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Parliamentary Portfolio Committee Oversight Visit 16 March 2016

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Parliamentary Portfolio Committee

Oversight Visit 16 March 2016

Agenda

09:30 Opening, welcome & introduction

09:45 Presentation: Stellenbosch University Management

• Transformation Plan Prof Nico Koopman

• Student and Staff profile Prof Wim de Villiers

• Governance & Management structure Prof Wim de Villiers

• Budget Prof Leopoldt van Huyssteen

• Physical infrastructure Prof Leopoldt van Huyssteen

• Partnerships Prof Nico Koopman

Dr Therina Theron

• Research & Innovation Dr Therina Theron

• Development of a new generation of academics Dr Therina Theron

• Student academic performance Ms Christelle Feyt

• Student enrolment targets over the next 5 years Ms Christelle Feyt

• Student housing Ms Christelle Feyt

• Allocation of NSFAS loans & bursaries to students Ms Christelle Feyt

• Language implementation Dr Antoinette van der Merwe

• Concluding remarks Prof Wim de Villiers

10:45 Presentation: Stakeholders

• Institutional Forum Mr Le Roux Burrows (Chair)

• Convocation Adv Jan Heunis (President)

• Council Prof PW van der Walt (Deputy Chair)

• Students’ Representative Council Mr Axolile Qina (Chair) &

Mr Bradley Frolick (Transformation)

11:15 Break

11:30 Discussion

13:00 Closure, followed by light finger lunch

Agenda

Transformation PlanProf Nico Koopman

Vice-Rector: Social Impact, Transformation & Personnel

• Build Radical Transformation

• Go to the radix: roots

• Accelerate Transformation

• Urgency; priority; results

• Vice-Rector for Transformation

• Top-level institutional priority

• Transformation Office

• Budget priority; Staffing; Physical infrastructure; Strengthen; Institutional buy-in

• Institutional Transformation Committee

• Constitute; representative; guide; direct; monitor; assess; intervention

• Institutional Forum

• Statutory responsibility for transformation

• Transformation Implementation Plan

• Making good progress

Transformation overview

Transformation Plan:

A working definition of transformation

• Transformation is an intentional, systemic, inclusive and integrative PROCESS…

• of ongoing comprehensive and profound CHANGE

• of P’s (persons, priorities, programmes, policies, plans, procedures, processes,

practices, physical surroundings, publications, performance indicators, partners,

perceptions, protest, pictures [presuppositions, prejudices])

• That AIMS at…

• ADHERENCE and COMPLIANCE to the human rights principles of inalienable

dignity, healing reconciliation, social justice, restitution and responsible freedom

• …to the principles of SU’s Institutional Intent and Strategy – inclusivity and

diversity, innovation and excellence, future focused and social impact

• And that is DRIVEN by SU’s values of empathy, servant leadership, and co-responsibility

