VC’s Student Support Fund and other updates

Dear students and colleagues

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

1. Vice-Chancellor’s Student Support Fund

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng has pledged to donate 10% of her salary every month to the soon-to-be-established Vice-Chancellor’s Student Support Fund. Professor Phakeng has committed to making this donation with effect from 1 July 2018, when she took office. The money raised through the fund will be used to assist UCT postgraduates who are in need of financial support.

There are a number of ways that UCT staff can support the university’s fundraising initiatives – more information is available on the Development and Alumni Department’s website. The Vice-Chancellor’s Student Support Fund will be administered by the Postgraduate Funding Office. If you would like to make contributions to the fund, please email Cindy De Oliveira or call 021 650 4825.

• Read more about the funding criteria and selection process...

2. Annual TB Davie Memorial Lecture

The 2018 TB Davie Memorial Lecture, hosted by the Academic Freedom Committee (AFC), will be presented by Professor Pumla Gqola, Dean of Research at the University of Fort Hare. The title of this year’s lecture is “Between Academic Inheritance and the Urgency of Definitions”.

Professor Gqola, an alumnus of UCT, has held many academic and research positions across South African universities and other institutions. Her body of scholarly work, which includes over 40 journal articles, conference proceedings and book chapters, has been recognised with awards, prizes and invitations to present keynote addresses.

She is an advocate for the rights of women and has written books on racism and feminist perspectives, among other things. Her work combines intellectual rigour with accessible and relatable reading.

Please join the AFC for the 52nd TB Davie Memorial Lecture with Professor Gqola on Wednesday, 15 August, at 18:00 in the New Lecture Theatre, Upper Campus, UCT.

More details will follow.

3. Network service interruptions

The Information and Communication Technology Services’ (ICTS) network renewal project continues this weekend, with more planned work to occur on Saturday, 28, and Sunday, 29 July. The work affects mostly the Medical School Campus, though eduroam may be impacted elsewhere. To minimise any inconvenience, please plan ahead.

ICTS apologises for any inconvenience caused.

• More details on this weekend’s work...
• Learn more about the project...

4. Disciplinary action against staff members

UCT is committed to a working environment of respect, collegiality and integrity. As with all workplaces, there are times when these values are not upheld and the institution must act against staff members. Below is a summary of university disciplinary processes that involve unlawful acts committed by UCT staff members. While disciplinary processes are strictly confidential, disclosure of this information ensures that the institution is aware of actions taken when complaints are laid through various channels.

In the past 12 months there have been 69 cases involving UCT staff members.

The various charges include sexual harassment (four cases), fraud (six cases), dishonesty-related charges (12 cases) and discrimination (one case). The outcomes of these cases were as follows:

• Sexual harassment: three findings of guilty – one with a sanction of dismissal, one with a sanction other than dismissal, one with a finding of guilt pending a sanction – and one matter still pending.
• Fraud: two findings of guilty with sanctions of dismissal, one finding of guilty with a sanction other than dismissal, and three findings of not guilty.
• Dishonesty-related charges: four findings of guilty with sanctions of dismissal, five findings of guilty with sanctions other than dismissal, and three findings of not guilty.
• Discrimination: one matter still pending.

The remaining 46 matters were either forms of minor misconduct or regarded as a breach of employment contract, where sanctions varied from sanctions of dismissal to sanctions other than dismissal.

Communication and Marketing Department

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• From the UCT Executive
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