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Mangosuthu University of Technology Annual Report

49

academic side, the gender profile is more skewed towards

male with 67% male and 33% female. The academic gender

profile will be strongly addressed in 2016. Regarding racial

distribution of academic staff, MUT’s 2015 profile comprised

63% African, 0% Coloured, 22% Indian and 15% White staff

members.

F.

The quality of information available to

management and the administrative

processes involved

MUT has a Directorate for Institutional Planning

and Research, which is tasked with the provision of

management information and HEMIS information. DIPR

uses both the ITS and HEDA systems to generate a wide

scope of management information, both operational and

audited data. Furthermore, DIPR prepares all the reports

regarding student and staff information to DHET and has

during 2015 without exception provided accurate reports.

DIPR and the Office of the Registrar are continuously

working on maintaining and even improving the quality of

the information that is provided to the institution and its

external stakeholders.

G.

Student services and extra-curricular activities

TheUniversity undertook numerous initiatives in the realmof

student and leadership development, including community

engagement activities. The Student Affairs department

organised various training workshops and engagements, in

some instances partnering with other units. An example of

such a partnership was a series of workshops on academic

performance, whose target audience were members of the

Student Parliament which incorporates also the SRC. For this

venture, Student Affairs partnered with the Teaching and

Learning Development Centre; the Vice-Chancellor gave a

keynote and interactive session at one of these workshops,

while other members of the executive management also

participated in the discussions.

MUT students were encouraged to actively participate

in community engagement initiatives, as exemplified

by the volunteerism programme that was championed

by the Institute for Rural Development and Community

engagement (IRDCE). As a result of this initiative, a

number of MUT students got involved in activities such

as food security training for local communities, website

development, tutoring in computer literacy, career

assessment, etc. Ultimately, MUT hopes that these initiatives

not only bring the best in our students, but that they also

help in shaping future citizens.

H.

Relationships with the community, both

academic and service

MUT students were encouraged to actively participate

in community engagement initiatives, as exemplified

by the volunteerism programme that was championed

by the Institute for Rural Development and Community

engagement (IRDCE). As a result of this initiative, anumber of

MUT students got involved in activities such as food security

training for local communities, website development,

tutoring in computer literacy, career assessment, etc.

Ultimately, MUT hopes that these initiatives not only bring

the best in our students, but that they also help in shaping

future citizens. One of the highlights for 2015 in terms of

community engagement was the participation of MUT

engineering students in the building of a model house in

Umlazi, as part of a demonstration of a new technology

that enables the building of a complete house within a two

weeks period. The latter project was a joint effort between a

private company and the Department of Human Settlement

in KZN. The Marketing and Communications division of

MUT played a key role in putting this project in the public

domain, and in the process greatly leveraging the publicity

to market the MUT brand including its graduates.

I.

Changing patterns in the provision of

academic courses

As for the “firsts” for MUT in 2015, and thanks to the sterling

work done by amongst others the Quality Management

Directorate (QMD), the following milestones are worth

noting, that MUT:

• Admitted the first cohort of students to the

Postgraduate Diploma in Nature Conservation

programme, the first ever postgraduate programme

for MUT in its existence. Also, this programme was

the first of its kind in South Africa;

• Received confirmation of NQF registration of the

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health. Once

again, this qualification was the first in its category to

be awarded to a University of Technology in SA;

• Confirmation of clearance of a Master’s degree in

Nature Conservation, the first such a qualification

amongst all universities in RSA; and

• Received notification for DHET funding approval and

NQF registration for Advanced Diplomas in HR and

in Marketing, as well as registration confirmation for

some other Advanced Diplomas.

J.

A statement of self-assessment of the

achievement of the Principal

The following self-assessment from the Vice-Chancellor and

Principal is based on the Annual Performance Assessment

Report which is the first part of the comprehensive report to

DHET, and it represents a summary of the extent to which

the goals and strategic objectives of the university have

been achieved.

In a nutshell the Vice- Chancellor is pleased to report

that MUT is positively responding to the national call for