Student and Staff profileProf Wim de Villiers

Rector & Vice-Chancellor

Student profile

2016: 29 711*

*Preliminary figures for 2016, enrolment for master’s degrees still open

Total enrolment over time

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Number of students

Number of students

Total headcount: 29 711* Student profile

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Headcount by level

Total

Undergraduate

Postgraduate

Occasional students

66%

31%

3%

Headcount by level

Undergraduate

Post-graduate

Occasional students

*2016 preliminary figures, enrolment for master’s degrees still open

Student profile

62%

17%

18%

3%

Headcount by race

White Black Coloured Indian

Total headcount: 29 711*

*2016 preliminary figures, enrolment for master’s degrees still open

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Student headcount by race

White Black Coloured Indian

Student profile

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Headcount by home language

Afrikaans

English

Afrikaans/English

Xhosa

Other official SA languages

42%

45%

1%

3%

5% 4%

Headcount by home language

Afrikaans English

Afr/Eng Xhosa

Other official SA Other

Total headcount: 29 711*

*2016 preliminary figures, enrolment for master’s degrees still open

Student profile

2800

3000

3200

3400

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Foreign

90%

10%

Headcount by nationality

South African Foreign

12000

13000

14000

15000

16000

17000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Female Male

54%

46%

Headcount by gender

Female Male

Total headcount: 29 711*

*2016 preliminary figures, enrolment for master’s degrees still open

Staff profile

55%

6%

38%

1%

Staff headcount by race

White Black Coloured Indian

Total permanent headcount: 3192

69%

31%

Staff headcount by function

PASS Academic

PASS: Professional, Administrative, Support and Service staff

Staff profile

78%

6%

13%3%

Academic headcount by race: 1001

White Black Coloured Indian

Total permanent headcount: 3192

44%

6%

49%

1%

PASS headcount by race: 2191

White Black Coloured Indian

PASS: Professional, Administrative, Support and Service staff

Outsourcing/insourcing

• Agreement with external workers end of Nov 2015

• Key principle = human dignity

• Working towards “viable sourcing”

• Moratorium on new outsourcing

• Once-off ex gratia payment of R2 000 to external workers affected by

the protests on SU campuses in 2015

• Subsidy to ensure parity between cost-to-company of external

workers and entry-level SU employees’ R5 000

• Possible restitution for former outsourced SU employees

• SU participates in sectoral task team (USAf)

Governance and

Management structureProf Wim de Villiers

Rector & Vice-Chancellor

Governance structure

SU Council

Joint Council and Senate

Committee

Honorary Degrees

Committee

Council Committees

Executive Committee

(Council)

Investment Committee

Liaison Committee:

University and Town Council

Reports directly to Council

Audit and Risk Committee

Human Resources

Committee

Remunerations Committee

Social and Business Ethics

Committee

Convocation Senate

Executive Committee

(Senate)

Senate Committees

Faculty Boards

Senate Subcommittees

Appointments Committee

Students’ Representative

Council

Institutional Forum

Top management (Rector’s Management Team)(as at 20 January 2016)

RECTOR & VICE-CHANCELLOR

Prof Wim de Villiers

RC: VICE-RECTOR

Learning & Teaching

Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel

SENIOR DIRECTOR Learning & Teaching

Enhancement

Dr Antoinette vd Merwe

SENIOR DIRECTOR Prospective

Students

Ms Christelle Feyt

SENIOR DIRECTOR Student Affairs

Dr Birgit Schreiber

DIVISION ACADEMIC

ADMINISTRATION/ REGISTRAR

Mr Johann Aspeling

SENIOR DIRECTOR Institutional Research &

Planning

Prof Ian Cloete

RC: VICE-RECTOR

Research, Innovation & Postgraduate Studies

Prof Eugene Cloete

SENIOR DIRECTOR Research Development

Dr Therina Theron

SENIOR DIRECTOR

Library & Information Services

Ms Ellen Tise

SENIOR DIRECTOR

Postgraduate &

International Office

Mr Robert Kotze

SENIOR DIRECTOR Information Technology

Mr Attie Juyn

RC: VICE-RECTOR

Transformation, Social Impact

& PersonnelProf Nico Koopman (acting)

CHIEF DIRECTOR:

Strategic Initiatives &

Human ResourcesProf Tobie de Coning

SENIOR DIRECTOR: Social Impact

Dr Antoinette Smith-Tolken (acting)

SENIOR DIRECTOR: Campus Health Service

Dr Pierre Viviers

DIRECTOR: Legal Services

Mr Gerhard Lipp

DIRECTOR: SU Museum

Mr Bongani Mgijima

TRANSFORMATION OFFICE

Ms Monica du Toit

RC: CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Prof Leopoldt van Huyssteen

CHIEF DIRECTOR: Finance

Mr Manie Lombard

CHIEF DIRECTOR

Facilities Management

Ms Nicolette van den Eijkel

CHIEF DIRECTOR

Maties Sport

Ms Ilhaam Groenewald

SENIOR DIRECTOR Innovation & Business

Development

Ms Anita Nel

DIRECTOR: Projects

Dr Barbara Pool

FACULTIES

AgriSciences

Prof Danie Brink

(acting)

