report on corporate governance
1. Introduction The Council of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is responsible for the governance of the University, and provides strategic leadership to the University, based on the University’s long-term plans as expressed in its Strategic Plan and objectives, which role is separate from the operational leadership role performed by the Management of CPUT.
2. Statement on governance The Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997) (the Act), which regulates higher education, inter alia, provides for the establishment of higher education institutions and various institutional governance structures, which include Council; Senate; the Vice-Chancellor; SRC; IF; and such other structures and offices as may be determined by the institutional statute (Section 26(2) of the Act). The CPUT Statute (the Statute), amplifies the responsibilities imposed by the Act, and provides, inter alia, that “the Council governs the University subject to the Act and the Statute and has general control of its affairs and functions”. The Council monitors the University’s overall mission and strategy. It oversees the governance of the Institution, and protects the Institution’s long-term sustainability and reputation. The Council is furthermore guided by governance principles, protocols and practices provided for in the King IV Corporate Governance principles, and as such, is committed to the principles of ethical and effective leadership, sustainable development, effective control, and stakeholder inclusivity and responsiveness, as advocated in the King IV Report. The Senior Management, under the leadership of the ViceChancellor, oversees the daily activities of the University, and reports and accounts to the Council on the University operations. There is a clear separation of roles between the Chairperson of Council and the Vice-Chancellor, which is expressly indicated in the Act, Statute, as well as the Council Charter, and the Code of Conduct for Council and Members of the Council. The strength of the current Council has been its diversity of membership in respect of backgrounds, culture, gender, expertise, skills, and competencies. Council appointed members to various Council committees based on their area of expertise and competencies relative to the Terms of Reference of a particular committee of Council, which ensured that CPUT has the requisite expertise to run a complex institution efficiently. Council has furthermore, through the Governance and Ethics Committee, appointed a number of external people with the necessary skills and competencies to serve on relevant committees without being Members of Council. The principles of stakeholder inclusivity are provided through the internal membership, which comprises both staff and students of the University, thereby ensuring that the needs, expectations and perspectives of all the stakeholders are considered in decisionmaking processes, at the governance level.
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