Dear colleagues and students
This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent developments on campus.
1. Fee adjustments and deadlines
Please take note of the following update with regards to fee adjustments:
2. Students’ return to campus under level two
The return of students to campus is being implemented under the current national lockdown alert Level 2, and in line with the higher education department’s guidelines. This return is being implemented by invitation only, after the necessary public health assessments have been concluded and formal authorisation granted for return to UCT – either at the residences or on campus.
UCT has developed a framework for the return of students to residences, and for some students and staff to return to campus within a phased approach. Of the 7 700 students in the residence system, an initial cohort of 2 000 students were approved to return to residence. Since September 2020, under alert Level 2, a further 3 100 students have been approved for return to residences.
3. Nominations for VC’s Excellence Awards
The Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards aim to recognise members of the UCT community who make an outstanding contribution to the university’s mission and objectives through innovation or improvement in services, and/or sustained exceptional performance in an area or areas beneficial to the university and its strategic imperatives.
Professional, administrative support and services (PASS) staff may apply or nominate colleagues for the Global Citizenship Award and the Service Excellence Award, while all staff involved in transformation work may apply or nominate colleagues for the UCT Transformation Award.
For questions related to the nomination process or criteria, please email Daphney Makgoba or call 021 650 2175. The deadline for submission is Thursday, 15 October 2020.
4. Update on COVID-19 cases in the UCT community
The university has a reported 100 cases among non-health sciences staff members as at 15 September. The number of staff recoveries is 85. A total of 36 students’ cases have been reported, including 10 Faculty of Health Sciences students on clinical platforms. Although no new COVID-19 related deaths have been reported since July, the university remains saddened to have lost nine staff members and one student to the pandemic.
5. Unleashing the New Global University series
The fifth and final #NewGlobalUni event was held on 7 September. Launched in June and hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, this series of webinars are themed Unleashing the New Global University. On 7 September, the webinar titled “How does changing the medium change the way of doing things?”, saw leading academics from Egypt, Australia and Kenya unpacking their insights and sharing five takeaways for how the move to digital changes the way of doing things in higher education.
6. ICTS scheduled maintenance
Please note that on Sunday, 20 September 2020, the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) department will perform scheduled maintenance from 09:00-17:00. Unless advised to the contrary, staff and students should note that no ICT services will be available for the duration of the maintenance slot. Please remember to consult the scheduled ICTS maintenance slots for 2020 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, and other activities that require ICT services.
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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 with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.
Minister of Health, Dr Joe Phaahla, has in June 2022 repealed some of South Africa’s remaining COVID-19 regulations: namely, sections 16A, 16B and 16C of the Regulations Relating to the Surveillance and the Control of Notifiable Medical Conditions under the National Health Act. We are now no longer required to wear masks or limit gatherings. Venue restrictions and checks for travellers coming into South Africa have now also been removed.
On Wednesday, 20 July, staff from the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences came together with representatives from the Western Cape Government at the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre at Forest Hill Residence to acknowledge the centre’s significance in the fight against COVID-19 and to thank its staff for their contributions. The centre opened on 1 September 2021 with the aim of providing quality vaccination services to UCT staff, students and the nearby communities, as well as to create an opportunity for medical students from the Faculty of Health Sciences to gain practical public health skills. The vaccination centre ceased operations on Friday, 29 July 2022.
With the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
“After almost a year of operation, the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, located at the Forest Hill residence complex in Mowbray, will close on Friday, 29 July 2022. I am extremely grateful and proud of all staff, students and everyone involved in this important project.”
– Vice-Chancellor Prof Mamokgethi PhakengWith the closure of the UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre, if you still require access to a COVID-19 vaccination site please visit the CovidComms SA website to find an alternative.
UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) collaborated with Global Citizen, speaking to trusted experts to dispel vaccine misinformation.
If you have further questions about the COVID-19 vaccine check out the FAQ produced by the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF). The DTHF has developed a dedicated chat function where you can ask your vaccine-related questions on the bottom right hand corner of the website.
IDM YouTube channel | IDM website
“As a contact university, we look forward to readjusting our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in 2023 as the COVID-19 regulations have been repealed.”
– Prof Harsha Kathard, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning
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.