Download the Annual report 2011 - Unisa

UNISA ANNUAL REPORT 2011
STATEMENT OF THE PRINCIPAL
AND VICE-CHANCELLOR
ON LEADERSHIP, ADMINISTRATION
AND OPERATIONAL MANAGEMENT
PROFESSOR MANDLA S MAKHANYA
Unisa’s mission statement sets out our intention as an engaged, relevant
and vibrant university. Our institutional values clearly express our commitment
to social justice and fairness, and excellence with integrity. In line with
our vision, mission and values and as the newly inaugurated Principal and
Vice-Chancellor (in 2010), I embarked on a transformational agenda aimed
at ensuring that Unisa realises its potential to be a dynamic, engaged, highperformance
African university that produces quality graduates, and that
plays an instrumental role in the socioeconomic development of our country
and continent.
Leadership
Immediately after my inauguration in April 2011, I comprehensively shared with Extended Management
at our annual lekgotla the kind of institution I envisaged and the kind of leadership it
would take to get there. I addressed the imperative for us to forge a new ethos with a shared
set of assumptions, values and practices that constitute a way of viewing reality for the community
that is Unisa and its stakeholders. I emphasised the need to characterise Unisa through an
ethos of servant leadership and a move away from the autocratic and hierarchical leadership to
one that is based on teamwork and community; an interdependent state that seeks to involve
others in decision-making, that is strongly based on ethical and caring behaviour and that attempts
to enhance the personal growth of people while improving the caring and quality of
our institution. 10 I emphasised the importance of focussing on the well-being of the Unisa
staff, students, and stakeholders with particular focus on improving the well-being of staff
and students with disabilities (see strategic Goal 5).
Two key initiatives emerged from the lekgotla: what we now call the Vice-Chancellor’s 11
Cs + 1 manifesto and a Statement on Transformation. The 11 Cs + 1 manifesto speaks
to the qualities that we seek to embody at Unisa in pursuit of a warm, caring and inclusive
institution; whilst the Statement on Transformation was developed as a prelude to
the 11 Cs + 1 and succinctly explains our understanding of Unisa as a relevant, quality,
high-performance 21st century African university. It accepts our vision, and locates it
unequivocally within the sectoral, national and global exigencies, promises and planning
frameworks of our time.
10 LC Spears in Practicing Servant Leadership 7 at www.sullivanadvisorygroup.com
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