Mangosuthu University of Technology Annual Report
61
Since its inception, MUT has been driven by the mandate
of transformation. MUT was established 36 years ago with
the main purpose of producing skilled technicians in order
to bridge the skills gap orchestrated by the apartheid
legacy.
Student Related Transformation Initiatives
Altogether, 84% of MUT students could be classified as
poor as denoted from the LSM definitions based on family
income, inferring that they attended under-resourced
no-fees schools in poverty quintile 1 to 3 as classified
by the Department of Basic Education. Therefore, MUT
student population is characterised by gifted but mostly
underprepared young people from disadvantaged
backgrounds in real need for empowerment through
quality science, technology and business management
education.
In order to ensure access with success, MUT is expanding
its foundation programmes. In 2015 the University has
managed to received approval for three additional
foundation programmes.
The teaching and learning development centre at MUT
has implemented a business intelligence system for
tracking “at risk” students. The purpose of this system is
to identify these students early for remedial support to
be provided timeously. In addition, MUT has rolled out
tutorials for all academic programmes.
The demographic data for MUT student shows that MUT
comprise of 99% African students of which above 80% are
from the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
12. REPORT ON TRANSFORMATION
Figure 12.1 Student Demographics at MUT
STUDENT
FEMALE
GROUP
Year
HEADCOUNT
%
AFRICAN COLOURED INDIAN
WHITE
2010
10,033
52
10,015
8
9
1
2011
10,286
51
10,261
10
9
6
2012
10,802
51
10,776
12
10
4
2013
11,375
50
11,340
16
14
5
2014
11,377
49
11,334
16
24
3
2015
11,512
48
11,463
15
27
7
It is interesting to note that over the past five years MUT
has an average of 50% female student enrolment as shown
in Figure 12.1.
MUT is committed to attracting students from other
populations groups, provinces and other African
countries particularly Southern African countries. In 2015,
the marketing and communications directorate at MUT
embarked on various campaigns to recruit students from
non-African population groups, other provinces, SADC
countries as well as students with disability.
Staff Related Transformation Initiatives
In 2015, the teaching and learning development centre
at MUT rolled out 8 training/professional development




