Background
The Student Affairs Unit (hereinafter called the Unit) is responsible for the organization, coordination and administration of various non-academic aspects, social welfare and personnel services for students registered in the University.  These include student governance, accommodation, general counselling and career guidance, disciplinary control, sport and recreation, social welfare (i.e. health, security, hardship, and laundry), horticultural aspects (i.e. campus hygiene and sanitation, refuse collection and amenity) and the orientation of new students.  The Unit also exercises patronage over the Students Union (UNZASU) and the student clubs/associations/societies (hereinafter called the student organizations).

There are six distinct departments in the Unit, viz Central Office, Student Welfare and Residences, Counselling Centre, Sports and Recreation,  Ridgeway Campus Office and Horticultural Department.  The latter was acceded to the Unit in January 2008 having been supervised under the Deputy Vice Chancellor’s office previously.  The functional capacity of the Unit is discharged through seven operational committees, namely Departmental Heads Committee, Student Residences Committee, Student Board of Discipline, Business Premises Allocation Committee, Student Hardship Fund Committee, Student Orientation Committee, and Staff Disciplinary Committee.  Membership on some of the operational committees integrate representatives from UNZASU and some Schools (i.e. Law, Education, Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences), and the Registrar’s Office.  Most of the committees are chaired by senior members of staff in the Unit.

The heads of departments and chairpersons of operational committees are answerable to the Dean of Students who is the professional and administrative head of the Unit.  The Dean is answerable to the Vice-Chancellor.

Vision
The Unit’s vision is rooted in the mitigation for a conducive learning and living environment and the improvement of infrastructure and facilities with a view to enhancing non-academic aspects, social welfare and personnel services for students registered in the University.

Mission
The Student Affairs Unit is enunciated under Article 35 of the University Act № 11 of 1999.  As articulated in the Act, the mission of the Unit is to exercise overall responsibility for the organization, coordination and administration of the various non-academic aspects, social welfare and personnel services for students registered in the University.  The guiding principles of the Unit’s mission in relation to the vision of the University are inclusiveness, appropriateness, responsiveness, accountability, transparency, social justice and fairness, proaction and zero tolerance to corruption.

Goals
The primary goals of the Unit are:

• To implement strategies and policies related to student governance and personnel services, general counselling services, life skills and career development, social welfare amenities, and disciplinary control.
• To foster students’ participation in sporting, recreation and socio-cultural activities for the enhancement of their personal development, growth and potential.
• To improve and develop infrastructure and systems to support the level of expansion in student enrolment.
• To re-assert the University’s image as a national centre of excellence and service through improved information flow and communication between the various structures of the University.