Readmissions and Faculty Examinations Committee processes

Dear students and colleagues

On 8 February 2017 the Rapid Response Task Team (RRTT), convened a meeting with the DVC for Teaching and Learning, the deans, the Registrar and Deputy Registrar, the Executive Director of Student Affairs and student representatives. The following was decided.

1. Readmission Appeal Committees

The Readmissions Appeal Committees (RAC) will start their second cycle of meetings after 1 March 2017. They will consider the appeals of those students who are academically ineligible to continue their studies. These students can submit their appeals to rac-records@uct.ac.za until 16:00 on 1 March (instructions to check your status follow in the next section). Students will receive individual confirmation on 25 February indicating whether this appeal is necessary. RACs may accept late applications in particular circumstances.

Students who were invited to appeal in December 2016, or who fear academic exclusion on 25 February 2017, can proactively submit their appeals.

If students are not readmitted by the RAC, they are entitled to written reasons for this. If students feel that their applications were handled unfairly, they may seek a review of the RAC?s decision.

Updated 11:30, Thursday, 16 February 2017

• RAC appeals should be submitted to rac-records@uct.ac.za and not to reg-records@uct.ac.za as previously stated.
• Please also note that this does not apply to the Faculty of Health Sciences: students wishing to appeal to the FHS RAC should consult the FHS RAC Information Sheet...

2. Provision of unofficial transcripts and access to PeopleSoft

Please note that the self-service access to PeopleSoft will be suspended from 16 to 25 February to allow for marks to be uploaded and for year-end processing.

The Student Records Office will be issuing unofficial transcripts on request (without payment) to students with fee blocks until 16:30, 16 February 2017. The transcript will be provided

• at the Student Records Office (Masingene building)
• by email if request are sent to reg-records@uct.ac.za. The subject heading ?Unofficial transcript? must be used to ensure priority over other transactions. The office will only respond to emails from @myuct addresses, which ensures that transcripts are sent only to the relevant student.

Students who are contacted by their faculties on 25 February and need to appeal, but cannot access their transcripts due to fee blocks, should follow the above procedure to access their transcripts.

3. Concessions for late submissions

Conveners may grant extensions beyond 25 November 2016 on a case-by-case basis, on condition that the work is submitted and marked ahead of the Faculty Examinations Committee (FEC) meetings where the course results are finalised. This applies to undergraduate and postgraduate course work.

4. Second chances for students who deferred their exams to January 2017

Departments may offer re-examinations where applicable (for example, where students have narrowly missed passing the final exam, but have a pass grade for the year mark). The department does not need FEC approval to offer a re-examination. A re-exam occurs within the examination period ? that is, after the script has been marked but before the uploading of the marks. (A supplementary examination is held later ? not within the same examination period ? and is granted by the FEC where the student has failed a course.) Where a department offers re-exams, students must be informed in advance. Where appropriate, faculties may also consider granting concessions to the students to write exams without course attendance.

5. Extension to proactive appeals deadline of 9 January 2017

Students who wrote exams in 2016 and were invited to appeal for readmission in December 2016, but missed the 9 January 2017 deadline, have been given an extension to appeal. All RAC-related information can be found on the UCT website at www.students.uct.ac.za/students/current-students/readmissions

6. Students without access to internet

Students who are invited to appeal for readmission on 25 February do not need to be on campus to do so. An SMS will be sent to the student?s recorded cellphone number and an email will be sent to the student?s @myuct account. Students who think they may need to appeal but will not have internet access can already collect paper appeal forms from the Student Records Office in the Masingene building. If students are unable to email the form back by 1 March, they should reply to the SMS or phone the Student Records Office on 021 650 3595 to ensure that they register their intention to submit an appeal.

7. Consideration of submissions from students who experienced trauma

RACs agreed at a meeting on 11 January 2017 that they will be sensitive to the degree of trauma experienced by students during 2016. They further agreed that they will not require these students to obtain corroborating evidence from health professionals. Students will, however, be asked to provide information on how they plan to continue with their studies in 2017. If a student?s trauma affected their academic standing in the first semester of 2016, they will need to give a brief explanation of that trauma. Depending on the particular case, documentation may be requested at a later stage.

8. Contact numbers

Students who are still unsure about their status may refer to this list of contact numbers to seek additional guidance.

9. Vacating residence accommodation

In the light of all the processes that have been put in place above, students should feel secure in leaving residences. With the exception of those students who have approved academic reasons, all other students should vacate residence by Friday, 17 February. Any student who wishes to stay beyond this date is liable for a daily vacation accommodation charge of R308 per day (accommodation R220, meals R88). Application for an extended stay must be made at the Vacation Accommodation office, Avenue House, Avenue Road, Mowbray. The office hours are Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 16:30.

Communication and Marketing Department