Honouring staff at UCT Annual Awards

Dear colleagues and students

On Wednesday, 2 December 2020, just over 300 University of Cape Town (UCT) colleagues will walk the virtual red carpet as we honour them in various prestigious categories at the UCT Annual Awards.

Now in their third year, the UCT Annual Awards recognise and acknowledge outstanding achievements of our extraordinary staff members, who are celebrated at a glittering ceremony in a joyous communal celebration of the university’s overall excellence.

The categories in which staff are honoured are an amalgamation of what had been various existing awards previously held at different points and in different functions at the university. However, these have now been brought together under an inclusive single umbrella for a truly befitting and wider recognition of UCT staff members. These categories are the Ad Hominem Promotions, Alan Pifer Award, Distinguished Teacher Awards and Long Service Awards.

Last year, we introduced three new categories that aim to recognise staff members who make an outstanding contribution to the university’s mission and objectives through innovation or improvement in services, and/or sustained exceptional performance in an area or areas beneficial to the university and its strategic imperatives. These categories are Service Excellence, Global Citizenship and Transformation awards.

This year, in particular, we recognise all the hard work, dedication and exceptional efforts by staff members during a particularly different and difficult period. We have as the executive continually recognised how hard all staff members have worked since we have had to operate under the conditions imposed by the pandemic. This year’s staff awards are but one of the ways through which we will recognise staff, albeit we will be the first to admit that although we are limited to just awarding the 300 or so colleagues, there are many more who are worthy of recognition.

Although we are not going to have a physical ceremony that has now become synonymous with the university calendar at this time of the year, having a virtual event comes with the added advantage of widened access for all members of the UCT community to be part of this grand event. The event will be broadcast online.

I invite you all to join in for this celebratory moment.

Date: Wednesday, 2 December 2020

Time: 18:00

We are looking forward to having you as part of the event as we fete and felicitate the recipients of this year’s accolades.

Sincerely

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements