SMU recently hosted a delegation from DHET as part of its oversight visit

by Lorato | Jun 7, 2022 | All News, SMU Media

Vice-Chancellor Prof Peter Mbati recently hosted a delegation from the department of higher education and training who were on an oversight visit. Led by the Deputy Director General for University Education Dr Marcia Socikwa, the delegation came to engage with the university and see progress on projects funded by the department through the Sibusiso Bengu Development Programme.

In his welcoming address to the delegation in the presence of SMU management and officials, the Vice-Chancellor said the support SMU gets from the department in particular the Sibusiso Bengu grant has assisted a lot in a range of areas. He further told the delegation that SMU has completed a restructuring programme of Senior and Executive team to ensure alignment with the new strategic plan and to allow the University to deliver on its core mandate to increase efficiency in the system.

“We also very recently had a meeting of the senior management committee with a focus on the centrality of the academic project because many times one of the challenges we face in higher education and for various reasons is that we start to drift away from why we are created as higher education institutions and our focus and energy gets invested elsewhere”, said Prof Mbati.

He further mentioned that the University went through a culture survey and many processes to reconfirm from many stakeholders of the university from Council, labour, management, staff and students about the values SMU must embrace as a university to refocus and rededicate itself to what must be done.

“There is still a lot that has to be done at SMU and the funding we receive through the Sibusiso Bengu programme and the support from the department will help us deliver projects on time”, said the VC.

“We have a new business model to allow us to be financially sustainable over a period of time. We currently also get a special dispensation grant from the department to allow us to meet our obligations as a university. The new business model sets out projects that we need to embark on including increasing our student numbers, developing new programmes, expanding on the third stream income”, continued Prof Mbati.

The DDG Dr Socikwa in response said, “I must say that when one contrasts the universities this side with the urban centred ones, you are saddened, you immediately realize the need for extensive investment”. She also said the department wants to see excellence in our institutions and remember them for the legacies created. “We really need to reimagine how we want to be and I am happy that SMU has started with a new business model, we also need to acknowledge the vast sums of money directed at SMU. The university was allocated R144 million and managed to spent 120 million. Funding was made to support 11 projects at SMU and the department would like to look at and speak about them”, said the DDG.

She further mentioned that the delegation came to appreciate the challenges but also the opportunities and to engage vigorously as required so that by the time they left, they should be in a position to confident about the objectives of these investments and are able to support the University’s initiatives with the requisite enthusiasm and energy.

“We also need to understand what is required to turn around the fate of SMU. Since the inception of the development programme SMU received over 150 million and as a department we would like to see progress on the approved projects and are uncompromising on that. It is no secret that SMU is among the universities that have been able to deliver on their projects”, said Dr Socikwa. The department praised SMU for submitting its annual report way before time and called on other institutions to emulate SMU.

The Director for Development Grants at SMU Mr Theo Bhengu took the delegation through a presentation that detailed the projects that have been completed, those underway and proposed future projects. He reported that in the first cycle (2016/17-2020/21), the HDI-DG significantly contributed to achieving SMU strategic goals as a new institution after the demerger from the University of Limpopo (UL), through the following projects:

• Re-engineering of business processes
• Review of governance systems
• Document management system
• High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM)
• Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Audit
• Bulk Contribution to the City of Tshwane
• Establishment or increasing capacity of strategic departments, i.e. Institutional Planning, Development (Advancement & Internationalisation), Grants Management and Infrastructure Planning and Development

He further said that SMU has made proposals for funding under the Sibusiso Bengu programme on 18 new projects that are in line with the strategic objectives of the institution across all areas.

After robust discussions, Mr Alfred Makgatho from DHET gave a brief report on the proposed projects and also mentioned that there is support for the proposed projects pending approval from the Minister. However, he advised that there were several other projects that SMU will have to revisit as they could not be supported in their current form. The department placed emphasis on the future sustainability of the institution so that the University is able to fund its other programmes.

