UWC Registrar, Dr Nita Lawton-Misra addressing participants of the Empowering Administrative Excellence Programme.The Professional Support Staff at UWC are a crucial component of operational efficiencies. While they work quietly and tirelessly in the background in many faculties and departments, their jobs are not always without challenges.
The EAE programme is a unique joint initiative between Human Resources and the Registrar’s Office, led by Dr Ahmed Shaikjee, to highlight administrative challenges and possible solutions.
The six-month programme included face-to-face sessions and an action learning project that participants worked on, an initiative that was borne out of the Service Excellence Ambassador Programme in 2019.
UWC Registrar Dr. Nita Lawton-Misra said that the cohort who have completed the programme is on the path to success: “A growth mindset fosters resilience, learning, and innovation. It resonates with individuals seeking personal and professional development, as adopting a growth mindset can positively impact all areas of life. Individuals striving for continuous growth and improvement usually possess a growth mindset. They are passionate about stretching themselves and sticking to their goals, even when things are not going well.”
She added: “The group completing this programme clearly has a growth mindset. Their efforts, attitudes, and willingness to stretch themselves reveal their desire to grab opportunities for development and take charge of their destiny.”
Deputy Registrar at UWC, Dr. Ahmed Shaikjee, said the programme was empowering for all who participated: “Each project reflects quite rigorous research, thoughtful problem solving and a commitment to improving UWC’s administrative services, as well as stakeholder experience. It is not always just about administration; it is also about the impact that we have as a University.”
Four groups worked on different projects and developed proposed solutions or streamlined workflow.
Enhancing Employee Growth: Performance Development System (PDS) at UWC
This project sought to enhance employee growth by using the Performance Development systems (PDS) at UWC. While PDS is in place, there is a lack of ownership and initiative among staff to fully engage with it.
The project aims to promote the PDS as an essential tool for continuous learning, skills development and career advancement. By fostering a culture of feedback, clear goal-setting and active professional development, we seek to encourage staff to take greater responsibility for their growth.
Ultimately, this initiative aims to align individual objectives with the University’s institutional goals, facilitating growth for both employees and the organisation as a whole.
Implementing a Centralised Onboarding Platform
This project focused on evaluating the challenges faced by newly appointed staff at the University during their onboarding process, and on exploring the potential benefits of implementing a centralised onboarding platform.
The goal was to streamline the onboarding process by providing quick access to essential resources, ultimately reducing the time it takes for new staff to become fully productive.
The project aimed to design and implement a centralised onboarding platform that will be seamlessly integrated with UWC’s intranet (SharePoint).
This platform will allow staff to easily locate and navigate critical information both during and after their initial onboarding. By enhancing the overall onboarding experience, the initiative aligns with UWC’s objectives of promoting staff development and improving organisational effectiveness.
Technical Services Automation of Maintenance Requests
An opportunity was identified to improve the current maintenance request process for the Technical Services department.
The existing system is paper-based, requiring staff across the campus to either physically submit or scan and email their maintenance request slips.
This manual process often leads to significant backlogs and inefficiencies. To address this, an automated system was proposed that utilises Microsoft Forms to collect maintenance request data, which will then be automatically compiled into an Excel spreadsheet.
This streamlined approach will provide the Technical Services administrative team with real-time feedback, enabling a more efficient and organised workflow.
The automation will eliminate the need for manual submissions and help reduce delays, ensuring a smoother process for handling maintenance requests.
Clothed in Confidence – “Your Look Your Legacy”
The “Clothed in Confidence” project is a heartfelt initiative that seeks to make a lasting difference in the lives of UWC students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds. By providing affordable access to professional attire for crucial life events like job interviews, graduations, and award ceremonies, this project directly addresses the financial hardships that many students face.
But it goes beyond just clothing — it restores and promotes confidence, dignity, and professionalism.
Through donations, strategic partnerships, and an online booking system for reserving attire, the project creates an inclusive environment where no student is left behind due to a lack of resources.
A hybrid model, offering both low-cost purchasing and clothing rental, ensures that students can confidently step into the professional world, equipped not just with clothes but with the confidence to succeed.
This project ensures that every student has the opportunity to shine, regardless of their financial background.
A second-hand jacket might seem like a small gesture, but it could be the very thing that helps a student land their first job. When you look good, you feel good — and when you feel good, your confidence grows, opening doors to a brighter future.
ABOUT THE EAE Programme:
The EAE programme has a multi-faceted approach, encompassing key threads of digital skills introduction and service excellence with an emphasis on the importance of leading from one’s current position at UWC.
The six-month programme consisted of face-to-face sessions and an Action Learning Project between March and October 2024.
