UCT_Cares system and other updates

18 June 2020 | Campus Announcement

Dear students and colleagues

This campus announcement aims to inform the UCT community about recent developments on campus.

1. UCT_Cares – central point for info and services

The UCT Call Centre and Referral System (UCT_Cares), developed by the university’s Academic Advising Project in April 2020, provides the campus community with a central point of contact for the information and services they need. UCT_Cares helps students and the greater UCT community to navigate and connect to the many nodes of support already existing within the university.

The service has already received and dealt with over 100 queries - many of these from across faculties and levels of study and spanning a range of topics, including struggles with connectivity and financial aid. The UCT_Cares service can be used by anyone from the university community who does not know who to contact regarding UCT-related questions and issues they may have. Queries can be sent to uctcares@uct.ac.za.


2. Return of researchers and postgraduates to campus

Following the recent update by Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng on UCT developing a framework for returning to campus, the Return to Research Task Team has decided on a set of principles and steps for the process of returning researchers and postgraduates to campus. The overarching principle is that UCT will keep numbers as low as possible, particularly through July and August 2020. Every staff member and postgraduate returning to campus will need a formal letter of invitation and a permit for travel.

Researchers and postgraduates are scheduled to return in two tranches, subject to change according to national or provincial circumstances. The first group aligns with Phase 2 of UCT’s return to campus and is likely to start at the beginning of July. The second group aligns with Phase 3 of UCT’s return to campus (after August 2020).


3. Securely managing MS Teams platform

The Microsoft Teams collaboration platform has played a significant role in helping UCT to continue operations during the ongoing national lockdown. One of its key features is that it facilitates online meetings using audio and/or video. Over the past few months, numerous queries have arisen about how to securely manage meeting recordings and confidential documentation. To answer these and other questions, ICTS has compiled articles covering Teams meeting recordings as well as FAQs. Please read these articles to familiarise yourself with the platform’s features and settings so that you can manage your content effectively.

The ICTS training team also runs Teams information sessions, including custom sessions for individual groups or departments. Please contact icts-training@uct.ac.za for more information on this. Alternatively, you can take several online courses to learn more about the platform. For a detailed overview, along with information on how to get started, please read: Collaborate with Microsoft Teams.


4. ICTS scheduled maintenance on 21 June

Please note that ICTS will conduct extended scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 21 June 2020 from 08:00-17:00. 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 2020 before planning any teaching, conferences, meetings, or any activities 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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Coronavirus Disease 2019 updates

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.

UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated regularly with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.

Frequently asked questions

 

Daily updates


Friday, 5 February 14:20, 5 February 2021
Monday, 4 January 16:50, 4 January 2021
Friday, 18 December 11:30, 18 December 2020
Thursday, 19 November 09:30, 19 November 2020
Friday, 13 November 12:40, 13 November 2020
Friday, 16 October 10:05, 16 October 2020
Wednesday, 14 October 12:50, 14 October 2020
Tuesday, 22 September 14:10, 22 September 2020
Friday, 11 September 10:05, 11 September 2020
Monday, 31 August 12:20, 31 August 2020
Wednesday, 12 August 10:20, 12 August 2020
Friday, 7 August 11:24, 7 August 2020
Thursday, 6 August 18:26, 6 August 2020
Monday, 27 July 14:00, 27 July 2020
Wednesday, 15 July 09:30, 15 July 2020
Monday, 13 July 14:25, 13 July 2020
Monday, 6 July 16:20, 6 July 2020
Thursday, 25 June 10:15, 25 June 2020
Tuesday, 23 June 12:30, 23 June 2020
Thursday, 18 June 17:35, 18 June 2020
Wednesday, 17 June 10:45, 17 June 2020
Tuesday, 2 June 12:20, 2 June 2020
Friday, 29 May 09:25, 29 May 2020
Monday, 25 May 14:00, 25 May 2020
Thursday, 21 May 12:00, 21 May 2020
Wednesday, 6 May 10:00, 6 May 2020
Tuesday, 5 May 17:05, 5 May 2020
Thursday, 30 April 17:10, 30 April 2020
Tuesday, 28 April 10:30, 28 April 2020
Friday, 24 April 09:35, 24 April 2020
Thursday, 23 April 17:00, 23 April 2020
Wednesday, 22 April 14:25, 22 April 2020
Monday, 20 April 17:45, 20 April 2020
Friday, 17 April 12:30, 17 April 2020
Thursday, 16 April 09:45, 16 April 2020
Tuesday, 14 April 11:30, 14 April 2020
Thursday, 9 April 09:00, 9 April 2020
Wednesday, 8 April 15:40, 8 April 2020
Wednesday, 1 April 15:50, 1 April 2020
Friday, 27 March 11:40, 27 March 2020
Thursday, 26 March 18:30, 26 March 2020
Tuesday, 24 March 15:40, 24 March 2020
Monday, 23 March 15:40, 23 March 2020
Friday, 20 March 16:00, 20 March 2020
Thursday, 19 March 09:15, 19 March 2020
Wednesday, 18 March 16:00, 18 March 2020
Tuesday, 17 March 12:50, 17 March 2020
Monday, 16 March 17:15, 16 March 2020

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

Resources

Video messages from the Department of Medicine

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.

Useful information from UCT

External resources


News and opinions


Statements and media releases


Media releases



Read more  

Statements from Government



 
 

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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