• Academic vision and planning within the College;
• Fostering and management of research;
• Promotion of multi-disciplinary teaching and research programmes;
• Selection of quality staff and their subsequent development;
• Selection of students into the College;
• Educational development within the College;
• All aspects of research and academic quality assurance;
• Participation in university decision-making, mainly at the executive level;
• Chairing of committees; and
• Administration of college finances.

He is the author of one book and more that thirty peer-reviewed SAPSE-accredited journal articles.

Besides his leadership role as part of the University Executive, Professor Rob Slotow is a Professor within the School of Biological and Conservation Sciences, with his research students and laboratory based on the Westville Campus. He is also the Director of the Amarula Elephant Research Programme, an official Research Unit at UKZN. He obtained his PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1993, and was appointed to the then University of Natal in 1996. His main areas of research are:
(1) Management of ecologically and economically important large mammals.
(2) Evolutionary and ecological processes driving biodiversity.
(3) Conservation management decision-making. Professor Slotow also has a strong interest in Curriculum development, and in processes to improve quality in teaching and learning.

Ms Nomonde Mbadi has obtained an MBA and has over 10 years experience in the Higher Education sector. She is the Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at the Durban University of Technology, a position she has held for the past six years. She held the position of Director of the Tabeisa Enterprise Centre – a community outreach initiative.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Nelson Ijumba is responsible for providing intellectual leadership and vision in the implementation of the University’s strategic goal of achieving pre-eminence in research. This entails development and enhancing capacity of young and experienced researchers, identification and establishment of appropriate centres of excellence, as well as nurturing innovative knowledge production endeavours.

Professor Vithal (BA(Hon)) (UDW), UHDE (with distinction) (UDW), BEd Hons (cum laude)(UN), MPhil (Cantab), dr. scient (Aalborg University Denmark)) is a highly regarded academic with an outstanding record of research and publications. She is recognized for her dynamic academic leadership in the field of Teaching and Learning. Her responsibilities include:

• Providing leadership on Teaching and Learning
• Developing University Teaching and Learning policies and monitoring consistent University wide implementation
• Curriculum transformation
• Implementing the Language Policy in relation to Teaching and Learning
• Quality Promotion and Assurance
• Promoting student access, throughput and success
• Supporting institutional research and promoting research-led teaching and learning in the University.

The Chief Finance Officer, Mr Hollie Clarkson (CA (SA), BCom (Rhodes), PG Dip Tax (Natal), PG Dip Forensic Auditing & Criminal Justice (Natal)) reports directly to the Vice-Chancellor, but is accountable also variously to the chairpersons of the University’s Finance Committee, the Audit and Risk Committee and the Resource Planning Committee. His responsibilitie include:

• Providing strategic leadership in respect of University finances
• Playing an advisory role to the University Council, the Vice-Chancellor, other members of Executive Management and key stakeholders, including the University’s subsidiaries and those externally-funded affiliated units administered by the University
• Timely, accurate and regular preparation, presentation and monitoring of the University’s budgets and for reporting on its financial performance and position by way of statutory financial statements and a variety of other reports as necessary
• Overseeing the operational management of the University Finance Division and the day-to-day activities of its staff on five campuses and within all four Colleges and support service divisions.

The Finance Division comprises approximately 150 posts within four Directorates, which are functionally responsible for the efficient and effective management of the portfolios listed below, the directors of which report directly to the Chief Finance Officer, as follows:

• Financial Planning and Operations
• Corporate and College Financial Services
• Student Financial Services
• Research Financial Services