CORE VALUES

In pursuit of its Mission, WSU commits to the following values which are an affirmation of the eternal principles which will inform all dealings of the University:

• Academic Freedom
  In line with our vision and mission as an accountable institution, we acknowledge our right to exercise academic freedom in a responsible way, in teaching and learning, in research and in community service.

• Quality
  We commit to institution-wide quality management, value and reward excellence and uphold and protect the integrity of the University.

• Access and Success
  We provide equitable access to higher and continuing education at all stages of adult life to students who have a potential to succeed.

• Transformation
  We are committed to addressing equity imperatives, diversity, and entrepreneurship and to democratic governance.

• People Development
  We are committed to the optimum development of the human resources potential and leadership capacity of all staff.

• Caring University
  We commit to mutual respect, ubuntu, humility, good citizenship, student centredness and endorse and uphold all principles of Batho Pele* .

• Resource Consciousness
  We commit to utlising the University's resources prudently and responsibly at all times with a view to adding maximum value to the institution.

  *Batho Pele means People First:
  Batho Pele is a set of principles adopted by the public service as part of their commitment to good service and customer care.

WSU'S MANDATE

WSU will maintain the traditional role of a University as a centre of higher learning, where theroetical and other intellectual pursuits are combined to serve a larger and more specific role it has defined as that of a Developmental University, ascribing to itself the imperative of making a significant contribution to regional, national and continental development.

WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY's vision and mission is informed by the the National and Provincial Growth and Development strategies including:

• major regional resource centre of excellence in rural development and urban renewal
• access to knowledge by a diversity of learners and actors from mainly rural, poor and disadvantaged communities
• relevance to local, provincial, national and regional development through innovative curricula and learning processes, applied research and effective community partnership.

  Apart from the pre-eminence of the merger imperatives, the WSU will have to maintain a constant focus on the following broad areas:

• Responsiveness to and alignment with internal and external imperatives
• Alignment/Re-engineering of faculty programmes with all applicable higher education policies and the university's mission
• Develop a student access, retention and throughput strategy
• Embed quality in all the institution's systems and practice
• Viability of the institution, including the diversification of revenue streams
• Change the institutional culture in a fundamental way and define new strategies to improve staff morale by embedding the core values of the institution.