated with a fair degree of complexity in terms of the scope and depth of its programme offerings, both subsidised and nonsubsidised. In 2017, the CBE offered about 145 subsidised academic programmes, comprising 49 undergraduate and 96 postgraduate qualifications respectively, to 19 734 students, spread across 12 academic departments across four campuses, with a total of about 300 academic staff members. The extensive offering of continuing education programmes to about 5 800 students merely adds to the academic complexity of the CBE. The CBE continued on the path of excellence forged by its legacy faculties in the teaching and learning environment in the 2017 academic year. The following evidence this: • The CBE undergraduate success rate increased from 83,3% in 2016 to 84,3% in 2017. Prof Sivan Chetty Vice Dean: Teaching and Learning College of Business and Economics 2017 CBE OVERVIEW 49 UNDERGRADUATE 96 POSTGRADUATE SUBSIDISED Academic Programmes 145 ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS 12 4 CAMPUSES 300 ACADEMIC STAFF MEMBERS 19 734 STUDENTS CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMMES 5 800 STUDENTS • Despite the decline in the number of graduates from 2016 to 2017, there was an increase in the proportion of CBE graduates relative to the University total from 42% to 43%. • The CBE graduation rate at 25% was also higher than the institutional rate of 23%. • There were 192 first-year top achievers produced by the CBE in 2017, representing 52% of the University total.
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