The CFO Mr Eminos Manyawi expressed the University’s appreciation to DHET for the continuous support and committed to furnish the department with all necessary documents and reports. He further pleaded for further funding to finance planned projects. During the tour of campus, the delegation was taken through the premium 2000 beds facility which is at an advanced stage towards completion, the bulk water project currently under way, the electron microscope unit and other projects.

The visitors were later taken on a campus tour to see amongst others, the premium 2000 beds student accommodation facility financed by the department, the facility for relocation of the Electron Microscope Unit that is being renovated. Once completed, the facility will ensure stability of the new High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope(HRTEM). They were also shown the bulk water project currently underway around campus.

The purpose of the Sibusiso Bhengu Development Programme is to decisively redress the inequalities that have impacted the development and sustainability of the HDIs and to contribute to their further development as strong universities, in a diversified system, which are socially embedded and responsive, are highly regarded and valued, including by the communities from which their students are drawn, and which produce both graduates and new knowledge that can make a contribution to socio-economic development in local, national, regional and international contexts.

Management committed to turning around the University by entrenching the centrality of the Academic Enterprise at SMU

by Lorato | May 31, 2022 | All News, SMU Media

“A successful university is one where the academic enterprise is revered, enjoys special focus and remains firmly at the centre of its operations”, Prof Peter Mbati, Vice Chancellor, SMU

The SMU Senior Management Committee (SMC) is chaired by the Vice Chancellor and is composed of members of the Executive Team, Deans of Schools and Directors of various portfolios. At its meeting held on 25 April 2022, the SMC observed that:

“It is common knowledge that the SMU academic project has not been adequately placed at the centre of what the University does, as the concerns of organized labour and students have arguably often crowded out the requisite support to be, ordinarily, provided to the academic project of the University. As part of the institutional effort and renewal to ensure that the academic project of the university takes centre stage of what the University does through the various stakeholders, academic employees, support staff, students and labour, the Senior Management Committee resolved that a special meeting of the senior management be held to discuss this matter dispassionately”.

As a consequence, a special meeting of the SMC was held on 23 May 2022 to engage on this critical point. A well thought-out presentation by Deans’ of Schools foregrounded critical points that were pivotal to the subject matter, including academic leadership at various levels. The crux was eventually to re-imagine the modus operandi of the academic enterprise in a bid to maximize its efficiency and effectiveness. A high level summary of some of the issues discussed is presented below:

1. When does a University cease to be a university? (a series of lectures/dialogues were suggested to unravel the intricacies of this question).
2. Politicization of the SMU academic space and its negative impact on the academic project as a whole, and the reputation of the University.
3. The implementation of the SMU procurement policy and its unintended consequences on inefficiencies experienced in the broader academic teaching and research environment.
4. Standard of service and urgency received from supporting departments.
5. Striking a balance between “Corporatization of Universities with more resources towards what is considered non-core business and compliance reporting versus resourcing the academic core functions, including research and innovation.
6. Resource allocation and prioritization of the academic project activities in a financially constrained SMU.
7. Audit of employee efficiency (are all employees adequately and gainfully employed, and what can be done practically to optimize the overall employee performance?)
8. Implementation of the New Business Model and improved third stream income generation.
9. Better oversight over infrastructure and maintenance projects, ensuring value for money. Every cent that is saved must be re-directed to the academic project.
10. Centralized laboratories (shared laboratories) with state of the art facilities.
11. Introduction of peer assessment and student assessment.
12. Members of the Executives usurping powers of Deans, re versing decisions of Deans, making Deans and HoDs to look weak in the face of the constituencies they serve, including students.
13. Re-definition of the meaning and application of the concept “student-centeredness” and where the academics rules of the universities remain sacrosanct. Balance between allowing student-activism to thrive whilst ensuring student discipline.
14. Managers constantly browbeaten by the SRC and organised-labour.
15. Line managers at various tiers unable to take appropriate disciplinary action against errant subordinates due to uncertainties concerning firm support from multi-layered superiors.
16. Disruptions to the academic project due to incessant protest action by students and organized Labour has serious deleterious impact on the academic progress of our students and the reputation of the University.
17. Aligning staffing plan to the new business model.
18. Dialogue/discourse series on various difficult topics as we entrench the centrality of the academic enterprise in the fibre of the University’s being.

