202 Annual Report

The early recess, subsequent national lockdown and phased return to campus in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have interrupted conventional academic calendars at all South African universities; and at MUT these events resulted in the extension of the 2020 academic year into 2021.

While the University has made concerted efforts to maintain continuity of teaching and learning during the lockdown period, many students struggled with remote learning. Students did not have access to internet, data and devices required for online learning. Academics too have had to adapt to different modes of instructional delivery and new pedagogical concepts, for which they required training.

The pandemic has exposed the many inadequacies and inequities in the higher system – from access to broadband and computers, levels of digital literacy needed for online education, the types of living environments needed to support learning, funding, working from home for staff, etc. Despite the challenges experienced and exacerbated by the pandemic in 2020, MUT continued in its endeavour to deliver on its mandate to advance quality teaching and learning, conduct cutting-edge research, and engage with the community at large. Preparations for remote work included the development of business continuity plans, scenario-planning, and reprioritisation of budgets, considerations regarding the usage of unspent interest on earmarked grants, and scaling up of capacity development initiatives particularly with regard to leveraging the affordances of technology to deliver on the University’s academic mission.

This Annual Report comprises three parts and provides information on the core business of the Mangosuthu University of Technology in 2020. The first part highlights MUT’s performance in 2020 against its predetermined objectives and targets. The second part emphasises reports on governance and operations, and the third part presents the University’s annual financial review.