UCT broadens inclusivity through gender-neutral titles and other updates

Dear students and colleagues

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

1. UCT broadens inclusivity through gender-neutral titles

The University of Cape Town recently adopted the Inclusivity Policy for Sexual Orientation. This policy sets out guidelines to inform and educate UCT staff and students in terms of making appropriate choices on the use of terminology in teaching practice, communication, health care and administrative services.

One outcome of this has been the adoption of a more inclusive approach to titles on an ongoing basis. As such, the university has made provision for both current and prospective students to choose their honorific title, or to choose no title.

• Read the Inclusivity Policy for Sexual Orientation.
• Read the VC Desk on gender-neutral titles.

2. Inaugural Lecture: Professor Neil Armitage

The next Vice-Chancellor’s Inaugural Lecture will be presented by Neil Armitage, Professor of Civil Engineering and deputy director of the Future Water research institute at UCT. The lecture, titled “After the water crisis: How to turn Cape Town into a water-sensitive city”, will take place on 17 October 2018 at Lecture Theatre 2, Kramer Law Building, Middle Campus. It will start at 17:30 (doors open at 17:00). Please RSVP for the lecture by Tuesday, 16 October.

• Read the VC Desk on the Inaugural Lecture.

3. Call for applications/nominations for UCT’s Social Responsiveness Award (2018)

UCT has established a distinguished Social Responsiveness Award alongside the equivalent awards for teaching and research. This provides a clear institutional signal to members of the university that social responsiveness is an important institutional activity. The award is open to individual staff and formal or informal groupings within the university.

Nominations and applications for the Social Responsiveness Award should be submitted to Sonwabo Ngcelwane, Room 204, Research Office, 2 Rhodes Avenue (corner of Main Road), Allan Cormack House, Mowbray, 7700 or sonwabo.ngcelwane@uct.ac.za no later than 2 November 2018.

• Read the DVC Desk on the Social Responsivenss Award 2018.

4. Student Representative Council election results

The final results of the Student Representative Council elections held from 17 to 28 September 2018 have been issued. Fifteen candidates were duly elected. There was a total of 41 candidates and a higher voter turnout was recorded compared to the 2017 elections.

• See the SRC election results.

5. Curriculum Change Framework feedback

The Curriculum Change Working Group (CCWG) has completed the work it initiated in 2016 and its report, the Curriculum Change Framework, has been released for comment. Engaging with the report is a fundamental step in an institutional dialogue about curriculum and the meanings and practices of curriculum change across disciplines.

• Read the DVC Desk on the Curriculum Change Framework.

Communication and Marketing Department

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements