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In 2018, Stellenbosch University (SU) launched a new Language Learning Hub to support the multilingual aspirations of individual students and help promote cultural diversity.

A year later the Hub continues to thrive as more and more students want to learn about each other's language and culture.

“Through the Survival Afrikaans and isiXhosa courses we've offered, we have seen the need from students who really want to connect with each other through language learning. Especially the number of students who want to learn African languages for social purposes is increasing by the day," says Helga Sykstus, a coordinator at the Language Learning Hub.

The Language Learning Hub is part of the University's Language Centre, which provides language and communication support to SU students and staff and external clients.

The Hub aims to create a one-stop service where clients are assisted according to their language-learning needs. This year it mainly focused on providing opportunities to students and external clients to acquire Afrikaans and isiXhosa.

According to Marli van Eeden, one of the students who completed the eight-week Survival isiXhosa course, she was pleasantly surprised by the level of detail that went into the course. “I was trying to find the right isiXhosa course for so long and was really happy I finally discovered this one. Even though it was only eight weeks, it really met all my expectations."

Arné Binneman, also a coordinator of the Language Learning Hub, hopes to build on the success of the Hub and promote the unique services on offer more widely to students and external clients. “Throughout this year we've seen the immense need for alternative language learning. The success of our customised language courses and workshops for external clients has also proven that," says Binneman.

Earlier this year Binneman and Sykstus had the opportunity to create a customised short course, 'Afrikaans language and culture for Dutch speakers', for a Dutch businessperson living in Aix, France, who specifically travelled to and stayed in Stellenbosch for three months to learn Afrikaans.

“The idea of this custom-made course was to make sure that language and culture were covered throughout the learning process. For the Dutch businessperson's course, we made sure to expose him to the cultural aspects of Afrikaans as well. While working with him, we took him to 'Die Taal Monument' in Paarl and the District Six Museum in Bo-Kaap. We also facilitated and helped him become involved in book clubs and other activities to help him learn the language and culture of Afrikaans," says Sykstus.

They also believe that the Hub can make a valuable contribution to quality language learning, by integrating virtual and physical spaces with various learning opportunities outside of standard learning environments.

The opportunities on offer at the Language Learning Hub include:

• a free consultation to explain the various autonomous learning opportunities;
• informal Survival Afrikaans and isiXhosa sessions offered to residences and Listen, Live and Learn houses, using a blended approach;
• short courses for the acquisition of Afrikaans and isiXhosa;
• customised language courses and workshops for external clients;
• conversation partners (unidirectional learning) and tandem language learning; and
• book and film clubs
  
  For more information on the services and the costs involved contact:
  Helga Sykstus at hbuys@sun.ac.za / languagelearninghub@sun.ac.za or 021 808 4004

           Arné Binneman at arne@sun.ac.za or 021 808 9731

“This is our own conference, by Stellenbosch University for Stellenbosch University staff. This is all about trying to become more and more excellent in our teaching, researching and practicing in a way that is of interest in learning and in the interest of our students as well."

This was the message of Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching at Stellenbosch University (SU), during the opening session of the 12^th Annual Conference on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) on Tuesday (29 October 2019).

Schoonwinkel emphasised how important this conference was to help build relationships and nurture new scholars at the University.

Scholars and teachers from various faculties at SU had an opportunity to present their research, educate one another and inspire emerging scholars at the event, which is organised annually by the Centre for Teaching and Learning at SU. This year's conference was held on 29 and 30 October 2019 at the Lord Charles Hotel, Somerset West. There were also pre-conference workshops on 28 October 2019.

The mission of the Centre is to create professional learning opportunities for academic staff in faculties and to be thought leaders in the areas of responsive, innovative and scholarly teaching and learning.

Every year, the SoTL conference provides a platform where academics share and celebrate teaching and learning practices and research. It also aims to address all aspects of teaching and learning at the University in an open, supportive and intellectually stimulating atmosphere.

Participation has grown exponentially since its inception in 2007 with 87 presentations and around 300 registered participants attending this year.

