Page 144 - UniZulu Annual Report 2020

and SRC the administration secretariat. The Guidance and Counselling division supports and enhances the wellness and healthy holistic growth and development of students by involving internal and external stakeholders in many of the activities and programmes that are planned for the students. The division provides guidance, counselling and therapy to students experiencing an adjustment, or personal, career, developmental and psychological problems. Student leaders’ workshops were conducted throughout the year and a successful orientation of first-year students took place in which important internal and external stakeholders participated. A first-year handbook was handed out, which helps students with their time management and provides information on services that are rendered by the various sections or departments during their stay on campus. Peer helpers from both campuses are recruited from all four faculties. They are trained to identify students who are at risk. Workshops on study skills, stress reduction and job hunting were conducted in 2020. Communication sessions with potential employers of students to ensure recruitment of final-year students were also held. Newly developed policies on anti-discrimination, sexual harassment and gender- based violence were workshopped to students. In addition, UNIZULU also developed HIV/AIDS Sexually Transmitted infections and Tuberculosis (HAST) policies in line with the Department of Health and UNIZULU’s HIV/AIDS Institutional Coordinating Committee (HICC).
UNIZULU’s executive management decided to establish a UNIZULU COVID-19 Task Team whose function was to coordinate all COVID-19 activities. Additionally, a UNIZULU COVID-19 Hotline was established. This enabled the University community to ask and receive appropriate information on COVID-19. The hotline (a 24/7 service) was instituted on 16 March 2020 and is accessible on voice calls and WhatsApp.
Student Residences
In 2020, there were 5 907-bed spaces in both University campuses as well as outsourced residences. There were 4 315-bed spaces on campus and 1 592-bed spaces in off- campus residences. A self-service module was developed and implemented through the ITS i-enabler to enable students to apply and make residence bookings. Full- scale residence inspections were conducted, and reports submitted to the Planning and Maintenance Department. The University also advertised for an expression of interest from accommodation service providers. A process of negotiations and inspections commenced for proposed new outsourced residence spaces for the 2021 academic year.
A total number of 87 students with different abilities were allocated student housing.
Student Governance
The University recognises the critical role played by student governance and students form part of all major committees at UNIZULU, including Council, Senate and MANCO. There are 84 student societies at UNIZULU, which are allocated funds from the societies’ levy to implement their programme of action, and the SRC is the voice of the student body. Faculty councils also participate in faculty Board meetings, which ensure that student voices are heard and academic issues raised. As evidenced in the Report of the Chairperson of Council, the 2020/2021 elections were once again plagued by litigation and an ‘interim student structure’ comprising 12 students representing various student structures was appointed by Council until the finalisation of the 2020/2021 SRC elections. Two students were appointed by the interim students’ structure to serve on Council as the ‘convenor’ and ‘coordinator”, substituting student representation on Council.
To enhance service delivery, the University establishment of a Transversal Committee, chaired by the Dean of Students, with the sole objective of ensuring that all service departments have ongoing scheduled meetings to jointly find solutions to service delivery challenges. The committee is constituted by representatives from the Physical Planning and Operations Department, the ICT Department, the Protection Services Department, and the Student Services Department. In addition, the SRC convenor and coordinator formed part of the COVID-19 task team, which developed and implemented strategies and plans to address COVID-19 challenges faced by students.
Student Health (Campus Clinic)
The campus clinic is instrumental in ensuring student health. The clinic led from the front during the COVID-19 pandemic and apart from the various campaigns and initiatives that the clinic is involved in (primary healthcare; HIV testing and treatment; tuberculosis and diabetes screening; anti- retro viral treatment; pre-exposure prophylaxis treatment; sexually transmitted infection screening and treatment; gender-based violence awareness; and reproductive health), it also managed all health matters related to the COVID-19 pandemic in line with UNIZULU’s Infection prevention, control plan and guidelines. The clinic monitored the COVID-19 helpline and managed all screenings, quarantine spaces and COVID-19 awareness campaigns. COVID-19 data is displayed in Diagram16.
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