UWC Archives Project: Building the Future, Remembering the Past
How can you know where you're going if you don't know where you've been? Never forget where you come from. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
You've heard the cliches – but there's a reason these sayings became so popular in the first place. That reason? The future really is rooted in the past...and UWC's past has been a long and winding road, from a “Bush college” offering limited training for Coloured people, to a home of the anti-apartheid left, to a cornerstone of the post-1994 South Africa, and one of Africa's finest higher education institutions.
That's a history worth preserving, and knowledge of that history can help guide us in future. The UWC Archives will not be a store room full of unwanted stuff being kept for sentimental reasons, but an important centre for research, history and administrative accountability.
The Archives Launch Project will identify, preserve and organise records of enduring value to help:
highlight new sources of funding (by using materials from past fundraising campaigns)
provide rich sources of research and historical information about UWC staff, students, alumni and prominent community figures
contribute to accountability and good governance (by providing access to past internal and external correspondence between the University and stakeholders)
ensure continuity and consistency in administration and operations (by showcasing meeting minutes, financial and legal documentation, and more)
The temporary home of the Archives is the Library Basement – but be ready for the grand opening on 23 September 2014.
Do you have any interesting photographs, posters, scripts, books or other material (legal documents, meeting minutes, University correspondence) that can help with this project? Or do you know of anyone else who does? Don't be shy – contact Mr Ulrich Meder at Documents, Records and Archives Management Services at umeder@uwc.ac.za and do your bit for the future by preserving our past.
