Virtual VC’s Open Lecture and other updates

03 July 2020 | Campus Announcement

Dear students and colleagues

This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent developments on campus.

1. Virtual VC’s Open Lecture

The first Vice-Chancellor’s (VC) Open Lecture for 2020 – which will also be the first in this series to be held online – will be presented by Colin Coleman, senior fellow and lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. The lecture is titled “From a two-speed economy to one for all South Africans”. It will take place on Wednesday, 15 July on the Microsoft Teams online platform. Please register online to attend the lecture.

Read the VC Desk: Virtual VC’s Open Lecture - Colin Coleman.

2. Update on COVID-19 cases at UCT

As at 1 July, UCT had 67 reported COVID-19 positive cases. These include 52 non-health sciences staff members and 15 students, of which five are Faculty of Health Sciences students on clinical platforms. The reported recoveries were 31 staff members and three students. There have sadly been five deaths – four staff members and one student.

Read the VC Desk: How UCT will report new cases of COVID-19 on campus.

3. Council concludes 2016-2020 term of office

The 2016-2020 Council’s term of office ended on 30 June, with the last meeting held on 20 June. The outgoing Chair of Council issued a statement reflecting on the term and addressing other matters. The Vice-Chancellor has, on behalf of the university, thanked Council for the hard work and energy to uphold the high standards that continue to keep UCT among the world’s top universities.

4. UCT Whistle-blowing Hotline update

The UCT Hotline continues to receive several calls pertaining to allegations of unethical conduct and, in some instances, what is perceived as fraud and corruption. In 2019, a total of 34 unique matters were reported to the hotline for investigation. An interesting aspect of the 2019 cases was the number of student-related issues. This demonstrates the university’s efforts to ensure greater awareness of the hotline to all key stakeholders. The UCT Whistle-blowing Hotline number is 0800 650 000. If there is any group, department or faculty that wants more information about the hotline and its operations, they can contact Shai Makgoba, UCT’s director of Risk, Compliance and Relationship Management, on 021 650 2754 or shai.makgoba@uct.ac.za for a presentation.

Read more on the UCT Whistle-blowing Hotline update.

5. A toolkit for supporting marginalised students

To assist students with complexities brought about by remote learning, the Office for Inclusivity and Change has developed a toolkit which aims to spark conversation around the needs of students who live in an environment that is not conducive to remote learning. The toolkit relies on data from the UCT Student Access Survey, relevant Statistics South Africa reports and conversations with students and staff. It also explores how race, gender, class and disability play a role in access to resources that are important for teaching and learning.