As part of the formalities, the newly elected SRC has continued to receive the necessary guidance to empower them so they can seamlessly assimilate with the rest of the University management and honor their mandate towards the students. On 7-8 October 2024, the student leaders received induction from all University divisions that the SRC will work within the next 12 months.
Dr Mthoko Ntuli, Student Development Officer at the Department of Student Affairs, said that the SRC Internal Induction Workshop, an annual event, serves to capacitate the newly elected SRC members. Heads of the Departments/Directorates/Units inform the student leaders of their roles at the University and the services they provide to the students. Dr Ntuli said that the induction also allows the SRC members to provide input to enhance service delivery. The SRC directly benefits from the induction. According to Dr Ntuli, the knowledge acquired by SRC members helps them perform their duties effectively.
The presentations were done, among others, by Student Affairs, Academic Administration and Examination Services, Co-operative Education, Community Engagement and Development (CEAD), the Library, and Student Housing. Some of the main messages to the SRC were the University’s strategic direction and alignment of SRC Activities, the University’s strategic goals and core values of the University, higher education governance, and what happens with student housing. Dr Ntuli said that once the internal induction was concluded, student leaders would have a deeper understanding of the services provided by the University. “Furthermore, they will be better positioned to make a meaningful contribution to the development of the University,” he said.
After the SRC induction workshop, the newly elected SRC will attend the Strategic Planning Workshop, which covers three aspects: “Student Leadership Capacitation, team building to develop a cohesive SRC and development of the SRC Programme of Action for 2025. “This activity will be conducted off-campus so that the SRC can focus. The SRC Programme of Action is a roadmap for student leadership while it is in the office. The SRC activities will be aligned to the MUT Strategic Goals.