Staff survey on remote teaching and other updates

26 August 2020 | Campus Announcement

Dear colleagues

This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent developments on campus.

1. Staff survey on emergency remote teaching

With the second semester under way, staff working in academic units are invited to share insights and experiences on emergency remote teaching and learning through the UCT Staff Experiences Survey for Term 2, 2020.


2. UCT’s COVID-19 cases update

Since the last update, UCT now has 92 reported COVID-19 cases among non-health sciences staff members as at 25 August. The number of staff recoveries has increased to 76. The university has 35 reported student cases, including 10 Faculty of Health Sciences students on clinical platforms. Ten members of the UCT community – nine staff and one student – have sadly lost their lives during this period.


3. Taking a stance against SGBV and remembering Uyinene

High levels of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) remain a great concern in the country, a challenge that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. UCT remains committed to dealing with SGBV cases through a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of sexual violence and/or sexual harassment. This Women’s Month, the UCT community remembers our late student, Uyinene Mrwetyana, whose life was brutally taken away on 24 August 2019. The university executive will keep on improving services and the response to this scourge through improved SGBV management and awareness.


4. Call for proposals: TLC2020

The 2020 Teaching and Learning Conference (TLC2020) provides an opportunity to check in with UCT colleagues, hear about their experiences and those of their students, and consider ways to transform teaching and learning at UCT during, and well beyond, the pandemic.

Proposals are welcomed for presentations, conversations and workshops that highlight hopeful paths to changing academic and student identities and where the university is heading during and beyond the current crisis.

TLC2020, as a first online conference, will support a range of formal and informal interactions that reaffirm and grow the UCT teaching and learning community.


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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.