New Employees Welcomed On Board

BY: .

UKZN’s Human Resources (HR) Division runs a two-day programme at the beginning of each quarter to welcome new employees to the University and orientate them.

At the recent workshop, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Nana Poku, welcomed employees and said he was delighted that they had chosen UKZN as their institution of choice. He highlighted the University’s commitment to transformation and focus on academic excellence. ‘We have to commit to improving our services and our academic programmes, making our students as prepared as they can be for society,’ said Poku.

Director: HR Development, Mrs Busisiwe Ramabodu, urged employees to familiarise themselves with the HR teams in their Colleges. She also highlighted the Institution’s REACH^T values, as well as the Division’s Objectives and Policy Review. ‘Our goal as HR is to create an inclusive and conducive work environment for employees because we know that they spend half of their day, if not more at work,’ said Ramabodu.

Director: Governance and Administration, Mr Njabulo Zuma outlined the College model, the management structure and the different divisions within the Registrar’s office. He encouraged employees to visit the UKZN Innerweb to become better acquainted with the system. Director for Teaching and Learning, Dr Tilly Moodley, introduced employees to the Quality Promotion and Assurance (QPA) unit which ensures that the University’s academic programmes meet the standards required by external regulatory bodies.

UKZN is a research-led Institution, and Dean of Research, Professor Urmilla Bob discussed the importance of research for all employees whether in professional services or academia. She encouraged the participants to make use of the library facilities and to use the library as a tool to train students. ‘UKZN produces the highest number of PhD candidates and that is something we are most proud of. We’ve also grown Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) from a research flagship to a national area of research,’ said Bob. 

With sexual harassment being reported as the most prevalent form of discrimination in the workplace, Ms Nyikiwa Mavunda, a member of the HR Development team, outlined the University’s Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Harassment Policies. She emphasised UKZN’s commitment to provide a safe work and study environment free from any form of discrimination or harassment, and to support victims as well as ensure that disciplinary procedures are followed. Mabunda also highlighted the procedures for speaking out and reporting GBV, which can be accessed on the HR website.

Other workshop topics included Employee Relations, HR Rewards Services, Legal Services and the UKZN Medical Aid Scheme.

Words: Hlengiwe Precious Khwela

Photographs: Itumeleng Masa