The keynote speakers, Dr Joy Mighty (Professor and Senior Scholar for Innovation in Teaching and Learning, Office of the Provost and Vice-President [Academic], Carleton University) and Prof Geo Quinot (Professor: Department of Public Law & Director: African Procurement Law Unit, Faculty of Law, Stellenbosch University), challenged the audience with thought-provoking presentations.

In her keynote address during the opening session, Dr Mighty challenged teachers to think carefully about why they were teaching and emphasised that teaching mattered in our society to help future generations. She believes that, “good teachers understand how their learners think and reason", so they can plan and teach from their learner's perspective, making the material accessible and meaningful.

Mighty also said that good teachers should promote a climate of caring and trust and should provide encouragement, clear expectations and reasonable goals to help learners succeed.

“Effective teaching seeks to change society in substantive ways. Teaching is central to the academic mission of any university. We have a responsibility to create learning environments where students can thrive, to motivate them to be the best that they could be and enable them to transform and extend knowledge in ways that deepen their understanding, develop their ability to think critically and ultimately facilitate their full and effective participation in society," said Mighty.

Please visit the conference website at http://www0.sun.ac.za/sotl/ for more information about the rest of the programme and to access abstracts from all the presentations. All enquiries can be emailed to sotl@sun.ac.za

Photo by Anton Jordaan.

Maties Netball walked away with various accolades at the 2019 Maties Sport Awards, including team of the year, coach of the year and sportswoman of the year.

Netball player Jo Prins and cricket player David Bedingham were named Maties Sport Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year respectively. Parasport athletes Anika Pretorius and Kerwin Noemdo received the awards in the categories for sports stars with disabilities.

Maties Netball's first team was named Team of the Year and coach Zanele Mdodana received recognition as Team Coach of the Year. Another netball player, Sasha-Lee Petersen, received the MFM Media Personality of the Year award.

Other big winners were Maties Hockey (Club of the Year) and Heinrich Fortuin (Individual Coach of the Year).

It was Prins' last year as a Matie and she saved her best for last. She won various individual awards and was a key player in Maties Netball's most successful season in more than two decades. Since 2015, she has represented Maties Netball at four USSA and four Varsity Netball tournaments – including two finals. She is currently part of the Proteas training squad as well.

“This award means the world to me," said Prins. “It is such a great way to end a season that had some massive challenges. The maroon dress has been good to me over the years. Thank you, Maties Sport, for making me the person I am today."

Mdodana said: “I am thankful for this award. It was team effort, though. Adele (Niemand, assistant coach), you have walked this road with me and to my girls, thank you for making me look good."

For Noemdo the moment was somewhat unreal.

“When I heard my name, I was humbled and grateful. When I picked up the trophy and saw some of the names before me like Ernst van Dyk, Charl du Toit, Dyan Buis and Fanie van der Merwe I realised that I must be doing something right! This award is recognition for all the hard work since I started the journey with Maties Sport."

Maties Sport Chief Director Ilhaam Groenewald said: “This year we recognised over 200 of our student-athletes, as well as coaching and administrative staff, for excellence in play and service. Winning on the field of play is the ultimate accolade for our student-athletes. It is acknowledgement of their dedication, hard work, gruelling training and ability to juggle the complexities of sport and the rigours of academic life.

“However, a win on the field also speaks volumes of all our staff behind the scenes – the coaches, support staff, administrators and managers – who dedicate themselves not only to the student-athletes in their charge but also to the broader strategic vision of Maties Sport."

The story goes that physicist Albert Einstein lamented not having a solid enough mathematical grounding with which to fully explain some of the ideas he was working on in later life. This Einstein anecdote made such an impression on Prof Cang Hui that as a student he pursued mathematics further, rather than physics, a subject he had excelled in since childhood. The decision turned out to be a win for the field of biology and ecology. Hui has since added much mathematical thought to environmental complexities such as climate change, pollination dynamics and other chunks of Big Data with a biological or ecological twist.

