UGC's Final Recommendations

  1. A few institutions to be identified for focused public and private sector support according to the institutions' role and areas of strength.

  2. A three-pronged approach to gain more private sector support.

  3. The Government to consider the increased use of matching grants and other incentives to generate additional momentum for private sector participation in supporting higher education.

  4. A Further Education Council to look after associate degrees and life long learning. Upon setting up of the body, the UGC to transfer out all its responsibilities for Sub-degree work in an orderly manner, and subsequently extend its remit to cover 'all work at the degree level'.

  5. Taught postgraduate and sub-degree work to be put on a self-financing basis gradually, subject to specified exceptions.

  6. The institutions to consider stipulating and regulating their relationships with their continuation education arms or community colleges by franchising agreements and to create a joint, self-financing quality assurance body in due time.

  7. On institutional governance, the universities to start their own review in due course. The idea of subjecting institutions to the overview of the Ombudsman is withdrawn. Instead, the universities will be encouraged to increase external participation and transparency in their grievances procedures. A comprehensive audit on institutions by the UGC to be organized.

  8. The Government to take an early decision regarding the delinking of salaries but leave the timing for implementation to institutions.

  9. A two-tier approach to fund teaching, with the first level being 'core' to recognize 'teaching load', and the second level to reward 'performance according to role'.

  10. Credit Accumulation and Transfer System (CATS), minus the idea of 'money following the students', to be introduced.

  11. Additional places per annum at the second year of undergraduate programmes to be added to create the 'inverted trapezium' and help restore the age participation rate to 18%.

  12. The Government to create more sources for research funding and to ask existing sources to fund projects on a full cost basis.

  13. The Research Assessment Exercise to be sharpened and a multi-point scale to be used. 'Critical mass funding' to be considered.

  14. To implement funding by level and by discipline.

  15. To replace the '2% in and 2% out' quota for non-local undergraduate and taught postgraduate students with a straight 4% limit.

  16. To remove the current quota for non-local research students.

  17. To 'roll over' the current triennium for another year to cover the academic year 2004/2005, making the new triennium 2005/2006 to 2007/2008. Minimum changes to the funding pattern for 2004/2005, except to accommodate anticipated changes in manpower requirements or to reflect movement of price and salary levels.