MEDUNSA UPGRADE - University of Limpopo

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The University’s Audit Year WE’RE READY FOR INSPECTION! RESEARCH The university has established systems whereby its research performance is constantly compared with the national average, not only in terms of publications in accredited journals, and posters and papers at conferences, but also the number of students proceeding to Masters and Doctoral studies. This area of UL’s core business is fraught with challenges, and the action plan has begun methodically to address them. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Here, too, challenges abound. But the improvement plan is taking firm steps to articulate more clearly what our overarching approach should be to community engagement, so that planning our short, medium and long term programmes becomes a more organic process. Community engagement programmes abound, but UL’s focus has now shifted to integration, to enhance the quality of the university’s performance in this regard, and also to pay special attention to the co-ordination and sustainability of UL interventions into the rural communities that surround it. SUPPORT SERVICES These important services deal with everything from the public face of the university created by Marketing and Communications, to the recruiting of high-quality and high-potential students, as P A G E 6 well as to the challenge of attracting and retaining the best possible academic and administrative staff. The university’s new ‘attraction and retention’ policy pays special attention to the health, social, educational and recreational facilities for staff; to the nurturing of good leadership and management practices at all levels; to career and succession planning so that talented employees find meaning and promotion opportunities in their jobs; and to piggy-backing on the positive economic development taking place in the provinces where the campuses of the university are located. All these services and improvements to UL’s way of doing things will be scrutinised by the Institutional Audit panel when they visit the university next month. ‘In fact,’ says Ngoepe, ‘the panel will be looking at how we use the resources at our disposal, and how we plan to remain viable in the present climate of diminishing state support for higher education.’ Ngoepe points out as well that the audit will provide UL an opportunity to pause and reflect on where it is situated on the long road to its ambitious mission and vision. ‘What’s our direction? How far are we with the introduction of our new systems, policies and procedures designed to manage and enhance quality in the merged university, the harmonising of our various departments and schools, and with the creation of one institutional culture out of the earlier two cultures with which we started? ‘Quite frankly, we’ve never before had such a clear opportunity to take stock of our merged position and direction. Now we can do that. One thing that becomes abundantly clear is that this Institutional Audit will closely scrutinise the success or otherwise of the merger. Our ability to move forward, and our ability to overcome our own builtin resistance to change will be closely examined. In many important respects, the audit will reveal whether as an institution we can really move towards our goal of being an excellent and effective African university.’ In conclusion, Ngoepe refers to the term PDI (previously disadvantaged institution). ‘The harbouring of such a notion can lead to pessimism,’ he says, ‘and it has no place in the Institutional Audit. We want to be judged as equals, not as victims. So we say unequivocally to ourselves – and to the audit panel, don’t use our history to judge our potential.‘
Changes in the university executive ONE KEY PLAYER GOES OFF, ANOTHER COMES ON Excuse the football terminology, but it’s still quite topical – and in this case it’s certainly appropriate. Without doubt, the University of Limpopo is a team effort, and replacements are often necessary. Recently, one of the most important positions in the institution – Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic and Research – required just such a change. Turn the page to read about the two remarkable men involved. Sibara Franks ON OFF P A G E 7
Page 1 and 2: LIMPOPO NUMBER 22 WINTER 2010 LIMPO
Page 3 and 4: CALLING ALL ALUMNI: GET IN THE NEWS
Page 5 and 6: IN THIS ISSUE UNIVERSITY cover pict
Page 7: efforts in this direction by lookin
Page 11 and 12: associate professor of Microbiology
Page 13 and 14: BOOTS enrolled for a Bachelor’s d
Page 15 and 16: Professor Monie Naidoo was to ensur
Page 17 and 18: Gerda Botha environmental health, w
Page 19 and 20: Medunsa upgrades ORAL HEALTH CENTRE
Page 21 and 22: Medunsa upgrades NEW SKILLS CENTRE
Page 23 and 24: heartbeat’, palpate her stomach,
Page 25 and 26: From top to bottom: Professor Dirk
Page 27 and 28: DVC Academic & Research Research Di
Page 29 and 30: Profile: Geoffrey Letsoalo MEET THE
Page 31 and 32: Profile: Regina Maphanga WHAT KEEPS
Page 33 and 34: Profile: Dr Mhlangu FIRMING UP THE
Page 35: Secure Secure your your future futu

MEDUNSA UPGRADE - University of Limpopo

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