To that more than 200 papers, two books, eight chapters and 12 PhD students successfully supervised attest. In 2011 Hui received an Elsevier Young Scientist Award. Based on his h-index, the B2-rated researcher counts among the top 10 researchers in mathematics in South Africa.

Hui joined Stellenbosch University (SU) in 2004 as a postdoctoral researcher and is currently a core member of the Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology. Since 2014 he has been appointed as the South African Research Chair in Mathematical and Theoretical Physical Biosciences in the Department of Mathematics and is also affiliated to the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS, Muizenberg).

He is also the next speaker in the Division of Research Development’s Forward with Research Impact lecture series and will be talking about mathematical games between plants and their mutualists on Wednesday 5 November at 13:00 at the SU Museum.

The Einstein moment

Hui, the youngest of two children, was born in Xi'an in northwest China in 1977, the year in which the Chinese Cultural Revolution ended. His parents were academically minded but because of the political climate of the day did not have the opportunity to pursue studies.

Hui, on the other hand, did. From an early age, he was interested in how physics could help explain to him how the world works. He became a member of the Chinese Physical Society at age twelve.

“I really enjoyed physics, and the kind of questions it could answer. It was not only about how it could be used to calculate things, but how it could also be used to explain things using the equations,” he remembers.

He read about Einstein’s lamentations while preparing for his matriculation test in 1994, at a time when he was contemplating whether to further his studies in physics or mathematics – both subjects that he excelled in.

He tells more about the excerpt from the writings of another physicist, Arnold Sommerfeld, at the time of Einstein’s 70th birthday, that so influenced himi: “Einstein complained that if he could choose again, he’d have chosen maths first, because his lack of knowledge in the field hindered him from formulating certain things later in life better.

He wasn’t going to make the same mistake as Einstein: “I told myself that if I really wanted to understand the physical world, I firstly had to prepare myself mathematically.”

He never did go back to pure physics, but these days he counts quite a few physicists among his network of collaborators in Europe, North America, China, Australia, and here in South Africa.

A different mindset

Hui describes himself as an applied mathematician by training who has the mindset of not only wanting to formulate or compute things.

“I also want to understand a system and what drives its dynamics,” he explains.

He graduated with a degree in applied mathematics from Xi’an Jiaotong University in 1997 and received an Excellent Undergraduate award. In his final year, he had the good luck that his end-of-year project on epidemiological models with time-variant differential equations was supervised by a renowned biomathematician, Prof Zhien Ma. In the process, he became intrigued with the idea of complex systems, and how these operate.

After completing his MSc in Applied Mathematics in 2001 by modelling metapopulation dynamics in realistic landscapes, Hui was awarded the title of Excellent Postgraduate at Lanzhou University. His PhD in Mathematical Ecology followed at the same university in 2004, this time on the spatial and dynamic complexity found in metapopulations, and how they persist.

During his PhD project, he joined the China Eco-Economy Society to get first-hand experience of the field of biodiversity. He took part in projects by the National Natural Science Foundation of China that took him to river basins and alpine wetlands. His contribution to these projects even saw him winning prizes from his local provincial government.

Studying the environmental side of bio-mathematics wasn’t his first choice, however. During his first years of study, he very much wanted to go into brain science because he viewed it as the “ultimate complex system”. Luck was however not on his side, and as a second choice he started looking at ecological systems and biodiversity.

With the benefit of hindsight, Hui now says: “Today I think that ecological systems are even more complicated than our brains. Our neural networks, once connected, cannot change much and become nearly fixed by the age of seven. Ecological systems, on the other hand, can have numerous numbers of species interacting with and co-adapting to each other

Complex systems

Hui thinks of complex systems in terms of a game with multiple players all wearing the hats of the groups or species they belong to. All are playing the game in such a way that it benefits themselves without the mind of their group. The end results of each of these interactions are quite difficult to keep track of, and to explain.

“Biology and the natural sciences are about life itself. To try and understand it, you need more than just physical explanations or physics. You have to ask how certain phenomena emerge through complex systems. And that’s where maths come in,” he explains quite philosophically.

