A stake in the ground for transformation

Sign here: VC and Principal, Prof Njabulo S Ndebele, signs the Transformation Charter of the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment. Also in the picture are (from left) Prof Martin Hall, Dr Marianne Vanderschuren and Prof Cyril O'Connor.

The Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment has formally adopted a transformation charter, one that will provide the faculty with a code of conduct in its ongoing transformation drive.

Dean Professor Cyril O'Connor said the transformation was a work in progress and described the charter as "an ideal that we strive for".

Speaking at the launch, O'Connor said the charter should be seen as a first attempt to address the wide range of activities that transformation embraces, including respect for ethnicity and religion, teaching, research and the rights of students.

"Today is a time for us to put a stake in the ground. From this stake we move forward," he told a gathering of faculty members, and university and student representatives. "This code of conduct will pervade all our activities."

Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Njabulo S Ndebele, said: "Transformation is not an add-on to what we do, but at the heart of everything we do."

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Martin Hall, who holds the transformation portfolio, said transformation wasn't a black issue or a woman's issue. "It's also a white issue and a man's issue."

The launch was also attended by the newly-elected chair of the faculty's Transformation Forum and of the executive committee, Dr Marianne Vanderschuren. In her presentation, Vanderschuren said the charter was a living document embodying the faculty's values and contributions towards national goals.