Feedback on vaccination proposal and other updates

20 October 2021

Dear colleagues

The University of Cape Town (UCT) Council approved in-principle a proposal on COVID-19 vaccination as condition of campus access. Read more on this and other updates below:

Feedback on vaccination proposal

The UCT Council approved in-principle to take effect as from 1 January 2022 a proposal requiring that all staff (as a condition of being able to perform their duties) and students (as a condition of registration) provide acceptable proof of having been vaccinated against COVID-19.

This complex matter was discussed fully and Council took into consideration a range of diverse views at a meeting held on Saturday, 16 October. Council resolved that the university executive should proceed to establish an appropriately constituted panel, whose task would be to develop the operational details required to implement the campus access dispensation as referred to above, including the principles and guidelines for exemption from a requirement to provide proof of vaccination.


UCT vaccination site to operate this Saturday

The UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre will be open this Saturday, 23 October 2021, from 09:00 to 13:00. The site is open every weekday from 08:00 to 15:00. For Saturdays, updates are shared via the UCT communication channels - including social media platforms - whenever the site is to be open.

The site was launched in September and is open to all students, staff and members of the public. It is located at the university's Forest Hill residence complex on the Main Road, Mowbray. Access to the site is through Broad Street.


Initial plans for the 2022 academic year

On 4 October, Senate approved the Framework for Teaching and Learning in 2022. The framework takes into account an assessment of the difficulties encountered by staff and students with physically distanced learning during 2021; and the possibility of increasing contact teaching on campus, as a result of the availability of vaccines.

The basic elements of the framework require all students to be in Cape Town throughout the academic year and to come to campus as required. The mode of teaching will be faculty dependent and a mix of online and face-to-face activities. The 2022 academic calendar starts on 14 February. First-year registration and orientation will take place in the preceding two weeks, with residences opening in late January.


Master’s/PhD parking discs for 2022

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, applications for student parking discs will only be done online. All master’s/PhD students interested in a parking disc for 2022 are invited to add their details to an online list in order to be issued with a P18 parking disc. An annual parking fee applies. The online form will only be made available on the first working day of November, which is Tuesday, 2 November 2021. Please note that there are 100 bays available. Only the first 100 students will be accepted, and once this number is reached the application process will be closed.

To complete the form, please go to the Campus Parking page on 2 November 2021.


Reminder: Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards 2021

After what has been yet another challenging year, the Vice-Chancellor (VC)’s Excellence Awards provide an opportunity for the UCT executive to express appreciation for the teamwork, collective action, collaboration and leadership that have ensured the sustainability of the university during this difficult time.

The VC’s Excellence Awards committee calls for nominations of staff in the three categories: global citizenship, service excellence, and transformation.


COVID-19 Vulnerability Assessments for undergraduate students

The access process by undergraduate students to campus for academic activities, study spaces, sports and other university activities will no longer require the completion of the Vulnerability Assessment as the country moves out of the third wave of the pandemic. Students should, however, note that the university could be required to reinstate controls if higher levels of the national lockdown are reintroduced later.

Students are reminded that it is mandatory to complete the daily screening prior to accessing campus spaces. It is the responsibility of each student to ensure that they obtain medical advice from their practitioners. A vulnerability checklist is provided on the Student Wellness Service website for further information.


Reminder: Transformation and Inclusion in Higher Education Lekgotla 2021

UCT is committed to interrogating its progress towards being a truly African university that has rid itself of all forms of discrimination, harassment and inequalities.

The Transformation and Inclusion in Higher Education Lekgotla, hosted by UCT, aims to connect and share work, best practice and limitations of structured approaches to better monitor, evaluate and track culture change within a student and staff population in an increasingly turbulent world.

The next sessions will be held on:

  • Friday, 22 October
  • Tuesday, 26 October
  • Friday, 29 October

ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 24 October

Please note that there is a scheduled maintenance slot by Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) on Sunday, 24 October from 09:00 to 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 2021 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, etc that require ICT services. For more information, see the article on why ICTS schedules regular monthly maintenance slots.

Communication and Marketing Department


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UCT’s response to COVID-19

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.

In July 2022, the University of Cape Town (UCT) revised its approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic on UCT campuses in 2022.
Read the latest document available on the UCT policies web page.

 

Campus communications

 
2022

Adjusting to our new environment 16:50, 23 June 2022
VC Open Lecture and other updates 17:04, 13 April 2022
Feedback from UCT Council meeting of 12 March 2022 09:45, 18 March 2022
UCT Council
March 2022 graduation celebration 16:45, 8 March 2022
Report on the meeting of UCT Council of 21 February 2022 19:30, 21 February 2022
UCT Council
COVID-19 management 2022 11:55, 14 February 2022
Return to campus arrangements 2022 11:15, 4 February 2022

UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre

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 Phakeng

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.


Thank You UCT Community

Frequently asked questions

 

Global Citizen Asks: Are COVID-19 Vaccines Safe & Effective?

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.

 

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