VC visit boosts UCT Phonathon 2015

With the UCT Phonathon 2015 in full swing, Vice-Chancellor Max Price gave the student callers a welcome boost when he visited the call room a week into the month-long activity.

The UCT Phonathon is run by UCT's Development and Alumni Department over the winter break. It sees around 50 student callers reaching out to some 15 000 alumni across the world to share their experiences and encourage alumni to give to their alma mater.

Price's visit to the call room on 30 June, at the ICTS-on-Main building, allowed him to sit in on calls, and for the students to engage freely around some of the topical issues that were being raised by alumni.

After a week of calling, the phonathon has brought in pledges of R350 000 towards priority projects such as student financial aid, expanding residence capacity and promoting access for learners from disadvantaged communities.

The willingness of ICTS to accommodate the UCT Phonathon after hours has also meant that the students were able to get on with the job unhindered by the power outages experienced in South Africa at the moment.

Phonathon leader Jasmine Erasmus said: "We would like to thank Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) for making this space available to us. It allows us to maximise our efforts in connecting with alumni. Especially with the unexpected load shedding when the ICTS backup generators will continue to save the day."

The Phonathon ends on 16 July.

Photo by Je'nine May.