Arts & Social

Sciences

Prof Johan

Hattingh

Economic &

Management

Sciences

Prof Stan du Plessis

Education

Prof Maureen

Robinson

Engineering

Prof Hansie

Knoetze

Law

Prof Sonia Human

Medicine & Health

Sciences

Prof Jimmy

Volmink

Military Science

Prof Sam Tshehla

Science

Prof Louise

Warnich

Theology

Prof Hendrik

Bosman (acting)

SENIOR DIRECTOR

Corporate Marketing

Ms Phumzile Mmope

SENIOR DIRECTOR

Development & Alumni RelationsMs Karen Bruns

Executive

Manager:

Rectorate

Dr Jerome

Slamat (acting)

Standing Members

Extended Members

RC = RESPONSIBILITY CENTRE

Divisions report to Rector & Vice-Chancellor via this

incumbent

Matrix between faculties and other RCs

BudgetProf Leopoldt van Huyssteen

Chief Operating Officer

Integrated budget 2016

Integrated budget 2016

Integrated budget 2016

Integrated budget 2016

Summarised information regarding SU 2016 integratedbudget

Increase in tuition fees 0.0%

Increase in accommodation fees 0.0%

General salary adjustment 7.0%

Remuneration as % of expenses 41.4%

State subsidy as % of total income 24.5%

Student fees as % of total income 16.2%

Surplus for the year R1 486,9m

Less: Interest & Dividends (R289,4m) + Realised profit on disposal of investments (R946,8m) (R1 236,2m)

Remaining surplus (restricted & unrestricted) R250,7m

Main budget surplus

(Mainly: Saving on utilities = R12,3m & increase on Indirect cost recovery = R16,0m) R35,3m

Restricted surplus R215,4m

Restricted funds R6 791,9m

Unrestricted funds R1 287,0m

Earmarked grants (incl, funding for Capital Renewal Plan as approved by Council 1 December

2014) R1 059,6m

Unearmarked grants R227,4m

Total shortfall (student fees = R85,3m & accommodation = R28,2m) R113,5m

Salient features of 2014 Consolidated Annual Financial Statements

BALANCE SHEET

INCOME STATEMENT

2016 Budget shortfall due to 0% increase on student fees

Physical infrastructureProf Leopoldt van Huyssteen

Chief Operating Officer

Constraints and challenges

Spaces for teaching, research & admin

outdated and insufficient

• Existing designs not within space norms

• Existing facilities often do not comply with health and safety

regulations

• Not compatible with new paradigms and research requirements

• New requirements for collaborative learning and study required

• ICT insufficient and outdated

• Lecture halls utilised beyond capacity

Constraints and challenges

Insufficient student accommodation

• Only 30% of students in residences

Insufficient parking

• Compliance to regulations hinders growth and densification

Competition for funding

• Funding required for maintenance backlog, refurbishments and renewal

Achievements and way forward

Upgrading & expansion of lecture hall capacity

• 3 700 additional lecture hall seats added the last 5 years

@ ± R130m

• 2015–2018 3 400 new seats & 9 852 upgraded seats

@ ± R567m

Upgrading & densifying of existing buildings

• Spaces redesigned for optimal use

• Compliance with statutory regulations

• Campus Renewal Project for maintenance backlog,

upgrading and renewal R2,3b

Achievements and way forward

New academic buildings• New building completed 2015 created additional space

for Engineering Faculty

• 3 new academic buildings planned

Collaborative learning & study spaces• New paradigm for collaborative learning spaces

• Study spaces and hubs at residences for commuting

students

• 2 hubs completed @ ± R25m each

• Included in densification, refurbishments and new

buildings

New student accommodation

• 990 new beds added in 2013/14 (DHET & PPP)

• 660 beds planned 2016 -2018

Achievements and way forward

Upgrading & expansion of ICT network

• Council ICT Project to address backlog & renewal: R218m

New parking facilities & mobility

• 400 additional parking bays added in 2013/14

• NMT infrastructure being implemented (pedestrian & cycling) in

collaboration with Stellenbosch Municipality

• Additional parking to address compliance required

Upgrading & expansion of sport facilities

• Campus Renewal Plan for upgrading and new facilities: R128m

• Collaboration with community, municipality, private companies

PartnershipsDr Therina Theron

Senior Director: Research

and Innovation

Prof Nico Koopman

Vice-Rector: Social Impact,

Transformation & Personnel

‘Quadruple Helix’ partnerships

Stellenbosch University participates in the public discourse, contributes

to public policy and executes joint projects through relationships with …

• Government

• National departments (e.g. Health, DHET, Defence, DST)

