Dear students and colleagues
With the academic year racing to the halfway mark, I’d like to give you an update on progress regarding our institutional response to the findings and recommendations of the Khampepe Report.
The inaugural meeting on 20 April 2023 of the Committee for the Institutional Response to the Commission’s Recommendations (CIRCoRe) was inspiring. The different perspectives and points of view raised about the way forward for our institution’s
transformation process filled me with awe. And the sheer enthusiasm on the scope and facets of transformation that needs traversing in order to move SU forward and shape it as a truly inclusive institution affirmed my belief that Stellenbosch
University (SU) as a transforming institution is in good hands … that of our staff and students.
Borne out of this initial meeting that calibrated our thoughts on the way ahead, it is prudent that we have a common and shared understanding of the CIRCoRe process with its respective workstreams in relation to the ongoing transformation process of
the University. (Please see the composition of the central committee and workstreams here.)
With the implementation and rollout of CIRCoRe and its workstreams, transformation at SU has been fitted with a turbocharger that will amplify the thrust and power-delivery of its individual pistons, if you’d allow me the analogy. And by its very
nature we expect a total and overall qualitative performance boost to the entire transformation vehicle of the University.
To reiterate: The CIRCoRe structure and processes are not replacing our formal transformation processes. Over at least the next two years, the CIRCoRe processes will accompany the normal, ongoing transformation work in all University environments.
It will consistently feed into these processes to enhance and accelerate our transformation processes.
Bear in mind that the Khampepe Report acknowledges that we have developed a formidable transformation apparatus, and that we have made significant theoretical strides with regard to transformation, but that more simplicity, alignment and higher
levels of implementation need to be achieved. The report reveals various shortcomings, concerns and challenges that need to be addressed. These include salient, but alienating aspects, such as institutional culture, residence culture and practices
and deficiencies at our deeper levels of human interaction. By extension, it impacts the way we deal with terms such as race, prejudice and stereotypes, which in turn influence our thinking about and understanding of constructs such as
Africanisation, decolonisation, restitution and social justice.
The verdict of the Commission is that transformation has come some way at our institution, although the pace is slow. It pointed out that we excel with policies and guidelines but fall short of understanding the lived experiences of our staff and
students from previously excluded communities that have joined this University in their thousands in recent years. Hence, with its picturesque beauty and all its intended embracing spaces, our University remains a place of alienation to them. I find
such a situation highly unacceptable and untenable and recommit myself to an ongoing process of turning our University into a fully embracing, welcoming and inclusive institution, where all of us enjoy co-ownership of the institution.
Following the said meeting of CIRCoRe as a coordinating and overarching committee, the imminent launch of the workstreams with membership from across various spheres of the University, transformation at SU is entering a tipping point. It will
furthermore tap into the rich resource of our scholarly community and the collective wisdom of our students and staff. Their insights, advice, recommendations and corrective measures pertaining to the respective mandates of the workstreams will
provide the short-, medium- and long-term achievements and milestones of our institutional transformation process as we head into the future.
CIRCoRe and its related structures are geared to accelerate the transformation of our institution to one where a sense of belonging and co-ownership for all endears, and inclusive excellence becomes our hallmark.
For now, it is all hands (and heads and hearts) on deck. I thank all those who accepted my invitation to serve on CIRCoRe and the workstreams for the time and effort that this endeavour will require of them over the coming weeks and months.
Forward together in shaping the future of our institution.
Kind regards
Prof Wim de Villiers
Rector and Vice-Chancellor
Beste kollegas en studente
Met die akademiese jaar wat vinnig op pad is na die halfpadmerk, wil ek julle graag inlig oor die vordering wat reeds gemaak is ten opsigte van ons institusionele reaksie op die bevindings en aanbevelings van die Khampepe-verslag.
Die inhuldigingsvergadering van die Komitee vir die Institusionele Reaksie op die Kommissie se Aanbevelings (CIRCoRe) op 20 April 2023 was inspirerend. Die verskillende perspektiewe en standpunte wat by die vergadering gehuldig is oor die pad
vorentoe vir ons instelling se transformasieproses, het ontsag by my ingeboesem. En die absolute entoesiasme oor die omvang en fasette van transformasie wat deurgetrap moet word ten einde die Universiteit Stellenbosch (US) vorentoe te laat beweeg om
dit in ’n ware inklusiewe instelling te omvorm, het my geloof bevestig dat die US as ’n transformerende instelling in goeie hande is … dié van ons personeel en studente.
Dit het by hierdie aanvanklike vergadering, wat ons gedagtes oor die pad vorentoe gerig het, duidelik geword dat dit verstandig sal wees om ’n gemeenskaplike en gedeelde begrip van die CIRCoRe-proses en die onderskeie werkstrome ten opsigte van die
voortgesette transformasieproses van die Universiteite te hê. (Lees hier meer
oor die samestelling van die sentrale komitee en werkstrome.)
Die implementering en inwerkingstelling van CIRCoRe en sy werkstrome kan as ’n turbo-aanjaer vir transformasie by die US beskryf word. Dit sal die dryfkrag en kraglewering van die individuele suiers versterk – indien ek my kan verstout om hierdie
analogie te gebruik. Uit die aard van die saak verwag ons dat dit die hele transformasievoertuig van die Universiteit ’n totale en algehele kwalitatiewe prestasiehupstoot sal gee.
Ter herhaling: Die CIRCoRe-struktuur en -prosesse vervang nie ons formele transformasieprosesse nie. Die CIRCoRe-prosesse sal vir ten minste die volgende twee jaar hand-aan-hand gaan met die normale, voortgesette transformasiewerk in alle
Universiteitsomgewings. Dit sal deurlopend tot hierdie prosesse bydra ten einde ons transformasieprosesse te verbeter en te versnel.
Dit moet in gedagte gehou word dat die Khampepe-verslag erken het dat ons ’n formidabele transformasiemasjien het en dat ons teoreties reeds aansienlik gevorder het ten opsigte van transformasie, maar groter eenvoudigheid, ooreenstemming en hoër
vlakke van implementering is nodig. Die verslag wys op verskeie tekortkominge, bekommernisse en uitdagings wat aangespreek moet word. Dit sluit in ooglopende, maar afkerige aspekte soos institusionele kultuur, koshuiskultuur en praktyke en leemtes
in ons dieper vlakke van menslike interaksie. Dit beïnvloed weer die manier waarop ons terme soos ras, vooroordeel en stereotipes hanteer, wat weer ons denke oor en begrip van konsepte soos afrikanisering, dekolonisering, restitusie en maatskaplike
geregtigheid beïnvloed.
Die Kommissie se uitspraak was dat transformasie reeds gevorder het by ons instelling, hoewel dit teen ’n stadige pas gebeur. Dit het daarop gewys dat ons uitblink in beleide en riglyne, maar nie goed vaar wanneer dit kom by begrip vir die geleefde
ervarings van ons personeel en studente uit gemeenskappe wat voorheen uitgesluit was en wat die afgelope paar jaar in hulle duisende by die Universiteit aangesluit het nie. Derhalwe bly ons prentjiemooie Universiteit met al sy bedoelde omarmende
ruimtes vir hulle ’n plek van vervreemding. Ek vind hierdie situasie uiters onaanvaarbaar en onverdedigbaar en herverbind myself tot ’n voortgesette proses om die Universiteit in ’n instelling te omskep wat almal ten volle omarm en verwelkom en
inklusief is en waar ons almal mede-eienaarskap van die instelling geniet.
Noudat bogenoemde vergadering van CIRCoRe as ’n koördinerende en oorkoepelende komitee plaasgevind het en met die komende bekendstelling van die werkstrome waarvan die lede uit verskillende sfere van die Universiteit kom, nader transformasie by die
US ’n keerpunt. Dit sal verder ook uit die ryk hulpbronne van ons vakkundige gemeenskap en die kollektiewe wysheid van ons studente en personeel put. Hulle insigte, raad, aanbevelings en regstellende maatreëls wat met die onderskeie mandate van die
werkstrome verband hou, sal die kort-, medium- en langtermynprestasies en mylpale van ons institusionele transformasieproses vir die toekoms bepaal.
CIRCoRe en sy verwante strukture is slaggereed om die transformasie van ons instelling te versnel ten einde dit te omskep in ’n plek waar mense voel hulle behoort en waar almal mede-eienaars kan wees met inklusiewe uitnemendheid as ons waarmerk.
Vir nou moet almal aan boord wees. Ek bedank almal wat my uitnodiging aanvaar het om in CIRCoRe te dien, asook die werkstrome vir die tyd en moeite wat hierdie onderneming oor die volgende weke en maande van hulle gaan verg.
Saam vorentoe om die toekoms van ons instelling te omvorm.
Vriendelike groete
Prof Wim de Villiers
Rektor en Visekanselier
Balingane nabafundi abathandekayo
Njengoko unyaka wezifundo ubaleka uleqa isiqingatha sokuqala sonyaka, ndinqwenela ukuninika ingxelo ngenkqubelaphambili malunga nempendulo yeziko lethu kwiziphumo neengcebiso zeNgxelo kaKhampempe.
Intlanganiso yokuqala yangomhla wama20 kuEpreli 2023 yeKomiti yokuPhendula kweZiko iiNgcebiso zeKomishini (CIRCoRe) itsho umntu waziva ekhuthazekile. Iimbono ezahlukeneyo kunye neendlela zokubona izinto eziphakanyisiweyo malunga nokuqhubela
phambili inkqubo yeenguqu yeziko lethu indenze ndaxhalaba ndonwaba ngokunjalo. Ngokunjalo inzondelelo epheleleyo ngokubhekiselele kubungakanani kunye neenkalo zeenguqu ekufuneka kujongenwe nazo ukuze iSU ihambele phambili kwaye ibunjwe
njengeziko elibandakanya ngokwenene, isisiqinisekiso senkolelo yam yokuba iSU njengeziko eliziguqulayo likwizandla ezifanelekileyo…ezo zabasebenzi nababafundi bethu.
Njengesiphumo sale ntlanganiso yokuqala ethe yalungelalanisa iingcinga zethu malunga nendlela ebheka phambili, bubulumko ngoko ukuba sibe nokwabelana ngokuqonda okufanayo kwenkqubo yeCIRCoRe kunye namaqela wayo omsebenzi ngokunxulumene nenkqubo
yeenguqu eqhubekayo kule Yunivesithi. (Nceda ujonge ukwakhiwa kweKomiti engundoqo kunye namaqela omsebenzi apha.)
Ngokuphunyezwa kunye nokwaziswa ngokusesikweni kweCIRCoRe kunye namaqela wayo omsebenzi, iinguqu eSU ziye zafakelwa ithebhotshaja ezakuthi ikhulise
ukutyhala nonikezelo lwamandla kwiipistoni yazo nganye, ukuba uyandivumela ndenze eso sifaniso. Kwaye ngobume obu bayo silindele ukonyuka komgangatho wokusebenza ngokupheleleyo kunye nokukhuthazwa kokusebenza kwayo yonke indlela yeenguqu zale
Yunivesithi.
Ukugxininisa: Isakhiwo kunye neenkqubo zeCIRCoRe azithathi ndawo yeenkqubo zethu ezisesikweni zeenguqu. Ngaphezulu nje ubuncinane kweminyaka emibini ezayo iinkqubo zeCIRCoRe ziza kuhamba kunye nomsebenzi oqhelekileyo, oqhubekayo kuzo zonke iindawo
zeyunivesithi. Ziya kusoloko zinefuthe ngokungagungqiyo kwezi nkqubo ukukhulisa nokukhawulezisa iinkqubo zethu zeenguqu.
