Page 15 - DUT Annual Report 2024

the policy on standardisation of expectations of our academics relating to research outputs. Related policies, such as the Authorship Policy and the Higher Degrees Assessment Policy, will be finalised. The office of our International Education and Partnerships (IEP) facilitated several international collaborations which contribute to the enrichment of our curricula and the promotion of innovative research. Partnerships with universities such as XJTLU (China), Al Akhawayn University (Morocco), and Michigan State University have led to the design and implementation of several Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects. These engagements provide diversified opportunities for internationalisation and decolonisation of our curricula, key milestones in transformation of the curriculum.
Digitalisation has proceeded incrementally in several areas of operation. Examples here are in our planning and monitoring sub-system, as demonstrated by our Strategy Tracker and PowerHEDA-based planning, which have been introduced. In academia, Auto Scholar traces the performance of students at risk of failing. In Human Capital Services we now have e-PerMS, which has automated our interaction with that sub-system. DUT’s network and Wi- Fi system remain a bugbear after much investment and promises of improvement, and beg our further attention, along with our Research and Postgraduate Studies sub- system, which must also be digitalised.
In July 2024 a new information technology (IT) service management system was launched, significantly improving the traceability of IT services. This system is set to be rolled out to other departments, like Procurement, Finance, and Student Administration, with integration into the DUT app for automated communication. The system also addresses a critical gap in information and communication technology (ICT) governance, especially in knowledge management. A variation to consolidate the DUT app’s development with the website upgrade was approved, aiming for seamless integration and improved user experience, generating excitement among stakeholders. Phase 2 components of the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which has been in place since January 2024, were exposed to cybersecurity breaches in September, and as a result cybersecurity measures are being implemented to manage this critical risk. Cybersecurity audits and penetration testing processes have already been initiated, alongside the revival of a Security Operation Centre and Network Access Control contracts that had lain dormant in 2023.
Despite the various positive developments outlined above, our Phase 3 ERP implementation was in a critical state due to delays caused by several changes in project management, quality assurance management, data migration and change management. Further challenges
were due to network disruptions and operational constraints of key DUT staff members. As a result it became clear that the Phase 3 ERP implementation would not go live in January 2025; an alternative plan was developed to safeguard business continuity while aiming to complete this phase as soon as possible and taking costs into consideration.
Previous Annual Reports reported on the implementation of multiple construction projects which are part of the Council-approved Long-Term Spatial Plan: 2020–2040. Two major projects at Indumiso (extension to Engineering and additional lecture halls) and Steve Biko (a student centre and multi-purpose halls) are almost complete, but missed the end of the year deadline. For various reasons we experienced inordinate delays in completing these projects, not least of which are the mafia-infestation and general unscrupulousness in this industry.
Implementation of our public-private partnership (PPP) initiative to increase our capacity in student housing progressed, with finalisation of agreements with various bidders. These agreements, which the Minister expects before granting final approval, will hopefully see us break ground in 2025 after a long wait since December 2022 when we submitted our proposal to the Minister.
Our Protection Services implemented several projects aimed at improving access control. Cameras were installed at identified hotspots to ensure wide coverage of incidents. From a health and safety perspective, the installation of a fire detection system commenced at the library complex on Steve Biko campus, while various fire drills were conducted across various campuses.
Institutional Reviews
There are two interrelated aspects of our Institutional Review: the restructuring of support services and academic transformation. These reviews were necessitated mainly by the need to correct historical pathologies as well as the imperative to safeguard DUT’s sustainability. As we ushered in the Upended Phase of ENVISION2030, it was important to pull resources from elsewhere in the University and redeploy them in academia to support our academic raison d’être.
As part of our Enrolment Plan: 2020–2025 we committed to ensuring that DUT’s academic shape would remain focused on growth and success, and would not continue to be mis-shaped. One of the key goals is that at least 45% of our enrolments should be in Science, Engineering, and Technology (SET) programmes. Currently we are at about 40%, and with expansion of the Engineering building at Indumiso Campus and other strategies in place we hope to close this gap.
DUT ANNUAL REPORT 2024
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