• Provincial departments (e.g. Health, Education, Economic

Development)

• Municipalities (e.g. Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Drakenstein, Hessequa,

Saldanha, Worcester)

• Business and Industry (e.g. business chambers, companies, employers)

• Civil Society (e.g. CBOs, FBOs, NGOs)

Research partnerships: International

Research partnerships: Continental

330registered active

collaborative

projects in

38 African countries

with

513Collaborators

Research and InnovationDr Therina Theron

Senior Director: Research and Innovation

Postgraduate student success

TOTAL NUMBER OF MASTER’S STUDENTS

456 MASTER’S DEGREES AWARDED TO

COLOURED, BLACK AND INDIAN (CBI) CANDIDATES

CBI

Postgraduate student success

Postgraduate student success

CBI

CBI = COLOURED, BLACK AND INDIAN CANDIDATES

Research outputs

Innovation

Published patents (PCTs) in South Africa, 2009–2015

A new generation of academicsDr Therina Theron

Senior Director: Research and Innovation

Development of future academics

Postdocs (R50 million per annum)

108 international postdocs

Post-graduate bursaries to a total

value of R199 million (2015)

Young academic stars

• DHET Research Development Grant

(R3.2 million/annum)

-60 research mentorships

-~80 project awards

-Assistance to PDI staff

• 12 NRF Research Career

Advancement Awards

(R3 million /annum)

• 9 Consolidoc awards

(R1,5 million/annum)

• 5 nGap positions

• 5 Andrew W Mellon appointments

(R6 million award over 3 years)

Postgraduate student support

African Doctoral Academy

> 1 000 PhD students, postdoctoral fellows and doctoral supervisors from across

Africa have received research support and academic development since 2009

Student academic performanceMs Christelle Feyt

Senior Director: Prospective Students

Student success: 3-year degrees

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

Black Coloured Indian White Overall

Throughput rate for three-year degrees 2008 cohort

in minimum time + 2 years

National Stellenbosch

71%76%

56%

45%

51%49%

54%58%

47%

63%

Student success: 3-year degrees

National data refer to 2008 cohort (VitalStats 2013)

51% 49%

58%63%

56%53%59%

46%

75%72%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Black Coloured Indian White Overall

Throughput rate for three year degrees 2010 cohort in minimum time + 2 years

National Stellenbosch

Student success: 4-year degrees

0,0%

10,0%

20,0%

30,0%

40,0%

50,0%

60,0%

70,0%

80,0%

90,0%

Black Coloured Indian White Overall

Throughput rate for four-year degrees 2008 cohort

in minimum time + 2 years

National Stellenbosch

73%79%

63%

37%

61%56%

58%62%

50%

68%

Student success: 4-year degrees

51% 49%

58%63%

56%53% 51%

62%

74%69%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Black Coloured Indian White Overall

Throughput rate for four year degrees 2010 cohort in minimum time + 2 years

National Stellenbosch

Student enrolment targets

over the next 5 yearsMs Christelle Feyt

Senior Director: Prospective Students

Student enrolment overview

0

5 000

10 000

15 000

20 000

25 000

30 000

35 000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Actual enrolments and enrolment targets

Black, Coloured, Indian White Total

Student housingMs Christelle Feyt

Senior Director: Prospective Students

Student housing

Purpose of SU’s Policy for Placement in Residences:

• Optimisation of university experience as important contributing factor to student success and the formation of diverse communities – for both residential and day students

• Placement of most vulnerable students, whose chances of success will improve if they are in a residence

• Instrument to help ensure that diversity objectives with regards to coloured, black (African) and Indian students at undergraduate level are met

Student housing

Cluster approach: integrating residential and day students in structures that promote student success

• A number of residences and day student wards are grouped together, and also linked to faculties

• Ensures that students experience SU as caring and nurturing place

• Integrates residence and day students in private accommodation

Residential education (ResEd)

• Contributes to academic success and graduate attributes

• BeWell Mentor Programme (peer-assisted)

• Leadership development

• Multicultural education

NSFAS loans & bursaries to studentsMs Christelle FeytSenior Director: Prospective Students

Undergraduate bursaries & loans

32%

23%

41%

4%

2015

White Black Coloured Indian

Total amount: R367.2m

NSFAS funding spent

14%

35%

50%

1%

2015

White Black Coloured Indian

10%

41%

48%

1%

2016

White Black Coloured Indian

Total amount: R42.8m Total amount: R45.9m

Language implementationDr Antoinette van der Merwe

Senior Director: Teaching & Learning Enhancement

Council motion, 30 November 2015

“Afrikaans as language may never be a hindrance to any student who wants to undertake undergraduate or postgraduate study at SU and does not have full command of Afrikaans. Council therefore requests Management to create the necessary mechanisms with a view to this and to monitor them

continuously. If this should mean that the English academic offering exceeds the stated target, this will have the support of Council.”

“This may not be at the cost of the agreed upon minimum target for the Afrikaans offering. Indeed, if the necessary funds can be found for it, Council

would like to consider increasing the Afrikaans undergraduate academic offering even further. Council hereby confirms that Afrikaans is regarded as a strategic asset for SU and has to be developed as a competitive advantage.”

Revision of Language Policy

• Take existing data and reports about language implementation into account

• Consider and refine the language approach

• Reformulate the November 2014 Language Policy and Plan aligned to a new language approach

• Make revisions taking the SU Council motion of 30 November 2015 into account

• Consultation with all stakeholders

• 30 days for public notice and comments

Timeline of Language Policy revision

9 February 2016

The RMT agrees that formal policy revision process should start

22 March – 22 April 2016

First draft of revised policy available for broad consultation and comment

22 April – 5 May 2016

Work group considers input received

9 - 13 May 2016

Second draft of policy to Faculty Boards for comment

25 May 2016

Submit final draft of policy to Institutional Forum for comment

3 June 2016

Submit final draft of policy to Senate for agreement

22 June 2016

Submit final draft of policy to Council for approval

Institutional ForumLe Roux Burrows (Chair)

Why an Institutional Forum?

The 1997 Higher Education Act drew a clear line between the Broad Transformation Forums of the early 1990s and the Institutional Forums that were to be a required part of institutional governance after 1997. Despite the rhetoric of the National Commission report and the 1997 White Paper, Institutional Forums do not have decision-making powers, and cannot override the decisions made by Senates and Councils (the key elements in the bicameral system of governance). While they can – and are expected to - have a major influence on transformation, this must be achieved through an advisory role.

Simply put, Institutional Forums are statutorily constituted standing committees of Council.

Functions and powers of the IF

An institutional forum must -(a) advise the council on issues affecting the institution, including(i) the implementation of this Act and the national policy on higher

education;(ii) race and gender equity policies;(iii) the selection of candidates for senior management positions;(iv) codes of conduct, mediation and dispute resolution procedures; (v) the fostering of an institutional culture which promotes tolerance and

respect for fundamental human rights and creates an appropriate environment for teaching, research and learning; and

(b) perform such functions as determined by the council.

Achievements in general

1. The IF has established a good working relationship with management and Council and did not intervene in the day-to-day management of the university

2. IF managed to uphold the good name and reputation of the University, Council and University management, and members did refrain from public statements that, whether intentionally of negligently, misrepresent the purport or implications of policies, decisions or programmes that Council took or instituted

3. IF receives all relevant information in good time to prepare informed advice to Council

Observations/actions to date

1. Monitor the implementation of the Act and higher education policies

2. Check that suggested new policies and revised policies are in line with the

requirements of the Act and higher education policies and advise Council

accordingly

3. Observed an increased commitment by management to accelerate an

open and transparent transformation process on campus

4. Had discussions with management about the transformation process and

support their initiatives

5. Invited Monica du Toit of the transformation office as co-opted member

to the IF

6. The IF has nominated a member to serve on the Transformation

Committee

Challenges

1. Facilitate discussions/debate on campus on transformation and racism with the purpose to give feedback to Council/Management on the views of the "unheard" voices of students and staff

