The Student Governance and Development unit at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) hosted a Student Representative Council (SRC) Capacity Building session, focusing on minute taking, report writing and ethical leadership at The Capital Pearls Hotel at Umhlanga.
The unit aims to support a governance framework for student activities as they provide critical, high quality support and interventions to all students and creating a nurturing environment to students who are in leadership. The series of capacity development programmes provide professional training, information and consultative services to student leaders including development on a variety of life skills, key for survival for young leaders in line with the DUT ENVISION2030 strategy.
The session was facilitated by the energetic Ms Agendri Naidoo, Secretary: Student Governance and Development unit in Durban. Naidoo kept the attendees captivated with her overflowing energy while encouraging all the attendees to participate.
Mr Masiza Ngculu, Manager: Student Governance and Development unit warmly welcomed the guests and briefly highlighted the purpose of the day.
“I would like to welcome all of you and thank you for choosing to be here with us. This is very important to us as we are grooming these young leaders into being world leaders in a few years to come. I hope you will grasp whatever that is offered to you, in terms of our professionals who are here and that you will engage and make the programme a success,” he said.
DUT Chief Risk Officer, Mr Sikhuthali Nyangintsimbi delivered a keynote address on Ethical Leadership Behaviour. He explained ethical leadership as the practice of demonstrating appropriate conduct, saying it was mainly concerned with moral development and virtuous behaviour.
“Universities talk about national and international collaborations, meaning you will interact with your counterparts from other universities and if you are overly focused on the local content, you might miss out opportunities during those conversations,” he said.
The programme continued with engagement with the DUT Protection Services Director, Mr Relibile Mofokeng who unpacked the role of the SRC in campus safety.
“As student leaders in our university, you have a role of being the voice of the student body in safety matters and also provide valuable feedback to Protection Services regarding safety matters on campus,” he narrated.
Mofokeng’s presentation included: key functions of Protection Services, importance of safety on campus, recent achievements, future plans, role of the SRC in campus safety, benefits of collaborative engagements and proposed collaborative initiatives.
The SRC was also equipped with proper skills of minute taking and report writing. Mr Sibongiseni Dlamini, Head of Department: Committee Administration said this was to empower those entrusted with a responsibility to provide secretarial support to departmental or council meetings with appreciation of reports writing and minute taking, for effective governance, communication and understanding purposes.
DUT’s Ms Thokozani Sibiya: Student Development Officer made the vote of thanks and shared words of appreciation to the attendees for their fruitful discussions and commitment in nurturing DUT young leaders.
Pictured: DUT Chief Risk Officer, Mr Sikhuthali Nyangintsimbi delivering a keynote address at the SRC Capacity Building session.
Photographer: Khulasande Tshayile.
Thubelihle Dumakude
