Wamkelekile, Welkom
Suspension of SRC members and other updates
06 July 2017
Dear students and colleagues
This campus announcement aims to inform members of the University of Cape Town community about:
1. Suspension of SRC members
The UCT Students’ Representative Council has suspended two of its members following allegations of rape and sexual harassment. These alleged incidents have been brought to the attention of the university and are urgently being investigated. UCT is pursuing this matter urgently and we appeal to all to allow the legal processes to follow due course.
2. Graduation to take place next Friday
UCT will stage three graduation ceremonies on Friday, 14 July. Approximately 900 students will graduate on the day, including almost 150 PhDs. UCT will confer an honorary doctorate on social justice activist Zackie Achmat. Achmat will also be the speaker at the 09:00 ceremony, while the keynote address at the 14:00 ceremony will be delivered by Nedbank Group Executive Ciko Thomas.
Professor David Chidester of the Department of Religious Studies will receive the UCT Book Award at the 09:00 ceremony for his 2014 book, Empire of Religion: Imperialism and Comparative Religion. Internationally acclaimed concert pianist, Associate Professor Francois du Toit from the South African College of Music will also receive the UCT Creative Works Award at the same ceremony.
3. Free Education Planning Group: Call for advisers and student researchers
The Free Education Planning Group (FEPG) is a UCT-community initiative that recently released research and facilitated a round of workshops across the university exploring the demand for free decolonised education. The FEPG would like to begin a second round of research, which will focus on international comparisons, the government’s proposed model and building alternatives.
All students are encouraged to apply to be part of the student research team. The deadline for application is 11 July 2017.
The FEPG believes that input by members of the campus community must shape what a free decolonised education means for universities. If any member of the UCT community would like to advise the team through the FEPG research subcommittee, please forward details to Ihsaan Bassier. This advisory capacity would most likely involve a one-hour weekly meeting for the next eight weeks.
4. Call for submissions for the 2017 Innovation Grant: Water Security
Last year, the Joint Task Team that coordinates the work of the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC)–Western Cape Government (WCG) partnership introduced an innovation grant of R 100 000. The purpose of this grant is to encourage university researchers, in partnership with WCG policymakers, to consider new approaches, methodologies and interventions for addressing the seemingly intractable challenge of ensuring water security and the need to plan for and support sustainable and inclusive development. University researchers are invited to submit proposals for innovative work in areas related to the challenges associated with water security.
5. Appointment of new IPD director
UCT has appointed Ms Tamara Kenny Bezuidenhout as director of the Institutional Planning Department with effect from 1 September 2017. Ms Bezuidenhout will join UCT from AFDA (the South African School of Motion Picture and Live Performance) where she has been serving as provost (institutional registrar) since January 2016. She has over 17 years’ experience in the higher education sector, seven of which were spent in teaching and educational management in higher education institutions, and nine of which were spent at the Council on Higher Education (CHE), where she held various positions.
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