His academic life of using and creating new models therefore lies on the interface between mathematics and biology. His interests have over the years broadened to proposing models and theories by which to explain emerging patterns in whole-organism biology. When fine-combing ecological data about a particular system or species, he is constantly trying to find out the function and meaning of each species within in a system, and how these influence the many other parts.

One of his students is currently modelling the distribution of African dragonfly species, to get a sense about their future movement in light of climate change. Another is modelling the interactions of species within forests, as part of a major larger international collaboration project. On the local front, he is about to embark on a ten-year-long project looking at the interactions taking place on a species level in a one hectare plot of fynbos in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve.

“If you think mathematically to formulate a biological system, you first ask what is happening. You also have to understand how, and only then you can ask why,” explains the father of two pre-schoolers who likes seeing how they experience the world as they grow up.

He reckons that in the era of Big Data all research teams worth their salt should have a strong mathematical mind as part of the team.

“Data is no longer the bottleneck when it comes to research. It is about how you are going to use the data, and what you are going to focus on,” he explains. “We need informatics to handle all the gigs of data being collected. We need modellers and biomathematicians to work with it, and to improve our understanding of a system.”

“I dared. I had nothing to lose. I gave myself a chance. Here where you are sitting now, you are sitting on a no, but you can also be put in a different position to where you are now if you dare to ask. It's only because I dared," said Law Faculty alumnus, SAFM radio presenter and qualified lawyer Songezo Mabece as he addressed more than 400 students at a recent Careers Café held at Stellenbosch University (SU).

This was the main tip that Mabece shared from his Top 5 Tips with the students on how to build a successful career.

Mabece was the second alumnus to participate in the annual Careers Café series. The TedTalk-styled talk series was launched in 2016 by the Alumni Relations division to provide a platform for alumni to engage with the university in a different manner by offering their time and skills to help current students prepare for the careers they want. At the same time, undergraduate and postgraduate students are exposed to a diverse group of alumni who have pursued different careers and faced various challenges along the way to build a successful career.

Mabece, who grew up in Sada, a rural community in the Eastern Cape, today works as Legal Counsel and Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of the Competition Commission of South Africa.

Speaking to the students, he shared how his journey started when he was just eight years old and enrolled at Selborne Primary School after having secured a spot at the boarding school. Upon acceptance as a learner, Mabece would be one of only eight black learners to live in the school hostel along with 60 white learners. Two of the eight African learners also happened to be his brothers.

“For the next 11 years my life was governed by the clock," said Mabece as he shared the challenges of moving into a school hostel at the age of eight and having to adjust to a world filled with immense privilege, something he was now being exposed to as a young African learner amongst thousands of white learners at Selborne Primary.

“It signaled when I had to get up in the mornings, when I had to eat, when I had to wash and get dressed, and when I had to go to class. My life was dictated by a clock. There was no mom or dad to go home to at night, to tuck me into bed. Now imagine what that was like for an eight year old."

It was 1992, De Klerk was still president and apartheid was in its dying days, but still giving its last final kicks.

“If you were at a Model C school, you were expected to be like everyone else. In 1992 that was your only option. It was deplorable to be Mabece, I was called Sangezo instead of Songezo, or known as Mabeke. I was not in a position to affirm who I was, because I was an African boy in a white space," he explained. “I had to assimilate or suffer the consequences for being different."

“I had to make my choices and I had to make them quickly as I did not have my parents there with me."

In spite of these challenges, Mabece passed matric well enough to gain entry to university, and was an avid debater, athlete and rugby player at both primary and high school.

“I became house captain, school captain, athletics captain and more. My brother, Loyiso, became headboy - marking a historic moment in the 130 year history of Selborne College. This after our older, late brother Luvuyo made history in 1998 by starting for the school's first XV rugby team in the number 12 jersey."

When he finished his schooling, Mabece enrolled at Fort Hare University to complete an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree.

“I am proud of where I come from. I am proud of what it took my family to get me there. I am proud of the wonderful chance I was offered to attend Selborne Primary and College schools, and I am super proud to have gone through that system and emerge from it with many wonderful accolades," he said.

