Our 2nd Institutional Research Conference is being held under the auspices of the Siyaphumelela Project and Institutional Research and is being hosted by the Institutional Planning Unit. It builds on the ethos and the objectives of the first IR Conference held in 2015 which encompassed developing an understanding of the DUT community – who and what we are, who our students are, and how we can improve our decisions and processes for the benefit of our students. The 2017 IR/Siyaphumelela Conference focuses on what it means to be a student-centred University that puts “student success” at the heart of what we, as a University community, are all about. This is a conference that is for the whole University – all staff, and students themselves, are responsible for student success.

The broad theme of the 2017 DUT Institutional Research/Siyaphumelela Conference is “Student-centredness for student success.” We invite you to share your scholarly and empirical enquiries and practice on the determinants of student success at DUT in the following areas:

1. What is “Student Success” in the DUT context?
2. High-impact practices (HIPs) to facilitate student success at DUT;
3. Designing and implementing a student-centred curriculum at DUT;
4. Engagement Matters – fostering and promoting staff and student engagement in multi-dimensions and directions.

Professor Thandwa Zizwe Mthembu 

Professor Thandwa Zizwe Mthembu joined the Durban University of Technology Community in October 2016 as Vice-Chancellor and Principal. He has been in university leadership in South Africa for 21 years.

Born in Hlazakazi in Nquthu and raised at Thalaneni in Nkandla, Professor Mthembu is a mathematician by profession. Growing up in a family of teachers, he took education very seriously, completing his PhD in mathematics at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) at the age of 28. Prior to joining the DUT family, he served for almost 10 years as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of Central University of Technology (CUT). In addition, he has served in various executive leadership positions at other universities, including Wits, and the former University of Durban-Westville and Vista. He has published mathematics papers in international journals. His research interests have broadened into higher education leadership and management, entrepreneurship education and other fields, in which he continues to publish.

Prof. Mthembu was recently elected as Chairperson of Universities South Africa (USAf), an organisation representing the 26 public universities in South Africa. He also serves as Regional Chair: Central-Eastern-Southern Africa of the International Association of University Presidents.

Mr. Rudi Buys

Topic: Integrating curriculum and co-curriculum: Teaching and Learning Reflections 

Rudi Buys recently joined Cornerstone Institute, a non-profit private university in Cape Town as Dean of Humanities. He is currently completing his doctoral research on change leadership in higher education. He is also Visiting Scholar at the UCLA Paulo Freire Institute.

Rudi has served as Dean of Student Affairs at Free State University (2010-2014). Prior to this appointment he served as consultant on Student Affairs focused on mediating racial reconciliation at several universities. Rudi also served as Secretary General of the SA Association of Student Affairs Professionals and chaired or served on review panels on Student Services at several universities. He also worked as Provincial Youth Commissioner tasked with education and spokesman of the Western Cape education ministry.

Rudi has a long-standing involvement with DUT Student Services. Over the past 5 years Rudi supported student services by facilitating strategic planning, departmental monitoring and evaluation, chairing the review panel on student governance, and facilitating our Student Services Indaba focused on Pathway Methodologies.

Closing date for registration: 14 August 2017

Registration Closed

For further information/enquiries, please contact institresconf@dut.ac.za or the Planning office (Ansuya 2452/Meluleki 6023)