Khumbula ke ukuba iNgxelo kaKhampepe iyavuma ukuba siphuhlise isixhobo seenguqu esikhulu, kwaye senze imitsi ebonakalayo yethiyori, malunga neenguqu, kodwa kufuneka kuphunyezwe ukucaca nangaphezulu, ulungelelwaniso kunye namanqanaba okuphumeza
aphezulu. Ingxelo iveze ukusilela okwahlukeneyo, iinkxalabo kunye nemingeni ekufuneka iqwalaselwe. Oku kubandakanya imiba ebalulekileyo, kodwa loo miba inokuphelisa imvisiswano, enjengenkcubeko yeziko, inkcubeko yendawo yokuhlala kunye nezenzo,
ngokunjalo nokusilela kumanqanaba onxibelelwano lwethu anzulu. Ukongeza, inefuthe kwindlela esithi siqhube ngayo malunga namagama anjengawobuhlanga, ukuqal’ugwebe, kunye neenkolelo, zinto ezo zithi ziphembelele indlela esicinga ngayo
kunye nokuqonda amagama anjengo-Afrikhenizeyishini, dikholonizeyishini, imbuyekezo kunye nobulungisa kuluntu.
Isigwebo seKomishini kukuba inguqu ifikile ngendlela ethile kwiziko lethu, nangona isantya sicotha. Yalathe ukuba sigqwesile kwimigaqonkqubo kunye nezikhokelo kodwa sasilela ekuqondeni amava aphilwe ngabasebenzi bethu kunye nabafundi kuluntu
olwalusakungabandakanywa mhlamnene noluthe lwangena kule Yunivesithi lungamawakawaka kwiminyaka esandula ukudlula. Njengoko, ngobu buhle buqaqambileyo kunye nazo zonke iindawo zayo ezizimisele ukwamkela, iYunivesithi yethu ihleli
iyindawo yokuphephetha kubo. Ndiyifumanisa le meko ingamkelekanga kakhulu kwaye ayithetheleleki ngokunjalo, kwaye ndiyazibophelela kwakhona kwinkqubo eqhubekayo yokutshintsha iYunivesithi yethu ibe liziko elixhasa ngokupheleleyo, elamkelayo kunye
nelibandakanyayo apho sonke sithi sonwabele ukulibanga ngokubambiseneyo njengeziko lethu sonke.
Emva kwentlanganiso ekhankanyiweyo yeCIRCoRe njengeKomiti eququzelelayo neyongameleyo, ukusungulwa okukufuphi kwaMaqela oMsebenzi kunye namalungu avela kuwo wonke amacandelo ale Yunivesithi, iinguqu eSU zingena kwindawo ebalulekileyo. Iya
kuxhamla ngaphezulu kwimithombo etyebileyo yolwazi loluntu lwethu kunye nobulumko obudibeneyo babafundi kunye nabasebenzi bethu. Ingqiqo yabo, ubulumko, iingcebiso kunye namanyathelo okulungisa ngokunxulumene nezigunyaziso ezifanelekileyo zaMaqela
oMsebenzi aya kubonelela ngeempumelelo zexesha elifutshane, eliphakathi kanti nelide leenkqubo zeenguqu zeziko lethu njengoko sisiya kwixesha elizayo.
I-CIRCoRe kunye nezakhiwo ezinxulumene nayo zilungiselelwe ukukhawulezisa iinguqu zeziko lethu ukuze libe yindawo apho kukho imvakalelo yokuba ngowalapha nokuba ngomnye wabanini kuzo zonke izinto esizithandayo, ngokunjalo ukugqwesa
okubandakanyayo bube luphawu lwethu.
Okwa ngoku, izandla zonke (neentloko kunye neentliziyo) mazilungele ukusebenza ngempumelelo. Ndibulela bonke abasamkeleyo isimemo sam sokusebenza kwiCIRCoRe kunye namaqela omsebenzi ngexesha lawo kunye nemizamo yawo eli phulo eliza kuyifuna kuwo
kwiiveki neenyanga ezizayo.
Phambili Sisonke ekubumbeni Ikamva leziko lethu.
Njing.Wim de Villiers
INqununu kunye neSekela-Ngqonyela
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