Thank you for joining us at the staff assembly

15 May 2020 | From Kgethi

Dear colleagues

On behalf of the UCT executive, I would like to thank all the staff members who joined us for the special online assembly yesterday morning. I was delighted to hear that over 3 000 of you participated in the session. I would also like to thank my fellow executive members for providing updates from their various portfolios.

If you were unable to join the online event, you can view or download the recordings (which are zero-rated, excluding MTN users[1]):

Staff members were understandably engaged with the discussions, asking pertinent human resource-related questions, raising queries about support for staff during this unusual period, and enquiring about the financial implications of the coronavirus lockdown.

I trust that the executive and I managed to allay any fears and respond adequately to any concerns that you may have had. As I mentioned in my presentation, while finances are a challenge in all sectors and industries, both in our country and globally, the executive has committed to keep paying the salaries of current staff in 2020 whether they work remotely or on campus.

The coronavirus pandemic has provided an opportunity for us as an institution to see how we can work differently. While it has become clear that we can still be productive without being in a physical work or office space, it has also become evident that certain work is incredibly difficult to do off site. Beyond COVID-19, and that time will come, we need to ask ourselves what role remote working will play in our lives. We continue working hard on planning a phased return to campus, and those required to return to campus will, of course, have to adhere to strict social distancing and related regulations.

We fully recognise the complexities that you have been dealing with during this time, so I appeal to you to care for one another, and for all of you to practice empathy and understanding when engaging with each other.

I also encourage all of you who are able, to give to the COVID-19 UCT Emergency Fund, no matter how small the amount. Every little bit counts.

Thank you again for joining the assembly yesterday. We would really appreciate hearing back from you, so please take the time to complete a short survey on the session.

I hope that you will take part in similar online meetings in the future – it’s essential to keep lines of communication open during these uncertain times.

Please continue to stay safe, wear your masks when out in public and take time to rest.

Sincerely

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor

[1] MTN are working to zero-rate access to this site shortly, please monitor http://www.icts.uct.ac.za/Zero-rated-access-some-UCT-websites for updates


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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.

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Campus communications

 
2020

New SRC and other updates 16:44, 4 November 2020
Virtual graduation ceremonies 13:30, 21 October 2020
Online staff assembly and other updates 15:09, 30 September 2020
Fee adjustments and other updates 15:21, 16 September 2020
Call for proposals: TLC2020 10:15, 26 August 2020
SAULM survey and other updates 15:30, 5 August 2020
COVID-19 cases and other updates 15:26, 5 August 2020
New UCT Council and other updates 15:12, 15 July 2020
Upcoming UCT virtual events 09:30, 15 July 2020
Pre-paid data for UCT students 14:25, 22 April 2020
Update for postgraduate students 12:55, 20 April 2020
UCT Human Resources and COVID-19 16:05, 19 March 2020
UCT confirms second COVID-19 case 09:15, 19 March 2020
Update on UCT COVID-19 response 13:50, 11 March 2020
Update on COVID-19 17:37, 6 March 2020

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Getting credible, evidence-based, accessible information and recommendations relating to COVID-19

The Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, are producing educational video material for use on digital platforms and in multiple languages. The information contained in these videos is authenticated and endorsed by the team of experts based in the Department of Medicine. Many of the recommendations are based on current best evidence and are aligned to provincial, national and international guidelines. For more information on UCT’s Department of Medicine, please visit the website.


To watch more videos like these, visit the Department of Medicine’s YouTube channel.

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In an email to the UCT community, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said:
“COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, is a rapidly changing epidemic. [...] Information [...] will be updated as and when new information becomes available.”

 

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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