New SU Calender parts available online only

Dear Colleagues

In future all 13 parts of the Stellenbosch University Calendar (yearbooks) that until 2020 have been published annually in printed and digital format, will be available in digital format only on the institutional website, starting with the 2021 editions.

Having also consulted with the Academic Planning Committee (APC), the Rectorate agreed on 4 November 2020 that SU would no longer provide printed copies of the Calendar. The web-based 13 parts of the publication – General Calendar (part 1), Bursaries and Loans (part 2), Student Fees (part 3) and one part each per faculty – as well as updated addenda, will be regarded as the authoritative versions of the Calendar.

Since the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March this year, SU has been focussing on keeping the academic year on course, an even deeper transition into the digital world and institutional sustainability. As the country moved from one risk adjusted level to another, the changes to functioning remotely and gradually re-opening resulted in various amendments to the 2020 academic programmes.

Although these changes were communicated to the SU community and also published on the SU Calendar website, the risk remained that students or staff may have missed the amendments and referred to the printed Calendar parts, assuming that it contained the latest information. With uncertainties and potential changes expected to continue into 2021, the digital publications allow for much greater flexibility and immediate updates, so reducing the risks related to incorrect and outdated “hard copy” information.

To ensure ease of access to the digital versions of the Calendar parts, the following will be implemented:

• Links to the SU Calendar webpage from the SU homepage and faculty and library webpages, as well as staff and student portals will be clearly visible.
• All students will be notified of the availability of the digital Calendar webpage with the relevant links.
• The notice of the online Calendar Parts will be published on SU’s social media platforms.

Even though all the Calendar parts are available on the SU central web space for external and internal visitors, it will also be included on the SUNStudent platform currently under construction, to make comprehensive information about the full academic offering available in an interactive online catalogue. The planned implementation of this online catalogue is scheduled from 2022 onwards.

We wish to thank all our colleagues who have been involved – and still are – in the arduous updating of the SU Calendar parts throughout this very challenging year. The campus community will be informed as soon as the 2021 Calendar parts are available on the website.

Warm regards

Dr Ronel Retief
Registrar

25 November and 2 December – Social Sciences Universities' Network Webinar Series

The Social Sciences Universities Network (SSUN) promotes cooperation between universities in talent training, scientific research, academic innovation, as well as policy and regulation formulation. The SSUN is currently hosting a series of webinars to discuss and investigate Artificial Intelligence from multiple perspectives, with the participation of scholars from SSUN Member Institutions. To receive credentials to attend any of the webinars, please refer to [email protected]. For more information, click here.

26 November – Learning and Teaching Enhancement Seminar

Staff are invited to the next quarterly Learning and Teaching Enhancement Seminar with Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, as speaker. He will reflect on his two terms as Vice-Rector. It will take place on MSTeams. For more information, email Anthea Jacobs. 

Click here to register.

28 November – Join Prof Thuli Madonsela to help students in financial need

On Saturday Prof Madonsela and the Student Representative Council Chairperson, Xola Njengele, are leading a trail walk in Idas Valley starting from Banhoek Conservancy and ending at Bartinney Tasting Shed.

This event forms part of the #Action4Inclusion Campaign, a student funding initiative established earlier this year by the SRC and Prof Madonsela, in an effort to ensure that no student is left behind due to their financial circumstances.

Click here for more information.

8 December – Save the date: Staff Assembly

The end-of-year Staff Assembly will take place on Tuesday, 8 December, 12:45–13:45. The event will again be hosted on the MS Teams live platform.

Members of Management will brief staff on important developments since our last Staff Assembly in August, including providing feedback from the final Council meeting for the year. We will also be saying farewell to Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector Learning and Teaching, who will be retiring at the end of the year.

The meeting link and agenda will be distributed in next week’s edition of the info@StellenboschUni newsletter.

December graduation: Staff asked to provide information on excellent achievements of graduates

The Corporate Communication and Marketing Division will highlight the achievements of our graduates on the SU media platforms, as well as in the local and national media during the week of the December Graduation (14-16 December 2020). We would like to request your assistance in providing us with information on graduates who we could feature. To guide you in identifying newsworthy leads, please see the below list highlighting the criteria:

• Exceptional achievements
• Qualifications completed under difficult circumstances
• Ground-breaking Masters and Doctoral studies
• Doctoral studies focused on topics that would appeal to a larger audience or a
  topical issue
• Dual qualifications
• Interesting graduation stories – e.g. parents graduating alongside their children, the first cohort of students graduating in a specific programme, a group of graduates sponsored by an organisation

When making a submission, please provide us with a short paragraph on the graduate, their name and contact details (email and cellphone). Please note that we will need the information as soon as possible to ensure that we can make the necessary arrangements to interview and photograph the graduates. Please send your submissions to Candes Keating at [email protected].

Healthcare changes for 2021

Staff members are urged to take note of the healthcare changes for 2021. The Your Health Compass document outlines member contributions and the benefits that are available on the various health plans in 2021. Staff are also invited to register for live webinars or view pre-recorded presentations on the various health provider’s products.

Click here to book a virtual or telephonic 30-minute consultation session with either of the consultants.

Please note that staff who would like to make changes to their plans for 2021 will be given the opportunity to do so until 14:30 on 8 December 2020. Click here to read more. 

MatiesWiFi discontinued at the end of 2020

​From January 2021 MatiesWiFi will no longer be available and all users will be required to use eduroam for wireless connections.

The reason for this change is the necessity to move away from a less secure WiFi option (MatiesWiFi) to a more secure one where your data and identity are encrypted and protected. Click here for more information.

Highlights from the 2020 SU Virtual SoTL Conference

If you were not able to attend the conference, you can request access to the recordings of the presentations by e-mailing Dr JP Bosman at [email protected]. You can peruse the Conference Abstract Booklet, and also have a look at the online book entitled Responding to the necessity for change: Higher Education voices from the South during the COVID-19 crisis that was launced at the conference. For more information, contact Dr Anthea Jacobs at [email protected].

Appointments needed for visits to IT HUB

​Please take note that you can currently only visit the IT HUB by appointment. No walk-ins are allowed due to COVID-19 regulations. More information on times and how to book an appointment can be found ​on the IT blog.

Financial year end deadlines for 2020

To ensure that the financial year end of SU runs smoothly, please click here to take note of important dates.