Campus announcements
December 2022 graduation and other updates
15 December 2022Dear colleagues and students
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is hosting the December 2022 graduation ceremonies from 14 to 15 December 2022. Read about this and other recent developments on campus.
1. December 2022 graduation celebration
The university’s summer graduation ceremonies got underway on 14 December, with four ceremonies taking place outside Sarah Baartman Hall.
The ceremonies are also live-streamed on the UCT News website (accessible from the UCT graduation web page) or the university’s social media platforms: Facebook and Twitter.
During the Faculty of Health Sciences ceremony, on 15 December, the university will bestow high academic honours in the form of a degree awarded honoris causa on Professor Laetitia Rispel, a nurse by profession.
2. UCT Summer School 2023
In less than a month the UCT Summer School 2023 – the largest public education programme of its kind in Africa which brings together academics, industry experts, thought leaders and audiences from around the world – will get underway. The event will be back in-person with an exciting programme from 9 to 28 January 2023
Celebrating its 73rd year in 2023, the school will continue its culture of presenting world-class lectures and courses in art, music, history, current affairs, medicine, science, literature and information technology.
For further enquiries please contact Dr Medee Rall.
- Visit the Summer School website.
- Book your spot through Webtickets.
- Download the 2023 Summer School brochure.
3. Amathuba progress and what lies ahead for 2023
UCT’s new digital learning platform, Amathuba was implemented during the first semester of 2022. A total of 41 pilot courses were taught on Amathuba to trial the platform. Just over 200 first-year courses will be launched on Amathuba in the first semester in 2023. More than half of the first-year courses have been successfully migrated and converted to Amathuba. The Centre for Innovation in Learning & Teaching (CILT) is working closely with first-year course convenors, teaching staff and administrators to complete the migration and conversion of as many of the remaining first-year courses.
There are various support options available for course convenors, teaching or administrative staff for first-year courses, or site owners of first-year academic student support sites. These include Amathuba Guided Training and recording of training for course teaching staff and administrators; additional guided training for teaching staff and administrators starting in the week of 9 January 2023, and Amathuba stand-alone webinars available on the CILT YouTube channel.
For further support, please email the CILT Helpdesk or call 021 650 5500 (between 09:00 and 17:00, from Monday to Friday).
4. Reconvened Council Meeting of 9 December 2022
A reconvened special meeting of the UCT Council was held on 9 December 2022. Council focused its deliberations on the resolution taken in its October 2022 meeting in finalising the constitution of the panel and timeframes for delivery of its findings, conclusions and recommendations. Council has granted the panel a tight timeframe to conclude its work, commencing no later than 23 January 2023.
5. Update on UCT’s Vice-Chancellor
The Chair of Council recently provided an update on Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, who was hospitalised recently. She was discharged from hospital on 9 December. Council has granted the VC additional time ahead of her planned annual leave. The VC took up Council’s offer and will return to office on 9 January 2023.
Professor Elelwani Ramugondo, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Transformation, Student Affairs and Social Responsiveness, is serving as acting VC.
6. Reminder: TB Davie Lecture – call for nominations
Staff and students have just less than a week to nominate speakers for the 2023 TB Davie Memorial Lecture. Hosted by the Academic Freedom Committee, the lecture is an important event in UCT’s calendar. It is also an opportunity to affirm and clarify the values of academic freedom in the contemporary context, and to stimulate debate.
Nominations, which should not exceed three pages, should include a brief curriculum vitae of the nominated speaker. Please submit nominations to Dee Benjamin by no later than Wednesday, 21 December 2022.
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