Marginalized by the merger: Students’
perceptions of university incorporation
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The
attempt by the Ministry of Education to transform the South African educational
landscape by opting for mergers “to move us beyond the apartheid design of
higher education” (Pandor 2005:5) led to a number of
local merger studies. Although some focus on the effects of
mergers/incorporations on staff members
in merging institutions (Bauer & Wilkinson 2005; Becker et al. 2004; Van der Westhuizen 2004), there is a
vacuum regarding the merger effects on students
(see Jansen et al 2002: 171).
In an attempt to break the silence, this case study examines the attitudes,
perceptions and beliefs of college of education students whose courses were to
be phased out as a result of the incorporation, prior to and after university
incorporation. The mainly qualitative
data include archival documents, a questionnaire with closed and open-ended
questions, reflections and interviews. A group of six researchers identified
major emergent themes in the data sources and clustered linked questions
according to the identified themes. A strong element of participant observation
was ensured by the fact that both the group of six researchers (lecturers) and
the students were simultaneously involved in the incorporation. While the
researchers’ personal involvement could be regarded as a limitation, it is
counteracted by their position of trust and empathy in regard to the students
they taught. The data indicate that the upheaval caused by the incorporation,
wreaked havoc in the lives of the students who expressed their abhorrence at
being referred to as “pipeline students” (interpreted by them as “sickly
beings”). One of the major emergent concerns in this research on the lived
experiences of the students is that the total disregard of the emotional impact
of the merger on students, coupled with inadequate communication regarding the
merger process, exacerbates the inevitable stress associated with institutional
mergers. Since the successful transformation of an institution is closely
linked to motivational outcomes, a more humane approach to students during a
merger is crucial. [329]