2003 Annual Report

It is with pride in the University’s achievements, and with considerable pleasure, that I report on behalf of the Council. The primary functions of this University are teaching and research, and the primary business of the Council is to ensure that the conditions necessary for effective teaching and learning, and for high-quality research, are in place. We have therefore given particular attention in the past year to –
• student success and throughput, and the teaching process;
• research, including research relating to HIV/AIDS; and measures to stimulate research productivity;
• measures for attracting and retaining staff; for changing the staff profile; and for providing assistance and support to members of the University community who are HIV positive or who have AIDS;
• financial stability, in the short, medium, and longer term; and
• governance.

The Council has initiated processes for the evaluation, on an annual basis, of its own performance, including the performance of the Chair, and of the performance of the Vice-Chancellor. These procedures are still at a preliminary stage, and will need further development. However, they are a necessary corollary to the governance reforms that we have already introduced, and to the legislation that will result in a new Council on 1 July 2004.