“But my story is neither unique nor particularly special – many of my country men and women have gone through this system and walked a similar path of excellence and achievement. Many of those people are at this university, in this room."

In January 2009, after finishing his degree at Fort Hare, Mabece took on an internship at the SABC. But after a month, and a meagre salary of R3 000, he registered at Maties for an LLM in International Trade Law degree at the Law Faculty, which he commenced in February 2009.  

A week after resigning from the SABC, he was in Stellenbosch and had moved into the empty Brackenfell home of his brother. But, on his first day of traveling from the house to SU, Mabece got a rude awakening. Public transport in the Western Cape would not get him to university on time as his commute would involve an hour's walk to the nearest train station, another hour to get to Stellenbosch if the trains were running on time, 30 minutes to get to his lecture hall on the university campus from Stellenbosch station and on top of that, the transport costs would require money he did not have.

“After having to stand on the side of the road, with a Maties sign in my hand, hitchhiking for a lift to university, I decided to stay at home the next day. A day later, I returned and a fellow student from Zimbabwe welcomed me into his apartment and let me stay there for the night."

The day after, he went to the postgraduate division's Ms Schwartz, and pleaded his case. By the end of the day, the faculty had found money to tie him over and deposited it into his bank account to help with his living expenses. Soon after, he was accepted into Huis de Villiers residence and later, through his interest as a rugby referee, many other doors opened for Mabece.

“That was the end of my trials and the start of the good life in Matieland. So much so that I only graduated eight years later," he said jokingly and laughed. “In reality, I wasn't ready for that LLM and that is a critical lesson I learned from that."

Irrespective, he completed it. A year before (May 2016) Mabece acquired the General Manager Programme certificate at the IEDC-Bled School of Management in Slovenia followed by a short course in Competition Law at the University of Cape Town.

In 2017, he took another risk. After reading about the LLM in Government Procurement Law at George Washington University (GWU) in the United States, he applied knowing full well he did not have the R750 000 he would need for his tuition and to cover basic living expenses in Washington.

Through his tenacity, Mabece secured full funding through a scholarship from GWU, that was augmented by his salary from his employer, who granted him 10-months leave to complete the degree.

“I gave myself a chance," he repeated.

“I know that I have been incredibly fortunate, a lot of what has happened in my life is simply playing out to a script that was written long before I was born. When I was at SU, I was not ready to do a Masters, and it is okay to not be ready."

Touching on another tip, he encouraged the students to not see delays as opportunities that are being denied.

“Somewhere out there, there is a bus waiting to dock at your station."

In encouraging the students to be the generation who strives to be better than the generation that preceded them, not only for themselves, but also for those that will follow, Mabece continued: “Evolution demands that of you and our environment demands that of you. When I look around this room and feel the energy here, I have absolutely no reservation in thinking that this university is in great hands and our country will be led by responsible citizens."

“The one thing I want to leave you with, if nothing else – believe in your madness, and give yourself a chance."

• ​Photo: Law Faculty alumnus, lawyer and SAFM presenter Songezo Mabece (far right) was the guest speaker at the second Careers Café. With Songezo are the students who won a dinner with him after attending the event as well as Marvin Koopman (third from the left), Alumni Relations Coordinator in the Alumni Relations division. From the left the students are Takudzwa Masunda, Motsoari Nthunya, Noku Katom, and Olona Ndzuzo. (Henk Oets)

Stellenbosch University's (SU) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) today unveiled its Faculty Charter – a first for a faculty of the institution.

Said Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the FMHS: “Today, this 63-year old Faculty steps into a new era. Through this Charter we acknowledge where we have come from, but more critically, we commit to ongoing transformation guided by the values of our Faculty and institution, and those enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa.

The FMHS Charter, which took more than 18 months to finalise, is a pledge by its staff and students to create inclusive, fair and friendly environments in every aspect of daily interactions. It serves as a guide for behaviour and an instrument to assist in holding everyone accountable for their actions.

