The Student Affairs Department continues to be rolling out its plan to empower student leadership. On the fourth day of a week-long programme, the 2024-2025 SRC benefited from various MUT divisions that informed them what they are doing, and what the SRC can get from them. This is what Dr Mthoko Ntuli, Student Development Officer, said was the necessary collaboration between the SRC and the divisions so the SRC would know what the divisions are doing, and how the SRC could work with the divisions to serve the students better. Guided by a theme – “Shaping the future generation of leaders”, staff from the different divisions went to town, telling the student leadership that they do. Finance, Institutional Planning and Research (DIPR), Transport and Institutional Advancement (IA), all participated.
The student leaders got a chance to air their views on what was presented. Most of them pointed at areas that need improvement. For instance, they said there were shortcomings with online teaching. There were different views from the students, some supporting the idea that the students attend evening classes. The students said they find it difficult to attend in-person classes coming from the Work Integrate Learning (WIL) programmes in which they perform in industry. One said that in some cases, a lecturer would be teaching with a lot of noise in the background. Other students felt that in-person classes were more beneficial to them. “I feel drowsy when I attend classes online until someone tells me it is my turn to say something,” the student said.
Responding to some of the issues that the students raised, Dr Liile Lekena-Bayaga (DIPR) said they would consider what the students said, and that they appreciated the students’ input. “We paint a rosy picture, when in fact, the truth is different,” Dr Lekena-Bayaga said.
The Head of Transport, Khehla Ndlovu, said they need 10-14 days to plan a trip. Giving the SRC more details on what they do, Ndlovu asked the student leaders to work with them so there would be no problems.
The SRC Secretary General, Neheletso Kabi, said he learnt how they, as SRC leaders, can work together with the various divisions in the best interests of students and the University, and “how we should conduct ourselves as the SRC when engaging with the management, and what is expected from us as the SRC.