Lategan, Laetus2019-06-142019-06-142005Lategan, L. (2005). Relativism in national higher education policy documents: what is a university? Acta Academica, (Supplement 2), 182-198.0587 - 2405 (print)2415 - 0479 (online)http://hdl.handle.net/11660/9785English: Several national higher education policy documents have been published over the past ten years. In spite of the impact of these documents on universities, nowhere do they deal critically with what a university is and what precise aspects of that identity should change. It is important to know what a university is since universities may be expected to undertake tasks which are not necessarily typical. The article points out that the process by which technikons were renamed universities of technology is the best example of relativism in higher education policy documents dealing with the concept of a university.Afrikaans: Verskeie nasionale hoëronderwysbeleidsdokumente het die afgelope tien jaar die lig gesien. Ten spyte van die ingrypende veranderings wat dit op universiteite het, gaan hierdie dokumente nêrens krities om met wat presies ’n universiteit is en watter aspekte daarvan moet verander nie. Dit is belangrik om te weet wat ’n universiteit is omdat van universiteite verwag kan word om take te onderneem wat nie tipiese universiteitstake is nie. In die artikel word daarop gewys dat die proses waarin tech- nikons se name na universiteite van tegnologie verander is, die beste voorbeeld is van die relativisme in hoëronderwysbeleidsdokumente met betrekking tot die konsep van ’n universiteit.enRelativismHigher educationPolicyArticleUniversity of the Free State