Employment equity and good people management practices cannot be separated. Fair, equitable, non-discriminatory and consistent HR practices are key to both the goals of employment equity and good people management. In addition, employment equity requires the removal of barriers to the employment, advancement and promotion of people from designated groups as well as affirmative action measures for these measures. Such measures include preferential treatment and setting of goals (but not quotas).

The following employment equity measures and programmes exist at Rhodes University:

Recruitment and Selection

To ensure that employment equity is considered in this process the following takes place:

• Chairs of Selection Committees are trained and receive written guidelines
• Before the Selection Committee meets, HR staff meet with HoDs to discuss the designated group that will be focused on in light of the department/division’s current demographics and EE plan
• Before advertising of a post, the Selection Committee agrees on the EE strategy as regards designated group to be targeted, media to be used and how often the post will be advertised if we are unable to find a suitably qualified candidate from the designated group identified
• Search processes are used

For related protocols please refer to: http://www.ru.ac.za/humanresources/policies/employmentequity/eeprotocols/

Accelerated Development Programme

This process focuses on the development of a new generation of academic staff. Young aspiring academics are employed on three year contracts with only a 50% teaching load, allowing them to focus on completing a qualification such as a PhD and/or to develop a research profile. Future, long-term employment is linked to upcoming retirements or new posts. Funding has been accessed in the past from the Mellon and Kresge Foundations and more recently, Rhodes has added its own funds to this initiative. Significant aspects of the programme that have contributed to success of these staff include a mentor within the department, the setting of a development plan and regular mentor reports on progress made as well as support from the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning.

For related protocols please refer to: http://www.ru.ac.za/humanresources/policies/employmentequity/eeprotocols/

Assistance to accelerate completion of degrees

There are a range of funds available e.g. Mellon Foundation and Claude Leon Foundation to relieve academics of their teaching responsibilities and to facilitate the taking of academic leave. This is leave over and above that to which they are entitled. This leave assists academics in the completing their degrees quicker and/or developing their research profile.

Kuyasa Internship Programme

This programme is the result of an extremely effective partnership with the Kuyasa school of the Mentally Challenged in Grahamstown. Graduating learners from this school who are ready to assume the responsibility of working are brought into the workplace under the guidance of a mentor. Upon successful completion of the internship, they are placed in permanent jobs at Rhodes. Successful placements have taken place in the kitchens, electrical engineering workshops and grounds and gardens.

Clerical Internship Programme and Caterer Internship Programme

Focusing on providing unemployed young adults with the critical work experience needed to secure future employment, this programme also provides a vital pipeline of prospective entry level clerical and catering staff to the University. Interns are placed in areas where the development of generic clerical and/or financial skills is possible and normally, within a job band where there is a turnover of staff. This allows for the long-term placement of interns who have successfully completed the programme. All interns have mentors and participate in the institution’s in-house training programmes. Current staff at Rhodes are also eligible to participate in the programme.

Graduate Internship Programme

Run along similar lines to the clerical internship programme, this programme employs intern graduates. Employment of such interns in some departments is linked to the department’s own succession planning and upcoming or anticipated vacancies.

Staff Development

In-house courses are run to assist staff in preparing for promotion and advancement. One example is the Supervisor’s certificate programme. Many of the job profiles for supervisor positions require the person to have one year’s experience or a supervisor’s certificate. Other staff development initiatives include continuing education funding to allow staff to study at other institutions, if they cannot study at Rhodes.

For more information on staff development, please refer to the Staff Development website: http://www.ru.ac.za/staffdevelopment/ 

Remuneration

Where necessary a premium of up to 10% on current remuneration is paid to attract members of designated groups to Rhodes University. The University is sensitive to trying to manage this external equity with internal equity remuneration issues.

Last Modified: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 08:49:32 SAST