2. Strive to get the IF membership more representative – possible changes to the Statute

3. Promote the fact that official IF meetings are open for observers and invite stakeholders to present their views to the IF

4. Invite the broader SU community to suggest and give inputs on issues the IF can explore/investigate/discuss with the aim to give feedback/advice to Council

ConvocationAdv Jan Heunis (SC), President

1. A statutory body governed by the Statutes of SU(similar to SU Council, Senate, IF and SRC)

2. Supervisory role, represents the interests of (mainly) alumni

3. Comprises of:Rector, VR’s, full-time academic staff

Retired full-time academic staff

alumni

4. At present 90 000+ members

5. Exco of the Convocation: 5 membersPresident, Vice-Pres., Secretary, 2 additional members

Elected for 3 year term at annual meeting; representative

• Convocation elects 6 members of SU council

• Council members elected by convocation on the basis of

their policy statements serve in their own capacity & act in

the best interests of SU – not “representatives” of the

Convocation

• Do not receive instructions from Exco and do not report

to Exco or Convocation

• Term of office: 4 years (overlap); elect 3 members every 2

years

• Next election: Before 1 April 2018; election of 3 new

members ongoing at present, one vacancy to be filled in

near future

• Convocation members form important donor corps

• President appoints 2 members to IF

• President appoints a member on the selection committees for

appointment of senior management

• Convocation represents a wide spectrum of opinions;

encourages open academic debate

• Convocation decisions & adopted motions submitted to SU

Council & Senate

• “Matieland” – distributed to all members

• Annual award for life-long community service

• Exco recently consulted by other SA universities

CouncilProf PW van der Walt (Deputy Chair),

on behalf of George Steyn (Chair)

Recap

• SU is very fortunate to have a council with capable members with the

University’s best interests at heart.

• The large majority of council strongly supports transformation at SU

• Meetings are extremely well attended and almost without exception we

take decisions with a huge majority

• We have made changes to our statute to increase diversity and these

changes accommodate five ministerial appointees

• SU management keeps council well informed.

• Council holds management accountable for implementation of decisions

Recap

• SU is steadily improving its position in international rankings

• is one of the top 1,5% ranked universities in the world

• one of the top 3 African universities

• Our research output per staff unit has been the highest in SA for the last 3

years

• Diversity amongst both students and staff is on the increase and being

measured against our institutional targets

• We are right up there with the highest pass rates for students in SA

• This year’s 266 PhD graduates (incl. 110 black) is a record number

• SU Produces an extraordinary large % of SA’s Black post graduates

• Including 500 black Masters graduates

Recap

As stated clearly in our Institutional Intent & Strategy document, we

strive for

• Academic excellence

• Increased impact in our region, country, continent and even the globe as

well as in space

• Relevant research outputs – research outputs that supports our social

interaction and impact through the application of SU’s research

and

• To continuously improve access and to create an institutional culture

that is welcoming for all

• To ensure sustainability

Recap

• Council with management strongly support

transformation at SU and most strongly condemn

all forms of racism, discrimination and harassment

on the base of race, creed or gender

• I can conclude this section of my presentation by

stating that every council member has the interests

of our university and students at heart, even though

we might differ ideologically

Recent Developments

Council took an important decision on 30 November 2015, stating, inter alia:

• That language may never be an obstacle for any student who has no command of either Afrikaans or English wishing to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate study at SU.

• Management is requested to expand the necessary mechanisms to this end, and to monitor these continuously. If this should imply that the English academic offering exceeds the set target, it will be supported by council.

• Concurrently council states that this may not be to the detriment of the agreed minimum target for the Afrikaans offering.

• Council confirms that its multilingual academic offering is considered a strategic asset of SU that should be expanded as a competitive advantage.

Unfortunately…

• The current (2014) language policy has shortcomings in accommodating

students who do not have a working knowledge of Afrikaans

• Our academics have worked hard to remedy these in the interim while the

language policy is being revised

• While enthusiastically pursuing the goal of greater language inclusivity, they

unfortunately moved outside the confines of the current policy

• Caught offside, we have been challenged in court by AfriForum

• We now have to realign our offerings with the current yearbook, but:

• We can’t move back to a less accommodating position

• It will require additional teaching to maintain the Afrikaans offering

• This will place a heavy additional load on our academics

• We are determined to be more inclusive

Concerns

• Talks about ‘Free Higher Education for All’ not being

distinguished from “Free Higher Education for the Poor’.

• Rather: ‘Affordable Higher Education for All’

• It is common knowledge that there simply isn’t enough

money in any developing country to afford free higher

education.

Concerns

• The continuous decline of government contributions to tertiary education.

• When we talk about the maintenance and necessary upgrading of our facilities and equipment, we must mention: It has been 20 years since we received financial aid for these important programs and our backlog exceeds R2,5 billion

• The fact that the inflation rate for universities is much higher than for the country in general

• The weakening RSA currency means that the purchasing of equipment and books becomes very expensive

Concerns

• A well-functioning NSFAS is critically important to help

students from poor families to study at a tertiary level.

• 0% Increase of University Fees is not sustainable

• How do we reverse out of this huge problem?

• Residences need to be self-funding and the monies need to

come from somewhere

Concerns

• Student protest

• Government must help the sector with strong political

leadership

• ‘Capping’ or setting upper limits for fees will end up not

improving access for the poor but may instead lead to

tertiary education becoming cheaper for the rich.

• Universities need to set their fees and the whole rationale is

exactly to set it as a “wealth tax” with the purpose of

helping poor students to study

Concerns

• Government intervention impacts on the autonomy of Universities in

general.

• Draft legislation

• It would be unwise to comment too much about an item we have

not yet studied.

• However, the alarm bells have been set off:

• Institutional autonomy?

• Academic freedom?

Positives

• SU consistently performs and improves in all rankings (that

is locally and internationally) but with a specific focus of

making local impact.

• We have received a clean audit for as long as we can

remember from both the Auditor General and the

Department of Higher Education and Training.

• Our financial disciplines are sound and in capable hands.

• Recent student protests points to a new discourse in higher

education in this country and this certainly unleashes new

energy and we embrace the opportunity to explore this.

The Road Ahead

If SA wants to maintain a high standard of higher

education, the % of the national budget that gets

allocated to universities’ subsidies will have to be

increased substantially.

Students’ Representative Council (SRC) 2015/2016

Axolile Qina (Chair)

Bradley Frolick (Transformation)

Jeremie Kubiek in Leadership is dead: how influence is reviving it, says that: “Great leaders learn to overcome this natural

tendency toward self-preservation. They step beyond walls to give, to serve, and to grow.”

Our vision and mission

Vision

We envision a unified campus where Inclusivity, Innovation, and being future focused

ensures student success.

Proactive and effective communication

Mission

• U-Utilize the Structure

• N-Network, Negotiate, and Communicate (Internally and Externally)

• I-Innovatively developing the Matie Identity

• T-Think critically, creatively and practically

• E- Ensure equal opportunities for all

What we have done so far? (End of last Term)

• Strategic Planning

• Vision and Mission

• Goals (short (end of 4th term), medium (end of SRC term) and long (2016 and beyond)

• New Managerial Portfolio’s (Women in Empowerment, Gender identities and sexuality, PGIO and Consciousness)

• Student Structures to send constitutions to student court.

• Supporting student initiatives (protests etc.)

• Budget and proposals for the coming year

• Committees interviews and planning for next year

• Dean of Students issue

• Governmental conferences

What have we done so far? (Term1)

• #RegisterALL Campaign

• Welcoming Programs and Workshops

• #EndRapeCulture campaign

• PGIO Welcoming

• Portfolio Workshops and events

• Student Structures responsibility regarding vision

What is still to be done…

• Improve student and management accountability and communication (Critical relationship)

• Vision and mission based on values and utilization of structure

• Developing clear portfolio’s for SRC members

• Addressing student concerns more effectively by creating platforms of dialogue (Rooiplein discussions and faculty meetings)

• Clearer understanding of the University structures and giving input to make them more effective

• Task team for Safety and filling positions of resigned members.

