From the DVC’s Desk
A toolkit for supporting marginalised students
23 June 2020Dear colleagues and students
During the difficult period we are living through, it’s amazing how we have come together as a university community. Through community action networks, social media groups, chats and online forums, we’ve connected, collaborated and supported one another. In our personal lives and in our work, we’ve centred compassion and kindness and have quickly adapted to a new normal. Thank you for making these contributions and sacrifices.
At this moment, it’s important for higher education institutions to continue to centre inclusion and to make sure no one is left behind. To assist with this, the Office for Inclusivity & Change (OIC) has developed a toolkit which aims to spark conversation around the needs of students who live in an environment that is not conducive to remote learning.
Relying on data from the UCT Student Access Survey, relevant Statistics South Africa reports and conversations with students and staff, the toolkit explores how race, gender, class and disability play a role in access to resources that are important for teaching and learning. We live in a South Africa with deep socio-economic disparities, and this tool helps to deepen our thinking on these inequalities.
The infographics offer visual representations of the experiences and reflections of diverse and marginalised students. This toolkit may be useful for the university community as we reflect on the challenges we face in the current moment and shares ideas for how we can work together to deal with them. Think of the infographics as a springboard for conversations on how we can come together to make sure no one is left behind.
Kind regards,
Professor Loretta Feris
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Transformation
Associate Professor Lis Lange
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning
Professor Sue Harrison
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation
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