The Student Representative Council in collaboration with Student Governance and Development Unit and Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching hosted a successful student-led conversation in both Durban (26 July 2023) and in Midlands, (27 July 2023) which was aimed at reinforcing the Durban university of Technology (DUT) Living Values and Principles. These informative sessions were led by the Dean of Students, Dr Clement Moreku as a keynote speaker in Durban, and hosted by the Institutional Registrar, Dr Maditsane Nkonoane in Indumiso campus.

The programme director for these sessions was Dr Mzwandile Khumalo who is a coordinator for the First Year Student Experience (FYSE) and Residence Educational Programme at the Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) He welcomed everyone present and further urged the attendees to raise questions they may have especially about the Living Values. Mr Andile Masuku, Student Development Officer shared the significance of these sessions.

“It is every DUT employee’s role to enforce the Living Values on students. The Values can be enforced in the lecture rooms, through extra-curricular activities and the way we behave in front of students. We need to change the culture of thinking among students and show them guidance on how to behave and embrace the DUT Living Values. If we want a Different Upended Transformed institution, no one should be left behind,” shared Masuku.

“I would like to believe that all of us gathered here are champions of our Living Values and as a result, we need to be the change that we need to see in this world. Values are signals giving us direction, meaning and purpose. In addition, our Values and Principles are the beliefs that matter most to us and they determine how you want to act and change one’s lives. The values we exhibit guide us in every situation and you can tell about a person what they would do based on their beliefs. If I may briefly describe principles-principles are born out of values and together, they are crucial elements that make our identity. However, principles decide both our behaviour and our actions,” said Dr Moreku.

The sessions proceeded in the Midlands, Indumiso campus hall which was packed with students and student leaders geared up to engage in the Living Values conversation. The programme director, Dr Mzwandile Khumalo invited students to participate in the topics to share their views on the Living Values. Among the speakers was the Campus Director, Dr Joe Molete who officially welcomed the audience and further thanked everyone in attendance.

Dr Nkonoane stressed that he will not discuss the Living Values nor will he unpack them since he had learned that students are now aware of these values. Delivering his keynote address, Dr Nkonoane focused his speech on the topic, ‘The Envisioned Self.’

“Transformation can either be a complete reinforcement or really be an exaggeration of what already exists. The value premise that there are what we call, known-knows: things we know that we know, then also have, known-unknowns: things we know that we do not know, but there is also unknowns-knowns-things that we do not know that we know and lastly, we have unknowns-unknowns: things that we do not know that we do not know. It is very much true that education and particularly a DUT qualification may not guarantee that you will be successful one day but what is guarantees is knowledge and a culture of knowledge, reasoning, facts and evidence to advance yourself and the societies in more sustainable ways. When you leave DUT, you must be a completely different person. Each generation must-out of relative obscurity discover the mission, fulfil it or betray it. Your future is in your hands,” shared Dr Nkonoane.

Dr Khumalo opened a discussion for the panellist consisting of four participants who are DUT students. Joining the panel was Mr Joyful Gcabashe, Mr Themba Ximba, Ms Naledi Phakwe, and Mr Siyabonga Nungu. Each panellist was given three minutes each for their opening remarks, particularly focusing on critiquing the LV Framework, fostering a social cohesive and inclusive DUT in calcating a culture that embodies The DUT Way and what all this means for student activism and representation.

The outgoing Student Representative Council (SRC) Secretary General, Mr Joyful Gcabashe, said: “We are part and parcel of the very first SRC who took it upon themselves to align themselves fully as far as where the ENVISION2030 should take us. As an institution at some point it needs to improve as far as how we interact with the general public,” commented Gcabashe.

The session concluded by allowing students and the audience to ask questions to the panellists and engage.

Pictured: Mr Themba Ximba and Mr Joyful Gcabashe who were part of the panellist at the session.

Nikiwe Sukazi