Report on the meeting of UCT Council and other updates

Dear colleagues and students

The University of Cape Town Council met on Monday, 21 February, to deliberate on the issue of students’ fee debt which remains a challenge for the university and the higher education sector in the country. Read more on this and other updates below.

1. Report on the meeting of UCT Council

Council agreed that the current fee block on students’ registration should be removed for the 2022 academic year, for all students who are eligible to re-register on academic grounds. Council also decided that the university executive will review current financial aid and fees policies to develop proposals for reform that will align with Vision 2030. This will ensure that the allocation of financial assistance is aligned with demonstrable financial need.

The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) will be invited to take part in a joint working group with management to ensure that students who will benefit from the fee block concessions for 2022 can complete their registrations.

• Read Chair’s email: Report on the meeting of UCT Council of 21 February 2022.

2. Call for nominations for Distinguished Teacher Award 2021

The university has issued an invitation to students and members of the academic staff to submit nominations for the Distinguished Teacher Award (DTA) for 2021. All full-time members of staff who have taught at UCT for a minimum period of five years are eligible for the award. The DTA is the highest accolade awarded to teaching staff at all levels within UCT. Through the award, the university recognises excellent teaching and acknowledges the primary place of teaching and learning in the institution’s work.

Nominations must be submitted to the committee by 14 March 2022.

• Read the DVC Desk: Call for nominations for Distinguished Teacher Award 2021.

3. Honorary doctorates in 2022

UCT will confer six honorary doctorates to esteemed individuals during its 2022 graduation ceremonies. Every year the university, as part of its culture, awards honorary doctorates on individuals who have excelled and made significant contributions to society and in their respective fields.

The respected individuals are:

Dr Rob Adam: Doctor of Science (honoris causa), Mr Geoffrey Budlender SC: Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Professor Khaya Mfenyana: Doctor of Science in Medicine (honoris causa), Mr Mzolisi ka Toni: Doctor of Social Science (honoris causa), Professor Laetitia Rispel: Doctor of Science (honoris causa), and Sir Franklin Berman QC: Doctor of Laws (honoris causa).

• Read the VC Desk: Honorary doctorates in 2022.

4. ICTS scheduled maintenance

Please note that on Sunday, 27 February, the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department will perform scheduled maintenance from 09:00 - 17:00. Unless advised to the contrary, do not expect any ICT services to be available for the duration of the maintenance slot. Please remember to consult the Scheduled ICTS Maintenance slots for 2022 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, and other activities that require ICT services. For more information, see the article on why ICTS schedules regular monthly maintenance slots.

In addition, please note that on Saturday, 5 March, ICTS will perform important data centre maintenance as part of the UCT Network Renewal Project. UCT email, Teams, and other Microsoft services will not be impacted, but Vula, PeopleSoft, and many others will be intermittently available during this period. Visit the ICTS website for more information on this slot.

Communication and Marketing Department

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements