CHALLENGES FACED BY THE

REGISTRAS OFFICE IN MANAGING,

PRESERVING AND MAINTAINING

STUDENTS RECORDS AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND

By Ntombifuthi Mncwango

University of Zululand

outline

• Introduction

• Purpose and problem of the study

• Objectives

• Research methodology

• Result and discussions

• Conclusion and recommendations

Introduction • No proper business can survive without making records of its

activities and also no office could operate successfully if it had to rely on memory alone to keep track of every transaction.

• Managing and maintaining student records address the range issues as the students make a lot of mistakes in completing their personal details in their records.

• Student records enable the university or colleges to be able to recall what was done by the students throughout the whole year, for example by preserving students exam scripts, assignment, together with their academic records.

Purpose and Problem of the study • The study aimed at investigating the challenges faced by the

registrar’s office in managing, maintenance and preservation of student record at university of Zululand.

• Students at the University of Zululand are not aware of the use and importance of records, they are making a lot of mistakes in completing their biographies in their records and that cause a problem in managing and maintaining their records by the registrar’s office.

• During registration, the lack of file covers often cause problems based on maintaining the student’s records. File cover helps properly organise records, so it then becomes difficult to organise records.

Objectives

• To determine what types of records are kept in the registry’s office.

• To find out where the registry’s office store and preserve their records.

• To investigate the challenges encountered when managing students records.

• To determine whether or not there are trainings that the registry’s staff attend.

Research Methodology

• Qualitative and quantitative

• Survey

• Questionnaires

• Focus of the study was directed to the Registrars Office staff

• Purposive sampling was used to select 12 respondents from the Registrars Office

Registrars Office Employees included in the study.

Department Number of Respondents

Office of the Registrar 1

Academic administration 1

Policy development and secretariat

1

Admission 3

Assessment management 2

Certification 1

Students Records 2

Student Administration 1

Total 12

Results and Discussions • To determine what types of records are kept in the registry’s

office.

Types of records

Students registration documentation (checklist they include their biography and

proof of payment)

Pay roll records

Examination records ( examination script) Examination time table

Policy files University calendar

Graduation records Schedules

University publications Agenda or minutes

Students statement of account Admission records

Students result ( academic records)

Results and Discussions Cont… • To find out where the registry’s office store and

preserve their records.

• Seven respondents kept their records in electronic media and also in the cabinets.

• Five respondents kept their records in the storeroom.

• The respondents indicated that the space at the storeroom is too small because there are other material such as old computers, chairs, vacuum cleaner and many more.

Percentage of records that are stored electronically and manually

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

electronic records paper records

Results and Discussions Cont…

• To investigate the challenges encountered when managing students records.

• There is no clear policy that guides the management of records at the University of Zululand.

• Students submit their records later than the expected time.

• Lack of materials to use in managing the students records

• Lack of knowledge of the existing classification scheme (Only five respondents have knowledge of the classification scheme)

• Respondents does not have any qualifications about records management.

Results and Discussions Cont…

• To determine whether or not there are staff trainings or workshops offered by the registry’s Office.

• The respondents were then asked how often they attend records management workshops Seven (7) 58% of respondents indicated that they attend twice a year and three (3) 25% indicate that they attend once a year, while two (2) 17% they did not attend any training or workshop

Conclusions and Recommendations

• The university lack professional and qualified records management staff, resulting in the poor management of records.

• The insufficient space in preserving the students records in the storeroom also need to be improved because the majority of respondents state that the space in the storeroom is getting smaller and smaller in every academic year.

• There is a vast need of a policy governing the management of records at the University of Zululand.

• Though the University also use the ITS module as part of records management, there is a need to also train the staff on records management and also making use of the South African National Archives Policy .

CONCLUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION CONT... • It is recommended that the store room should be the place to

preserve records only not other unnecessary materials.

• Records should be kept in a save environment to protect against loss or damage.

Conclusion and Recommendation cont… • Records management is a place that need to be run by

experienced professionals who will know what has to be done and when.

• Therefore it is recommended that the university(expecially the Registrars office and Records manager)should train the Registrars office staff and the workshop will also be advantageous so that they can always get new information about managing student records.

THE END...

• THANK YOU

• DANKIE

• NGIYABONGA