University of KwaZulu Natal

The new University’s quest for creating a new and excellent teaching and learning environment, high quality relevant and appropriate research that impacts significantly on knowledge production and scholarship is receiving great attention from donors and funders, staff, students and the general public.Increased confidence in the Institution may be gauged by the extent of growth in government funding, the ongoing support by donors and funders and by the numbers of students graduating each year with appropriate qualifications and skills tomake a significant contribution to knowledge, the economy and society. The extent of this success is alluded to throughout this report with the following representing some of the highlights of UKZN’s activities and initiatives which reflect the positive trajectory of developing critical minds, skilling intellectuals and producingknowledge which has global impact inspired from local conditions.

The role of any council is to provide overall leadership and the governance framework that would allow devolved decision-making and action by the University community in line with its institutional objectives. During 2007 the Council facilitated this process resulting in a consolidation of greater merger process, institutional growth and thestability and growing investor and stakeholder confidence.

The year 2006 started with all the main structures, policies and procedures necessary for a merged institution in place. Academic leadership, the Executive, and student leadership all worked towards the enhancement and support of the Vision and Mission of the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). During the course of the year, two important documents were finalised and approved; the Statute of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the Constitution of the Student Representative Council (SRC). After the merger, the University operated in terms of the Higher Education Act and the Standard Institutional Statute. 2006 saw the culmination of a long consultative process for the Statute of UKZN. The Statute was approved by the Department of Education and was gazetted. This had significant implications for UKZN. For example, the Statute makes provision for the Composition of Senate. The new Senate is constituted with the main functions of Senate in mind; shows a shift in terms of representation in terms of race and gender; and is more effective and efficient. The SRC Constitution was approved byCouncil. The Constitution provides a model for student leadership andrepresentation in a multi-campus institution. Mindful of the slow pace of transformation at UKZN and the plight of African staff which has been compounded by a low retention rate, Council strongly supported the proposal to convert African staff employed on two year rolling contracts to permanent positions. This proposal was implemented within the parameters of the existing Employment Equity Policy.

The year 2005 was a notable year for the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). In its first full year of integration, the University continued building stability and the commitment of staff to the merger. Based on public commentary, it is clear that the merger is seen as a model for Higher Education institutions. Just 12 months previously, the new academic leadership of the University had been appointed. The Executive, the Deanery and Heads of Schools were rationalised, resulting in half of the Deans and Heads of Schools being newly appointed. They have undergone a steep learning curve but have performed well and kept cool heads under challenging circumstances. Two years into one of the most stable and exciting mergers, their committed and dedicated leadership has paid off. The student leadership has also been outstanding. They have had to make hard choices on many issues but have elected to make those choices that enhance and support the vision and mission of UKZN. Members of the Executive have gone through an exhaustive performance evaluation in which a pool of 46 senior staff drawn from the academic and support sector participated. This is an important exercise and forerunner to the establishment of a University-wide Performance Management System. Council approved the document entitled “Principles Regulating the Organisational Structure and the Placing of Staff” and a Matching and Placing Exercise took place towards the end of 2005. The exercise assisted management to improve its database and provide job descriptions and further stabilise the University. For the first time in the history of our University, we also have a good measure of the integrated University ..