Melissa Lubelihle Sibanda

I have gathered extensive experience at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, which I believe has equipped me with skills pertinent to lecturing in Housing Development. As an Academic Development Officer since January 2024 to date, I have guided students through orientation, curriculum advice, and academic monitoring using ITS, SMS, and Moodle. My tenure as a Building Surveyor involved assessing and auditing physical spaces across campuses, providing insights into facility utilization. From March 2021 to December 2023, I supported undergraduate teaching as an Academic Tutor, assisting with module assessments and coordination. I have also served as an Academic Mentor within the College of Humanities for 6 years. Additionally, my role as a Research Assistant entailed data collection and policy analysis, further enriching my understanding of housing-related research methodologies.

Key Skills

Mentoring
Learner-centred Teaching
Moodle, SMS and ITS Systems
Research

Professional Experience

Dec 2023
Present
Academic Development Officer
University of KwaZulu Natal Durban, ZA
Orientation and induction of First-Time Entry (FTENs) honours and postgraduate
diploma students, Assist with providing curriculum advice, Opening and maintaining
files of students accessing academic monitoring services; Referring students with
psycho-social, health, housing, student fees, funding, and financial issues to
appropriate student support services; Assisting students with the completion of
Academic Appeals forms, Submission of reports and Perform any other duties
deemed necessary for the AMS Programme by the Head of AMS/ Teaching and
Learning, or Dean of Teaching and Learning.
Oct 2022
Feb 2023
Building Surveyor
University of KwaZulu Natal Durban, ZA
Coordinating the assessment and auditing of assignable and non-assignable physical
spaces across all UKZN campuses, Assessing the usage and occupation of university
physical spaces, Capturing collected data using Microsoft Excel, Compiling and
presenting evaluation reports for the space audit project.
Feb 2021
Dec 2023
Academic Tutor
University of KwaZulu Natal Durban, ZA
Support teaching in the discipline across undergraduate and postgraduate levels if
required, Assist with the marking of modules assessments under the supervision of
academic staff in the discipline and Assist the module coordination and administration as required by the discipline.
Jan 2021
Dec 2022
Residence Assistant
Univeristy of KwaZulu Natal Durban, ZA
Liaise with students in my hall of residence, Providing mentoring and supportive
assistance, Assist Residence Administrators with administration admissions,
Implementing residence rules, Initiate and Implementing residence life programs,
Responsible for the execution of fire drills and emergency evacuation procedures, and Providing assistance during medical emergencies.
Dec 2020
Dec 2022
Research Assistant
University of KwaZulu Natal Durban, ZA
Collecting data, Transcribing, Data and Policy Analysis, and Jotting down relevant
notes.
Sep 2019
Dec 2019
Junior Assistant/ Managing Assistant
Global Future Project Consulting Durban, ZA
Office and site administration; Human Resource Management; Facilitate site workers
and day-to-day operations; Site assessment and quotations; Sales and assisting
clients; Meeting preparations; Responsible for workplace maintenance; Daily reports
and filling; Documenting companys activities and Online marketing and sales.
Jan 2018
Dec 2023
Academic Mentor
University of KwaZulu Natal Durban, ZA
Facilitate Mentorship Workshops, Arrange and Facilitate One on One
Consultations with Students, Provide scaffolding and psychosocial support to students and monitor their academic progress.

Education

Jan 2018
Jan 2023
Master of Housing in College of Humanities
University of KwaZulu Natal
Jan 2015
Dec 2017
Bachelor of Social Sciences in College of Humanities
University of KwaZulu Natal

Certifications

2024
TraintheTrainer
TrainYouCan
2023
Accessor Course
TrainYouCan
2021
Occupational Health and Safety
University of Cape Town
2024
Property Management
University of Cape Town

Achievements

2024
Conference Presentation
2024 UKZN International Summer School: eParticipation and Policy Modelling in
South Africa
2024
Conference Presentation
2024 NEST Conference: Inequality and Sustainability
2024
Conference Presentation
2024 BRICS RI Research Conference: Growth and Sustainability of Livelihood in
the BRICS Countries: Knowledge Sharing in Social Justice, Governance, and
Multilateralism.
2024
Conference Presentation
2024 Conference on Public Innovation, Development and Sustainability.
2024
Publication
Integrating Renewable Energy Technology (RET) in the Global South: Mitigating
Climate Change and Promoting Socio-Economic Development, BRICS. (Pending)
2024
Publication
An analysis of Cooperation and Social Equity in Sustainable Development using
South Africa as a Case Study: Legal and Management Practices in an Expanded
BRICS Framework, Contemporary World Economy. (Pending)
2024
Publication
Harnessing Renewable Energy Technology (RET) for Innovation and Sustainable
Development in the Post-COVID-19 Era, ePPMOSA. (Pending)
2024
Publication
 Beyond Shelter: Innovative Housing Policies and Affordable Solutions for Youth Homelessness. A case study of eThekwini Municipality, South Africa,  2025PACSE  (Pending)
2024
Publication
 Social Equity in Housing and Human Settlements Amidst Energy Poverty in Africa,  2025PACSE  (Pending)

Languages

IsiZulu
(Fluent)
Isixhosa
(Fluent)
SeSotho
(Fluent)
English
(Fluent)

Get in touch with Melissa Lubelihle