The conversation was authentic and honest as the participants identified the current challenges and moved into solution mode. In striving for the requisite academic excellence is a recognition by all, that collaboration and teamwork is essential if we are to succeed in meeting the University’s vision, mission and strategic objectives. All participants need to fully appreciate the role of their function and that of their team, in the growth and development of the University.

The Vice Chancellor has directed that the recommendations of this special meeting of the SMC be implemented by the respective line managers within an agreed reasonable time frame.

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Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) celebrates Africa day in style

by Lorato | May 25, 2022 | All News, SMU Media

SMU celebrated Africa day from the 19-20th May 2022. As a reflection on the nature of the event, it attracted representatives from various embassies, including those from the Republic of Kenya, Lesotho, Ivory Coast, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Cameroon. Representatives from various Universities, including the University of Venda, Tshwane University of Technology and the University of Johannesburg were in attendance. Of course, SMU staff and students and the local community members were in attendance.

In his welcoming address, the SMU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Peter Mbati, said that; “The 25th of May is a day used specifically to celebrate Africa’s independence, freedom and liberation strife from colonial powers. The event commemorates the Organisation of African Unity, which is now commonly known as the African Union. The move was originally inspired by Ghana’s independence. Ghana was the first country in the South of the Sahara to gain its independence on March 6, 1957 – almost 65 years ago!”

In outlining the purpose of the celebrations, Mr Themba Khumalo, Acting Director: Student Affairs, said that; “The University must celebrate the diversity of our students while acknowledging the challenges and the victories of our continent”.

The two days were guided by the theme “Strengthen resilience in nutrition and food security on the African Continent”, accompanied by the celebration of different cultures through music, food and dance. Indeed, the Africa Day celebrations should spur us further as Africa strives towards her aspirational Africa Agenda 2063!

The events of the two days have been summarized by Thabo Mbeki former President of South Africa, in his speech “I am an African” delivered on 8 May 1996 said: “The evolution of humanity says that Africa reaffirms that she is continuing her rise from the ashes. Whatever the setbacks of the moment, nothing can stop us now! Whatever the difficulties, Africa shall be at peace!”

“Let’s celebrate Africa in her diversity”

Take your flu vaccine today at the SMU/DGMAH Vaccination site

by Lorato | May 4, 2022 | All News, SMU Media

This year’s flu season is expected to be more severe compared to the last two years. The South African Vaccination and Immunisation Centre (SAVIC) at SMU answers your questions and calls on everybody to protect themselves from severe influenza by getting a flu shot.

Why are we likely to experience a more severe flu season compared to the previous two years?

Very little influenza was circulating during the previous two years, compared to pre-COVID-19 seasons. This is because the measures for limiting the spread of SARS-CoV-2, such as wearing of face masks, regular hand sanitising and social distancing, also limited the spread of other respiratory viruses, including influenza. Also, overseas travel was limited during the first two years of the pandemic, hence there was much less intercontinental influenza virus transmission compared to previous years.

What is the best way to protect myself from contracting flu?

The best defence against flu is to get vaccinated. Flu spreads easily from person-to-person through respiratory droplets and aerosols, especially when people are coughing and sneezing. In addition to getting vaccinated, to prevent transmitting flu one must avoid close contact with sick people, stay home when you are sick, cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, wear your mask, clean hands regularly and avoid touching your mouth, eyes, and nose, and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

Why is it beneficial to get your flu shot?

Although flu is mostly mild, it can result in serious illness, hospitalisation and death. An average of 11,000 South Africans died annually from flu-related illness in pre-COVID-19 years.

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