R7.2 billion for uni infrastructure

Government funding for university maintenance backlogs, expanded student housing and finance other priority projects, has now reached R7.2 billion for a three-year period ending 2017/18.

In the Department of Higher Education and Training’s latest annual report, released earlier this month, the department says that it has been able to continue strengthening and expanding the public higher education system through its infrastructure and efficiency grant (IEG).

This progress follows a decision in 2014/15 to strategically review the process for the allocating infrastructure and efficiency funds.

As part of the new process, universities had to undertake infrastructure, maintenance and disability audits and develop campus master plans spanning the next 15 years.

This was followed by a departmental task team review which led to the macro-infrastructure planning framework (MIPF) for the university education system.

The review revealed a significant maintenance backlog across the system.

This was a result of institutions deferring the infrastructure maintenance and instead focusing on new infrastructure.

The framework, together with specific needs as identified by universities, will guide infrastructure priorities and fund allocations to institutions going forward.

In the next cycle, the budget will continue to be allocated to address the backlogs in maintenance, refurbishment of older infrastructure,  improving information technology infrastructure, campus security and new student housing.