REGISTRATION
INFORMATION
World University Rankings - Top 600

Prof Sibiya Pledges to take the Faculty of Health Sciences To The Next Level

Prof Sibiya Pledges to take the Faculty of Health Sciences To The Next Level

Durban University of Technology’s Faculty of Health Sciences new executive dean, Professor Nokuthula Sibiya has committed herself to taking the faculty to the next level.

Prof Sibiya is not new to the DUT community, she has been with the faculty for almost 13 years having gone through various ranks including being the department of Nursing’s head of department.

Speaking of her new role, Prof Sibiya said her priority for the next two years is making sure that the Faculty of Health Sciences strategic plan was aligned to the one at DUT.

“My biggest and critical task for the next two years is to make sure that the faculty has its strategic direction. The only way to be strategically in the right direction, we need to align our strategic plan with that of the University in order to make sure we meet the needs of the students and staff whilst all departments within the faculty of Health Sciences are growing and developing,” she said.

Prof Sibiya reiterated that while there have been many successes prior to her appointment to the executive dean post, there was still need for them to iron out some critical key points.

“My role is exciting but also equally terrifying because one must still address issues such as managing the high-dropout rate, student funding, generating income for all departments within the faculty, working on our recruitment plan for the generic Master’s degree, recruitment of more students for our PhD in Health Sciences, workload policy for all staff and making good use of the limited resources we have, these are some of the things I plan to look into and address during our strategic planning meeting in September 2017,” she said.

Prof Sibiya plans to take the faculty to the next leading level by creating an enabling culture and environment for everybody who is part of the Health Sciences family.
She wants to make sure voices are heard regardless of their roles and levels of both student and staff, spearhead generating income for the faculty, work harder at making sure that each department is generating its own funds and not solely dependent on DHET funding.

Prof Sibiya also aims to start attracting more students that will excel and be part of the generic Masters’ degree programme and the PhD in Health Sciences and create a support structure for students, particularly those who join the University unprepared. She also plans to grow and improve the faculty’s research output, strengthen relations amongst the executive in the faculty as well as all HOD’s will also undergo a faculty-based workshop and induction.
Professor Sibiya commenced her duties as executive dean on 1 June 2017. She is the second female executive dean after Dr Rene Smith of the Faculty of Arts and Design.

Pictured: Prof Nokuthula Sibiya, faculty of Health Sciences new executive dean.

Noxolo Memela

No comments