COVID-19 fund R20m target and other updates
24 June 2020 | Campus AnnouncementDear students
This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent developments on campus.
1. UCT targets R20m through COVID-19 fund
UCT set up a COVID-19 Emergency Fund in April 2020 to assist in the fight against the virus and its impact on the university community. The goal is to raise R20 million towards addressing urgent priorities related to staff and students during and after the lockdown.
The university is extremely grateful to donors who have already contributed more than R8.2 million towards the fund. These donations came from – among others – corporates, foundations, alumni and staff. The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, demonstrated her personal support by donating 20% of her salary to the fund for a three-month period. Other members of the UCT executive and several members of staff are also supporting the fund.
A donation of any amount will go a long way towards helping students complete the academic year and towards support measures for staff in this period. Donations can be made into a dedicated account or online.
2. Helping to unleash the new global university
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted higher education international activities and the financial models on which universities increasingly depend. But the previous model was already problematic, contributing to global warming and benefitting rich universities more than the poorer ones. UCT will on Monday, 29 June, host the first of a series of virtual events: Unleashing the New Global University. These virtual events will seize the moment to rethink global collaborations for a sustainable and equitable planet.
3. UCT Transformation Report for 2019
The 2019 Transformation Report was released this week. While it continues to demonstrate the university’s efforts in building a more inclusive and diverse institution, it also highlights for the first time how transformation benchmarks have been employed. These markers allow for the systematic tracking of progress in relation to transformation. It is hoped that the report can be adopted and used as a guiding framework to support transformation work in 2020 and beyond.
To mark the release of the report, a public panel discussion with some of the contributors to the report will be hosted on 3 July 2020.
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UCT’s response to COVID-19 in 2021
COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March 2020.
UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated regularly with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.
Commemorating a year of COVID-19
At midnight on 26 March 2020, South African went into the first nationwide hard lockdown. A year later, we remember those who have died and those who have been affected by COVID-19, as well as the pandemic’s effects across society and campus. We are especially grateful for the front-line health workers who have done so much for so many.
Frequently asked questions
In an email to the UCT community, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said:
“COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, is a rapidly changing epidemic. [...] Information [...] will be updated as and when new information becomes available.”
We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.