Verona Demas of student administration chatted to Tukkievaria about her role at UP and how she works to streamline student enrolment.

Verona Demas, a highly experienced professional in student administration, plays a crucial role in managing applications, contracts and electronic document services at the University of Pretoria (UP). Her expertise ensures a seamless enrolment process for thousands of students each year.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I was born and raised in Pretoria and pursued my early education in the city before obtaining a degree in Information Technology from UP.w My passion for innovation and efficiency in digital systems led me to specialise in electronic document management and student administration.

Why were you drawn to UP?

I was drawn to UP for its dynamic and inclusive academic environment. The institution’s slogan, “Make Today Matter”, resonates with my belief in creating meaningful opportunities for students. I value the University's commitment to offering diverse career paths, ensuring that students can make informed academic choices.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities?

As a senior manager, I oversee critical functions that support the enrolment and student administration process. My role demands strong leadership, attention to detail and expertise in compliance, digital documentation and contract management.

My key responsibilities include enrolment management – which involves overseeing application processing, ensuring policy compliance and monitoring enrolment trends – and contract management, which involves reviewing student agreements, ensuring regulatory compliance and collaborating with legal teams to refine contracts.

I also ensure that there is secure record handling, and I promote digital transformation. Additionally, I conduct audits, ensure policy adherence and enhance process efficiency. Stakeholder engagement is another of my duties; this sees me coordinating with admissions, finance and information technology teams, and providing training and support to staff.

Process optimisation and system enhancement is yet another function that I perform, whereby I implement improvements in enrolment and document management, and integrate electronic services with institutional databases. Finally, I prepare enrolment reports, analyse trends, and ensure data integrity and confidentiality.

What sort of challenges do you encounter in your role, and how do you solve them?

Managing applications, contracts and electronic documentation comes with challenges, but I have implemented strategic solutions. For instance, when dealing with a high volume of applications, automated processing systems and validation tools driven by artificial intelligence (AI) streamline applications and minimise errors.

Digital contract management platforms improve accessibility, accelerate approvals and enhance compliance when I am faced with complexities related to contracts; as for system integration issues, choosing interoperable software solutions ensures seamless database connections and enhances operational efficiency.

Compliance tracking also poses a challenge. For this, audit trails and a dedicated compliance team ensure adherence to regulatory updates. When it comes to stakeholder coordination, I find a centralised communication system fosters collaboration between departments and improves applicant support.

I continuously seek to refine processes, by proposing key enhancements like the full automation of enrolments to eliminate manual errors and improve efficiency as well as smart workflow approvals for contracts to reduce delays and ensure compliance. I also try to strengthen system integration to enhance operational flow and data accuracy, and make use of AI-powered analytics for better decision-making and enrolment forecasting. Staff training is also vital to keep teams updated on new technologies.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?

I find great satisfaction in enhancing enrolment processes through digital transformation. Seeing the impact of automation and structured documentation in improving efficiency and student experience is highly rewarding. I also enjoy collaborating with various departments to ensure seamless operations and compliance.

Tell us about your least favourite part of the job.

Regulatory changes and compliance audits can be challenging due to their ever-evolving nature. However, I view them as opportunities to refine processes and ensure institutional efficiency.

What do you do in your free time?

I enjoy exploring digital innovations, reading about industry trends and spending time with my family. I am also passionate about travel and lifelong learning.