Student Wellness Drive and other updates

Dear students and colleagues

This campus announcement aims to inform members of the University of Cape Town community about:

1. Student Wellness Drive

The Student Wellness Service (SWS) Wellness Drive is taking place this week at the Memorial Hall and Plaza. The SWS team is raising awareness and offering health screenings, alongside the displays of a host of internal and external stakeholders such as the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Cape Mental Health, the South African National Council on Alcoholism (SANCA), and other non-governmental organisations.

• Read the full Wellness Drive programme.

For more information, contact Thembakazi Makwakwa on 021 650 4965, or Ingrid Smith on 021 650 4819.

2. The Vice-Chancellor’s research initiatives

As part of celebrating National Women’s Month, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng launched three new substantial research awards focusing on gender issues. The awards were launched during the Vice-Chancellor’s ‘For Womxn by Womxn’ event, held at Graça Machel Hall on 8 August 2018. UCT Chancellor Mrs Graça Machel and former UCT Vice-Chancellor Dr Mamphela Ramphele joined Professor Phakeng at the podium.

The three awards, which are each worth up to R1.5 million annually for five years, are:

1. An award for womxn by womxn, which focuses on conducting research in fields of study in which womxn are in short supply
2. An award for womxn by womxn on womxn, which is for conducting research in an area of study that focuses on womxn’s issues, and can include the intersection of gender with other marginalised identities
3. An award on reimagining gender, which will support research in an area of study that focuses on transgender or nonconforming gender issues.

• Watch the video of the ‘For Womxn by Womxn’ event.
• Apply for one of the research awards focusing on gender issues.

3. IRTC engagements

This week, the Institutional Reconciliation and Transformation Commission (IRTC) is engaging with all faculties and professional, administrative support and service (PASS) departments, as well as student and leadership structures, to inform the campus community about the second phase of the work of the IRTC, which is to understand the call for transformation and the need for reconciliation in line with issues identified in the IRTC terms of reference.

The IRTC will use these engagements to deal with any other issues that might have arisen during the course of the proceedings to date. It will provide an opportunity for the IRTC to get a sense of how its work so far has been perceived. The IRTC urges you to take this opportunity to hear more about its work and to inform the commission of your vision for the upcoming hearings.

Any enquiries should be submitted to Candice Amon (candice.amon@uct.ac.za) on 074 505 4159.

• Read the schedule of IRTC engagements.

4. UCT Whistle-Blowing Hotline update

UCT has launched the ‘Speak Up Now!’ campaign. It aims to encourage people to blow the whistle when they become aware of unethical conduct or fraud involving UCT staff members, students or third parties. UCT is committed to a culture of zero tolerance towards fraud, corruption and irregular behaviour.

• Read the notice on the Whistle-Blowing Hotline update.

Communication and Marketing Department

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements