Page 141 - UniZulu Annual Report 2020

devised to dedicate a special focus on issues raised by the current audit findings. The audit improvement plan seeks to also form part of the progress report for all issues raised in the 2019 HEMIS Auditors Report. A draft audit improvement plan has been devised in October by the HEMIS Office. This draft will be followed by a comprehensive consultative series of meetings with affected parties/departments to note progress on the issues raised and plans for corrective measures for the 2020 data. This will, therefore, form part of the mock Audit Assessment Report as the first phase in this project. The HEMIS Office has devised a risk register for identifying risks that emanated from the audit findings reflected in August 2020. The reason for this initiative is because of the critical issues raised that attach a high risk to the ability of the University to receive a funding subsidy; they pose a serious threat if they reoccur as DHET may not fund the students affected by the audit findings, especially because this year, the auditors performed a 100% test on one of the HEMIS files.
A risk register was, therefore, devised by the HEMIS Office and presented to the Risk Office on 30 October 2020 for guidance and action. The resolution was that the University should monitor where these risks are coming from. This will, therefore, be done in parallel to the Mock Audit of the 2020 HEMIS data. As a result, the design of the Audit Improvement Plan template follows a similar structure as the risk register so that it addresses issues to satisfy both reporting lines.
DATA MANAGEMENT
The Strategic Analytics and Business Intelligence Unit provides University data warehousing needs and conducts a strategic analysis of University data, providing dashboards that assist academic leaders and executives to take strategic decisions informed by accurate data. The implemented initiatives for the year under review is set out below:
First-year Students’ Profiles (Biographic
Questionnaire)
In 2018, the University institutionalised the collection of comprehensive school and home background information from FTENs. The information helps the Institution to understand how a student’s socio-economic background could influence his/her chances of success at university level. This Biographic Questionnaire is embedded in the online/web-based registration process on ITS i-Enabler and it collects comprehensive data on several variables concerning student background, including home location; the form of dwelling space; learning-enabling facilities at home and at the high school where the student matriculated; and various details of home-background information (i.e. financial affordability, family structure, educational background of family members, etc.). This demographic data will work towards helping the Faculty-based FYE programme in implementing tailor-made interventions and student support initiatives for the students to achieve high levels of success. Due to the strike, the response rate on the BQ has been lower than previous years. As a result, the data collection
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UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND ANNUAL REPORT 2020