Covid-19 Pandemic and Institutional Management at The Higher Learning Institution in Gauteng Province

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected institutional management at higher learning institutions in South Africa, including Gauteng province. Institutional managers were challenged to think strategically to maintain sound functionality. In the South African institutional context, restrictive measures of level 5 lockdown forced higher learning institutions to adopt online learning without proper preparation impacting on quality of institutional management, undertaking research, and learning and teaching. ‘Uberfication’ of the university in learning and teaching affected social interactions which is a hallmark of academic freedom through knowledge sharing and debates for intellectual stimulation. Unintended consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic called for new institutional management approaches at higher learning institutions in the Gauteng province to maintain the stability of effective administration and management for students’ academic success. A qualitative study using a case study design was undertaken to analyze how departmental managers performed their administrative duties to safeguard teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in a higher learning institution in the Gauteng Province. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze findings and recommend solutions for effective institutional management in higher learning to prepare for crises similar to the Covid-19 pandemic. The study contributes to institutional management approaches during social crises.