Price welcomes new staff

Networking: VC Dr Max Price mixed and mingled with new staff including Andiswa Miza, Sylvia Paulson and Zandile Khuzwayo at a Staff Welcoming Function.

Vice-chancellor, Dr Max Price, hosted a Staff Welcoming Function on 7 April to meet new staff members, encourage them to feel at home and to help make UCT a better working place.

Price noted that the function, the first of its kind, was designed to make the new employees feel comfortable to approach him with issues, and to network and make new friendships.

"A survey found that Cape Town companies can't recruit people from outside the city, particularly black Africans, because it is hard for them to integrate socially," he explained. This is an issue UCT also has to deal with. Price said the university valued the fresh perspectives that people bring from other institutions.

"I urge you to push those ideas, get people to listen to them, and help us to change the way we do things."

The VC had further advice for the newcomers: to break out of silos and join structures outside their departments, such as transformation committees and research committees, and so get a full experience of life at UCT.

Some of the new staff members expressed their pleasure at having joined the university.

Zandile Khuzwayo said she is enjoying her time here, and believes that there are opportunities for growth; while Andre Smith said he couldn't ask for anything better. "My colleagues are supportive and are very nice and professional," he said.