Dear Campus Community
Allow me to wish you a warm welcome back for the second semester of the 2023 academic year. We hope the well-deserved mid-year break has provided you with the positive energy and excitement to create a vibrant campus atmosphere following the success of our sports codes during the recently concluded USSA games. On 1 August, we will host the UWC Football Campus launch and we wish our teams all the best in their efforts.
We continue to pay close attention to the issue of student safety and security, and we will review the service with a view to developing a clear and proactive plan to mitigate the negative consequences of student robbery and threats to student lives. We are appealing to all students to remain vigilant when going to and from campus. We have introduced the additional shuttle service in designated areas so that students are not left vulnerable. The University team and the service provider are busy taking a closer look at the service and whether we are achieving the desired results within the available resources.
We remain optimistic about our ability to work together to ensure that we are responding to a number of pressing issues requiring our collective attention. There are planned student engagements to solicit their views and suggestions about the best way to improve their experience.
The issue of student accommodation remains a long-term challenge and the university team has already started planning for 2024 to ensure that additional bed spaces are secured for qualifying students.
The University is aware of the NSFAS decision that led to 644 students being defunded. Different offices are busy with ways of supporting affected students to mitigate the negative consequences of being defunded in the middle of the year. There is also a planned meeting with private accommodation providers to make sure that students are not evicted from where they stay and to try to find a collective solution. Where possible, some of the students who have moved out from their private accommodation are placed in empty spaces made possible by students who graduated and others who have completed their studies in June 2023.
As you know, the issue of “Direct Payment” by NSFAS has received so much media attention and the higher education sector has expressed strong views about this new process.
As we do not wish to see students being disadvantaged, we have made the space available for Norraco, a company appointed by NSFAS, to register students for direct payment, to operate from campus and attend to student queries. We invited NSFAS to engage UWC management and the student leadership with a view to elaborating further about the concerns regarding the envisaged changes. We hope to receive a response to this important meeting request.
There is a planned Student Convention scheduled for 29 July 2023 at the Jakes Gerwel Hall where students will debate and share their views about the student governance framework that will serve UWC students better. It is important to add your voice because elected student leaders are expected to serve students with honour, dignity and commitment. This process will be followed by the election of a new student leadership that will be expected to join hands with the University to continue with the work of improving the student experience, on and off campus.
I am pleased to announce that the University has secured funding from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The scholarships will help us recruit and fund successive cohorts of talented scholars nationally and from elsewhere on the continent to develop the next generation of African Thought Leaders.
The programme provides generous scholarship support to students who have been disadvantaged due to their particular circumstances, including economically disadvantaged students prejudiced through exclusionary government grants; economically-poor students from the continent and beyond; students with disabilities; and, refugees and displaced youth. Women students will be given priority access at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Despite the significant challenges posed by the energy crisis in South Africa and recent student protests, UWC has demonstrated remarkable resilience and achieved notable accomplishments.
Throughout its history, UWC has consistently strived for academic excellence and social transformation, and these efforts have not been in vain. UWC's commitment to providing quality education and fostering inclusivity has resulted in a diverse student body and a vibrant learning environment.
The University's focus on student-centred approaches and innovative teaching methods has produced graduates who are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to society.
Furthermore, UWC's research and innovation endeavours have continued to thrive amidst the challenges. The University's researchers have significantly contributed to various fields, addressing critical issues such as health disparities, climate change, and social justice.
Their valuable insights and groundbreaking discoveries have enriched academic knowledge and had tangible impacts on local communities and beyond. It is with this resolve that we face the many challenges that lie ahead and make us alive to finding solutions. We have to face them head on as a united front.
Kind regards,
Professor Tyrone Pretorius
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
Allow me to wish you a warm welcome back for the second semester of the 2023 academic year. We hope the well-deserved mid-year break has provided you with the positive energy and excitement to create a vibrant campus atmosphere following the success of our sports codes during the recently concluded USSA games. On 1 August, we will host the UWC Football Campus launch and we wish our teams all the best in their efforts.
We continue to pay close attention to the issue of student safety and security, and we will review the service with a view to developing a clear and proactive plan to mitigate the negative consequences of student robbery and threats to student lives. We are appealing to all students to remain vigilant when going to and from campus. We have introduced the additional shuttle service in designated areas so that students are not left vulnerable. The University team and the service provider are busy taking a closer look at the service and whether we are achieving the desired results within the available resources.
We remain optimistic about our ability to work together to ensure that we are responding to a number of pressing issues requiring our collective attention. There are planned student engagements to solicit their views and suggestions about the best way to improve their experience.
The issue of student accommodation remains a long-term challenge and the university team has already started planning for 2024 to ensure that additional bed spaces are secured for qualifying students.
The University is aware of the NSFAS decision that led to 644 students being defunded. Different offices are busy with ways of supporting affected students to mitigate the negative consequences of being defunded in the middle of the year. There is also a planned meeting with private accommodation providers to make sure that students are not evicted from where they stay and to try to find a collective solution. Where possible, some of the students who have moved out from their private accommodation are placed in empty spaces made possible by students who graduated and others who have completed their studies in June 2023.
As you know, the issue of “Direct Payment” by NSFAS has received so much media attention and the higher education sector has expressed strong views about this new process.
As we do not wish to see students being disadvantaged, we have made the space available for Norraco, a company appointed by NSFAS, to register students for direct payment, to operate from campus and attend to student queries. We invited NSFAS to engage UWC management and the student leadership with a view to elaborating further about the concerns regarding the envisaged changes. We hope to receive a response to this important meeting request.
There is a planned Student Convention scheduled for 29 July 2023 at the Jakes Gerwel Hall where students will debate and share their views about the student governance framework that will serve UWC students better. It is important to add your voice because elected student leaders are expected to serve students with honour, dignity and commitment. This process will be followed by the election of a new student leadership that will be expected to join hands with the University to continue with the work of improving the student experience, on and off campus.
I am pleased to announce that the University has secured funding from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The scholarships will help us recruit and fund successive cohorts of talented scholars nationally and from elsewhere on the continent to develop the next generation of African Thought Leaders.
The programme provides generous scholarship support to students who have been disadvantaged due to their particular circumstances, including economically disadvantaged students prejudiced through exclusionary government grants; economically-poor students from the continent and beyond; students with disabilities; and, refugees and displaced youth. Women students will be given priority access at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Despite the significant challenges posed by the energy crisis in South Africa and recent student protests, UWC has demonstrated remarkable resilience and achieved notable accomplishments.
Throughout its history, UWC has consistently strived for academic excellence and social transformation, and these efforts have not been in vain. UWC's commitment to providing quality education and fostering inclusivity has resulted in a diverse student body and a vibrant learning environment.
The University's focus on student-centred approaches and innovative teaching methods has produced graduates who are well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to society.
Furthermore, UWC's research and innovation endeavours have continued to thrive amidst the challenges. The University's researchers have significantly contributed to various fields, addressing critical issues such as health disparities, climate change, and social justice.
Their valuable insights and groundbreaking discoveries have enriched academic knowledge and had tangible impacts on local communities and beyond. It is with this resolve that we face the many challenges that lie ahead and make us alive to finding solutions. We have to face them head on as a united front.
Kind regards,
Professor Tyrone Pretorius
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
