Annual Report 2015

Mangosuthu University of Technology Annual Report

members as well as external members from industry and

other HE institutions. The Panels’ Review Reports were

informed by the departments’ self-evaluation reports,

the evidence files and interviews with departmental

staff, service department staff, the Head of Department,

students and other parties, such as the examinations

office. Based on recommendations by the Panels, the

departments are currently in the process of developing

and implementing improvement plans. In 2016/17 the

programmes offered by the departments in the Faculties

of Natural Sciences and Engineering will be reviewed.

Accreditation of Programmes

MUT is on a fast developmental track. One clear indicator

is that in 2015 a number of programmes, and in particular

post-diploma programmes received clearance by the

Department of Higher Education: Advanced Diploma in

Agricultural Extension and Community Development,

Advanced Diploma in Agriculture in Crop Production,

Advanced Diploma in Agriculture in Animal Production,

Master of Nature Conservation, Diploma in Local

Government Finance.

Also, a number of programmes were accredited by the

Higher Education Quality Committee (part of the Council

on Higher Education).This included some postgraduate

programmes: Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory

Science and the Master in Nature Conservation, as well

as some post-diploma programmes: Advanced Diploma

in Nature Conservation, Advanced Diploma in Office

Management and Technology. The Advanced Diploma

in Nature Conservation will replace the BTech in Nature

Conservation, and will be offered from 2016 onwards.

MUT was notified of the registration on the National

Qualifications Framework (NQF) of the Advanced Diploma

in Human Resource Management and the Advanced

Diploma in Marketing Approval of funding was received

for both programmes. These programmes will be offered

from 2016 onwards. Also the Bachelor in Environmental

Health Programme was registered on the NQF. Because

of the extensive preparation needed to prepare the

successful offering of this programme, the programme will

be offered from 2017 onwards.

MUT continues to develop programmes at both

undergraduate level and postgraduate level. The QMD

provides the quality assurance assistance in these

development and accreditation processes.

In order to retain the accreditation of professional bodies,

the QMD conducts a pre-visit review of departments prior

to the visits by professional bodies. In August 2015 QMD

worked with the Department of Construction and Project

management in preparation for the visit of the SACPCMP

professional body. QMD also assisted in the preparation

for the visit by the Health Professions Council of South

Africa (HPCSA) when they came for a site visit of the

Department of Biomedical Sciences.

Client Satisfaction Surveys (User Surveys)

Client satisfaction surveys scan whether the university’s

clients are satisfied with the programmes and activities

offered by MUT. These surveys provide crucial input into

the further development of programmes and courses.

With the Evasys software now available, in 2015 the QMD

rolled out

Student Surveys

to all programmes as a way to

enquire about students’ opinions regarding their modules,

facilities, learning materials, staff. These surveys aim to

provide input to departments for further development

and enhancement of their programmes. The surveys were

conducted in April 2015 and September 2015. The reports

were sent to the individual lecturer and their Heads of

Department for reflection and action.

In April 2015 the QMD conducted the annual

Graduate

Survey

to ask for the graduates’ opinions about their

experiences at MUT, their suggestions for improvement

and development of MUT, the graduates’ employment

and study status. The Graduate Survey 2015 made use of

the Evasys software. The

Graduate Survey 2014

Report

was distributed amongst graduates, staff and invitees

during the April 2015 graduation ceremony.

The

2014 Employers’ Satisfaction Survey Report

was distributed amongst staff and other interested

parties. Annually the QMD and the Directorate of Co-

operative Education jointly conduct this survey as part

of the University‘s broad aim of maintaining a symbiotic

relationship between the University and Industry that

benefits both partners. The survey aims to solicit the

employers’ views about the expected and actual quality

and professionalism of students that MUT places with

Industry during their period of Work Integrated Learning.

Institutional Reporting to the Council on Higher

Education (Facilitated By Qmd)

2011 AUDIT

In October 2015 MUT submitted the final report to the CHE

in which it gave an account of the activities undertaken to

respond to the recommendations in the 2012 Audit report.

This report was based on the many submissions of the

activity owners responsible for the implementation of the

Institutional Improvement Plan. The response of the CHE

was that

“The committee was very impressed by the great

care, attention to detail and thoroughness shown in putting

together the report. It was also impressed by the honesty,

sense of engagement, transparency and reflective capacity

that were evident in the report. Overall, the committee is

very pleased that a great deal of progress has been made

in addressing the recommendations in the audit report”.