CHE update on COVID-19 concession for distance mode

Dear colleagues

Earlier communication issued in August 2025 refers.

The Council on Higher Education (CHE) has issued a new communique (April 2026) confirming the implementation of the themed review on modes of learning and teaching provision, and the conclusion of the COVID-19 era concession on delivery modes.

The communique makes three points clear:

• The concession permitting institutions to offer programmes in modes other than those for which they were accredited will end on 31 December 2026.
• Institutions not participating in the themed review must revert all programmes to their originally accredited modes of provision by this date.
• Institutions participating in the themed review may continue to offer programmes under the concession only for those programmes included in their submission, and only until a formal Higher Education Quality Committee decision has been made.

The University of Cape Town (UCT) submitted its Self-Evaluation Report for the themed review on modes of provision on 22 December 2025, and now awaits the outcomes of its requests regarding changes to mode of provision, as well as the findings on the effectiveness of its quality management system for the different modes of provision.

For UCT, this has the following implications:

• Only programmes that are formally accredited in distance or mixed mode, or that were explicitly included in UCT’s submission to the CHE themed review, may continue to be offered in online or hybrid formats beyond 2026.
• All other programmes that shifted delivery mode under the COVID-19 concession will be required to return to contact provision in line with their accreditation status.

The UCT Digital and Online Education Policy remains the institutional framework defining contact provision across National Qualifications Framework levels and must guide programme design and delivery.

The Academic Planning and Quality Assurance Unit will advise faculties of the list of programmes that fall into each category to support planning for 2027.

Colleagues are encouraged to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements.

Queries regarding this process may be directed to the Head of the Academic Planning and Quality Assurance Unit.

Sincerely

Professor Brandon Collier-Reed
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements