Unisa

Unisa may refer to:

University of South Australia

The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. The legislation to establish and name the new University of South Australia was introduced in 1990 by the Hon Mike Rann MP, Minister of Employment and Further Education. With more than 32,000 students, the university is South Australia's largest; more than 6,000 students are international, with almost half studying in Adelaide and the remainder offshore.

Under the University's Act, its original mission was "to preserve, extend and disseminate knowledge through teaching, research, scholarship and consultancy, and to provide educational programs that will enhance the diverse cultural life of the wider community." In 2013 a new Vision, Mission and Values statement was released as part of a new strategic direction, "Crossing the Horizon".

University of South Africa

The University of South Africa is the largest university on the African continent and attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. The university has over 300,000 students, including African and international students in 130 countries worldwide, making it one of the world's mega universities.

Unisa is a dedicated open distance education institution. Open distance learning (ODL) entails a student-centred approach that gives students flexibility and choice over what, when, where, and how they learn, and provides them with extensive student support.

As a comprehensive university, Unisa offers both vocational and academic programmes, many of which have received international accreditation, as well as an extensive geographical footprint, giving their students recognition and employability in many countries the world over.

History

Founded in 1873 as the University of the Cape of Good Hope, the University of South Africa (or Unisa as it is commonly known) spent most of its early history as an examining agency for Oxford and Cambridge universities and as an incubator from which most other universities in South Africa are descended. In 1946, it was given a new role as a distance education university and today it offers certificate, diploma and degree courses up to doctoral level.