Page 54 - DUT Annual Report 2023

Table 4 indicates that the percentage of staff holding a master’s qualification has marginally decreased by 1% from 2022 to 2023, at 57% of the total instructional/research professionals. Furthermore, the proportion of permanent instructional/ research staff with a doctoral qualification has marginally improved by ~1% reaching 37% from 2022 to 2023. There is slight increase in the number of instructional staff from 676 (2022) to 678 (2023), while the number of staff with doctorates is increased slightly from 246 (2022) to 249 (2023). In 2023, the Faculty of Applied Sciences saw its highest increase in PhD staff count, rising from 52 to 58 accounting for 23% of all the staff having a doctoral qualification. Similarly, the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment experienced growth from 44 to 49 and the Faculty of Health Sciences steadily increased from 28 to 30. However, both the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics (-3) and Arts and Design (-3) experienced the most significant decline, with a decrease of approximately 9% in staff with doctorates between 2022 and 2023. The Faculty of Management Sciences saw a slight decrease of 2% (-1) in the number of staff with doctorates. There needs to be greater introspection on the reduction of instructional staff, to assess the doctorate loss in this exit of staff. Although the university has made efforts to enhance staff qualifications by encouraging the pursuit of doctorates, it is crucial to develop strategies, particularly considering staff attrition, which should be investigated.
Figure 21. Staff with doctorates and doctoral graduates, 2019–2023
Figure 21 presents a comparison between the number of staff members holding doctoral qualifications and the annual count of doctoral graduates from 2018 to 2023. In contrast to 2022, there was a 1.2% increase in staff members possessing doctoral qualifications and a decrease of 15.3% in the number of doctoral graduates by 2023. The consistent trajectory showing only 4 staff members acquiring doctoral qualifications since 2021 remains a cause for concern. The university places significant emphasis on enhancing the qualifications of its staff members to foster excellence in teaching, learning, innovation, and engagement. The GOOT programme is designed to broaden the representation of Black South African and emerging young researchers in academia as scholars starting from 2022, in alignment with our transformation goals and the Sustainability Perspective of ENVISION2030. Moreover, actively seeking new staff members with doctorates to fill vacant positions is another strategy aimed at enhancing the overall profile of doctoral staff across the university.
52
DUT ANNUAL REPORT 2023