2006/2007 - University of Swaziland

VICE CHANCELLOR’S MESSAGEThis Annual Report covers the academic year2006/2007 and focuses on progress that theUniversity has made during the period underreview. We hope the reader will find it informative.The Vision of the University is Leadership throughExcellence in Education. This vision can only be realised,among other things, if there is a well articulated strategicplan that guides the University as to where it is comingfrom, where it is now, where it is going, why it is goingwhere it is going, and how it will arrive there. Duringthe last academic year, the University embarked ona process of developing its second strategic plan andto date, has completed the process of reviewing whereit is coming from and where it is now. Soon, it willstart on the process of where it is going, why it isgoing where it is going, and how it will arrive there.The University will soon be inviting its stakeholdersto make contributions to the process, which it hopesto complete before or by the end of the 2007/2008academic year.The Vice Chancellor Professor C.M. Magagula beingcapped by the Registrar, Mr. S.S. Vilakati during hisinstallation at graduation.For almost four years, theUniversity has been withouta substantive Pro-Vice-Chancellor until the lastacademic year when thepost was filled. In this regard,the University wouldlike to thank the UniversityCouncil for appointingProfessor Victor Smart Prof. V.S.B. MtetwaBafana Mtetwa as a substantivePro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Swazi-Pro-Vice Chancellorland. The University community wishes to congratulateProf. Mtetwa for his appointment into the new position.About three years ago, the University took the deliberatepolicy decision to semesterise examinations.The essence of this decision was that courses offeredduring each semester should be written at the endof the relevant semester. To date, the Faculties ofAgriculture and Science have fully semesterised theircourses and by the next academic year (2007/2008)all Faculties are expected to have semesterised theircourses.The quality of a university is judged by, among otherthings, the mix, balance, quality and calibre of the local,regional, and international academic staff it attracts andretains. One of the major challenges facing the Universityover the years has been the inability to attract and retainsuch academic staff because of the non-competitivenessof the salary packages.In this regard, the University would like to thank theGovernment of Swaziland and the University Councilfor improving the salary packages of the academic staffduring the period under review. They are now moreor less comparable with those of the rest of the SADCCregion. The University hopes that it will now be possibleto attract and retain a high calibre of academic staff.09REPORT OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR 2006-2007