• Fulfilling strategic plans of portfolio’s and goals as an SRC

• Constitutional Referendum

Our Challenges

• Education regarding issues pertaining to students and Higher education

• Safety of students

• Intersectionality understanding

• Divided campus

• Effective communication

• Exclusion / Racial and sexuality sensitivity (Black/purple facing)

• Language policy and inclusivity

Transformation portfolioBradley Frolick

Portfolio description & DutiesTransformation is an important element in achieving excellence on all spheres, as such students’

opinions have to be heard and considered in the approach adopted in achieving this excellence.

This portfolio will advise on policy and decisions in the entire university structure and ensure

the democratic imperatives of social justice and substantive equality is adhered to in the context

of the project of decoloniality.

The SRC responsible for transformation will convene task teams, as the need arises, to

deliberate upon certain decisions and issues. Additionally, statements will be drafted to ensure

decoloniality is centred as the driving force of transformation portfolio.

“Decoloniality is synonymous with decolonial “thinking and doing,” (Mignolo 2011:xxiv)

and it questions or problematizes the histories of power emerging from Europe. These

histories underlie the logic of Western civilization. Decoloniality is a response to the

relation of direct, political, social and cultural domination established by Europeans

(Quijano 2007: 168). This means that decoloniality refers to analytic approaches and

socioeconomic and political practices opposed to pillars of Western civilization: coloniality

and modernity. This makes decoloniality both a political and epistemic project (Mignolo

2011: xxiv-xxiv).”

Dean of Students

• 2013 – University management removes the position of Dean of Students, against

the SRC and student structures’ stance

• 2015 – Students call for a Dean of Students due to distrust of university

management and structures

• University unilaterally appoints a Dean of Students

• SRC Chair: Transformation, reads statement at sitting of Student Parliament

announcing the students rejection of appointment

• University Management concedes and reverses appointment

• Selection and Appointment Committees set-up to advertise and appoint a new

Dean of Students in light of substantive equality (gender and race

representation)

Language Policy & Plan

• July 2005 – SASCO Maties & ANC YL March for change in language policy

• Language Policy & Plan changes

• July 2006 – Prof. Chris Brink (Rector) resigns

• March 2015 - #OpenStellenbosch launched

• Prolonged protests in support of a changed language policy

• 17 November 2015 – Rector’s Management Team release statement on implementation of

language, supporting English as lingua franca

• University Council meets and commits to both English and that the Afrikaans offering is not

diluted

• January 2016 – Law Faculty adopts English as the primary medium of instruction, with

augmented support for Afrikaans

• Law Faculty changes back to the “T-option” and many students and lecturers are upset

• Uncertainty and lack of political will to change language policy

• Court action by AfriForum Jeug

• Equality Court challenge by SU Coalition to be served based on unfair discrimination and

unconstitutionality of policy and plan

Protests

• Protests against language

• Protests against Rape Culture at Stellenbosch University

• #FeesMustFall protests; #EndOutsourcing protests; Language protests

• 2015: University obtains interdict against students for peaceful protests

and later apologises and applies for abandonment of interdict

• 2015: 150 outsourced workers dismissed by outsourced companies

• 2016: University intimidates and victimises students for protesting; serves 7

students with disciplinary proceedings for last years protests; granted

interdict against specific students revealing their student numbers and ID

number relating to this years protests

• Protests demanding end to queerphobia and attacks on LGBT+ students and

staff

Student input on proposed legislative

measures

• Students support the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill

• Presence of private security on campus is intimidating to womxn students who

suffer sexual assault

• Private security personnel are unidentifiable and the numbers pose a threat to

national security

• Students support the proposed Higher Education Amendment Bill

• Particularly clause:

• “that the council and the senate of a public higher education institution must comply with the provisions of the Use of Official Languages Act, 2012 (Act No. 12 of 2012) as part of the process to determine the language policy of the public higher education institution;”

• As well as the general spirit of the amendment:

• “to provide for the insertion of new definitions; to provide for the determination of transformation goals and oversight mechanisms for the public higher education system”

• “to provide further for the issuing of Ministerial directives;”

DankieThank youEnkosi