College of Business and Economics Annual Report 2017 69 As far as academic leadership and citizenship at international levels are concerned: • Prof Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad was appointed as a member of the International Scientific Committee of the International Conference on Social Sciences that was held on 24 and 25 August 2017. She was also appointed as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Business and Management Studies (IBSS) of the Social Sciences Research Society in Turkey and appointed as Adjunct Professor at the Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU.) • Prof Christelle Auriacombe was appointed as Visiting a Professor at the Ho Technical University in Ghana, the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA) in Rwanda and Adjunct Professor at the Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU.) • Dr Vain Jarbandhan was re-appointed as the Chief Editor and Prof Christelle Auriacombe as the Technical Editor of Administratio Publica, an accredited journal hosted by the Association of Southern African Schools and Departments of Public Administration and Management (ASSADPAM). Internationally, staff in the Department has membership in the: • American Evaluation Association (AEA) • European Evaluation Society (EES) • Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) • Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD) • Centre for Administrative Change (CAC) (India) and • Public Relations Society of India (PRSI). STUDENT PROFILE Some 30% of SPMGP students are drawn from very poor communities of whom 34% have performed exceptionally well at secondary school level. Therefore, the School contributes at the College 72nd percentile towards the UJ mission of socio-economic transformation. The School performs at a module success rate of 88%, which is 1% better than the College average. First-year dropout rate is recorded at 23% (4% higher than the College average). First-year throughput is a matter of concern. GRADUATE PROFILE The SPMGP contributed 382 graduates in 2017 (7% of College output) among which 240 undergraduate degrees, 137 honours and postgraduate diplomas, as well as five master’s graduates and two doctorates. Undergraduates represent 63% of all graduates and postgraduates, 37%. Of importance is “student throughput”. This measurement refers to the percentage of students who have achieved their qualification in minimum time. The SPMGP undergraduate throughput stands at 23% compared to the national benchmark of 25%, 77% for honours degrees and postgraduate diplomas (benchmark = 60%), and master’s at 24% (benchmark = 33%) and doctorates at 11% (benchmark = 20%). Undergraduate throughput needs more support. Several of the SPMGP honours, postgraduate diploma, master’s and doctoral students are appointed in senior research, academic and management positions in national state departments, provincial governments, metros, other municipalities, parliament, universities and institutes and business sector organisations nationally and internationally. KNOWLEDGE CREATION In 2017, the SPMGP contributed the equivalent of 31 subsidised credits, representing 8% of College output at a remarkable rate of 2,82 credits per Senior Lecturer Unit, well ahead of the College average of 0,90. Prof Christelle Auriacombe facilitated two research and publication workshops in 2017 in Rwanda (March and August) and played a pivotal role in supporting several research initiatives for researchers in Africa. The workshops contributed to six collaborative accredited publications as outcome of the workshops. Prof Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad received the Best Paper Presentation award for the paper “Workplace Spirituality for Improved Productivity: A Gendered Perspective” at the eighth International Conference on Social Sciences 2017. The UJ Library hosted a launch of Prof Shikha Vyas-Doorgapersad’s new book titled “Public Budgeting in African Nations: Fiscal Analysis in Development Management” on 1 November 2017, published by the Routledge Publisher in New York. The book is co-edited with Peter F Haruna, who is a Professor of Public Administration at the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical International University in America. The book is an integrated synthesis of studies from eleven African economies in a country-specific scenario. The Guest Speaker was Dr Sydney Mufamadi, former Minister for Provincial and Local Government, and now Director of the School of Leadership. The book makes a significant contribution towards expanding the theoretical and empirical understanding of public expenditure formulation and management in African context. This contribution reflects the views of academics in various African countries, and collectively, promote cross-border intellectual consciousness.
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