Arts faculty celebrates academic excellence at this years Dean's Merit Awards

“Humble people with brains can achieve a lot in life - intelligence that cannot admit when it is wrong, intelligence that is uncompassionate, will not have the best results.”

So said Professor Duncan Brown, Dean of the University of the Western Cape’s (UWC’s) Arts Faculty, speaking at the annual Arts Dean’s Merit Awards Ceremony on Thursday, 18 May 2017.

The Awards celebrated the academic excellence of the Faculty’s top undergraduate and post graduate students for 2016. Joining the Dean in presenting the awards was Arts Faculty Manager, Sue McWatts, who marked the night as having one of their biggest turnouts since they started honouring students in this way.

“It is very heart-warming to see this venue packed to its maximum capacity after a difficult time in higher education over the past two years with the Fees Must Fall protests,” Prof Brown said, welcoming students, staff, and friends and family to the event.

“It must have been one of the toughest journeys for students,” he noted, “but also for those who had to follow up and pick up the slack for the students, and tonight we would like to honour and thank you too.”

All the Top Arts Students for 2016 achieved an aggregate above eighty percent for the year. The top three spots were taken by Robert Marshall (top first-year student), Jessica Elizabeth Fuller (top second-year student) and Dominique Ansie Goch - who not only took the top third-year position, but also received overall Top Achiever Award for the Arts Faculty in 2016.

Professor Brown’s speech touched on the importance of humility for someone who has a university degree - and for those who had managed to achieve so much at UWC.

“You are getting this certificate today because you are intelligent,” he remarked, “but intelligence is something that must be treated with the utmost humility. Celebrate your achievements as you deserve to do - but try to stay humble.”