Page 31 - UniZulu Annual Report 2020

NARRATIVE REPORT
STRATEGIC GOAL 1: Improve governance with enhanced operations to support the academic enterprise and ensure sustainability
UNIZULU continuously strives to better its governance through the review of existing policies, creation of new policies, training, and the performance assessment of all governance structures. The incorporation of best practice governance principles is evidenced by the Governance Report and Chairperson of Council’s Report. The closure of the Special Audit by CHE on 12 March 2020 further echoes the good governance that prevails at UNIZULU. Also, the annual assessment of Council and its committees highlighted exceptional governance standards, ethical leadership and a commitment towards good corporate citizenship. Policy development, its implementation and monitoring remained key to ensuring accountability and compliance. During the year under review, a total of 29 policies were reviewed and 12 new policies were developed. The language policy remains a work in progress under the project ‘Reimagining UNIZULU’ adoption, which is dependent on the framework as published by DHET in the Government Gazette No. 43860 dated 30 October 2020.
An approved Integrated Human Resources Framework (IHRF) ensured transactional efficiency, improved recruitment and retention, an institutionalised performance management culture and system and an increased focus on staff well-being and development. Having successfully reduced the institutional vacancy rate in the past four years from 32.9% to 22.99% in 2018, it stagnated in 2019 with an increase of 0.35% due mainly to retirements and other types of involuntary termination of employment. In 2020, the institutional vacancy rate once again reduced to 19.5%, a significant 13.4% reduction over five years. The Institution remained focus to recruit and retain a qualified cohort of academic staff in line with its employment equity plan and the training of women through leadership development programmes. A total of 13 females registered with the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) for leadership programmes and 15 registered for leadership programmes with the University of Stellenbosch’s Business School. UNIZULU is working hard to increase the 33.33% representation of females in top management to 50%. A full report on equity targets is contained in the Vice-Chancellor’s Report as well as the Report on Transformation.
The implementation of e-recruitment (planned for 2021) should significantly reduce turnaround times and assist in recruitment enhancement. Also, the University developed a Policy on Succession Planning, which should assist with the
talent management process, as it provides a way to identify key roles, and find people with the right skills and positions that may need filling in a short space of time. It also provides a way to cut the costs of recruitment, enabling the University to manage recruitment in-house.
A consolidated Workplace Skills Plan was compiled. The investment in the identified learning and development interventions totalled R12 601 124. In the absence of a labour union, management established a forum for engagement. Forum members were trained and an agreement was entered into to survey the staff climate and ensure optimal working relations. Despite the University having to cope with COVID-19, it was able to provide a 5.5% salary increase to all staff during the period under review. There has also been a conversion from pay progression to a performance bonus ranging from 1% to 2% as a once-off payment for both academic as well as professional staff based on individual performance in line with the Performance Management Policy.
The creation of a broad spectrum of programmes with the characteristics of a comprehensive university remained a strategic focus in 2020, with various programmes being developed by the Institution. The Bachelor of Social Work and Bachelor of Nursing Science was re-accredited by CHE. Nine new programmes were developed during the year under review and three programmes received DHET approval. All Engineering programmes are now accredited and will be offered in 2021. Two engineering programmes received professional accreditation by the Engineering Council of South Arica (ECSA) – Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering and Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering. Two programmes are awaiting professional accreditation from the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) – Master of Clinical Psychology and the Master of Counselling Psychology. A full accreditation report is provided in the Senate Report of this Annual Report. Significant progress has been made on the implementation of the improvement plan of the Law Review Report. The LLB curriculum was revised, the Law Clinic has been upgraded and practitioners were appointed.
The University also focused on the development and entrenchment of an appropriate institutional academic philosophy, an approach that integrated teaching and learning, research and community engagement. This resulted in a Community Engagement Strategy and the revised Community Engagement Policy. The Institution developed the UNIZULU101 module in 2019, intending to enhance the quality and profile of UNIZULU graduates. The UNIZULU101 module was successfully piloted in all four faculties in 2020. Various studies were conducted to enable
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UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND ANNUAL REPORT 2020