“As a dynamic entity, we lead the way in expressing our commitment to change. Our Faculty strives to build an institutional culture that welcomes, celebrates and supports the development of a diverse body of students and staff. I have no doubt that the facilitation of our onward journey towards personal and institutional transformation will continue to produce benefits for everyone involved," said Volmink.

SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Wim de Villiers welcomed the launch of the FMHS Charter: “It strengthens our aspiration of being a transformed and integrated academic community that celebrates critical thinking, promotes debate and is committed to democracy, human rights and social justice."

The Charter was developed under the auspices of the FMHS Dean's Advisory Committee on Transformation (DACT), established in 2016. The Charter encapsulates the faculty's commitment to celebrating all forms of diversity and inclusion on the Tygerberg Campus and the cultivation of empowering environments in both the academic and clinical settings. The Charter recognises the importance of all its stakeholders and pledges, among other things, to promote mutual respect, advance human dignity, acknowledge the lived experiences of the communities it serves, engage in ethically sound research and protect the environment.

Ms Khairoonisa Foflonker, chairperson of the Faculty Charter task team, said the Charter had been developed through a series of meaningful and robust engagements with staff and students at various points. “Despite healthy and respectful disagreements, we left every meeting with consensus. Students and colleagues engaged with the format and content of the Charter in a manner that reflected the values of inclusivity, integrity and compassion."

The FMHS Charter artwork, which depicts the 'many hands within a hand' symbol all over the Tygerberg Campus, was completed with the assistance of SU's institutional visual redress committee and specifically Prof Elmarie Constandius of the SU's Department of Visual Arts, who also serves on the committee. “The overarching message behind the many hands within a hand symbol is that of connectivity and collaboration and I think it bodes well for the future of this institution," said Constandius.

Click here to read the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Charter.

Caption: Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dr Ronel Retief, Khairoonisa Foflonker and Ascentia Seboko.

Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

When, in July, Njabulo Maphumulo started his position as the new coordinator of the six Tygerberg Campus Cluster residences, he was welcomed with open arms by all the residence heads.

"They are excited to have somebody to facilitate the committee. The different residences are presently doing their own thing and are keen to form a sense of community," Njabulo said.

Since taking up the post, he has spent time getting to know his new environment and listening to the ideas and challenges of the people he'll be working with.

Njabulo will have his work cut out for him. Besides managing the day-to-day administration of the six residences, he will liaise with residence staff and facilitate student support and disciplinary processes. He will also confront the major issues which affect students, including student safety, mental health, food security and many others. Key to all of this will be a strong engagement with student leaders.

"For me, it's all about team work and shared responsibilities. We all need to work together."

On top of all the responsibilities of the job, Njabulo, – a "lifelong student" – will be studying for his Master's degree in Public Administration through UWC's School of Government.

Raised in Durban, Njabulo moved to UWC in 2008. He completed his Honours in Bachelor of Public Administration in 2017 and intends completing his Masters in 2020. He also has various certificates in entrepreneurship, democracy and citizenship.

He started honing his skills in campus support in 2010 when he was appointed Administrative Student Assistant: Student Development and Support in UWC's Residential and Catering services.

In 2011, he became Administrative Officer in the Office for Residence Life at UWC, which involved assisting in admin and other aspects of residence life. In 2014, he worked as Acting Coordinator for Student Leadership at UWC, which involved working with student leadership structures on several programmes, including election processes.

In 2019, he became Coordinator for Student Leadership Support. In 2016, he was appointed as Short Course Facilitator: Democracy and Active Citizenship at the Frederick van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership, which involved facilitating a range of classes on democracy, citizenship and accountability for students.

In his new role, besides managing the residence heads and staff in the cluster in close cooperation with student leadership, he is also tasked with financial management, disciplinary issues in the residences and crisis management.

The role of the res heads is to manage student support and development as a means to promote diversity, unity and transformation in the specific residences.

​The Tygerberg ResHeads Team are:

• Meggan Ceylon – Visiting Head for Ubuntu House
• Angelo McKerry – Visiting Head for PSO
• Dr Derick Van Vurren – Head for Kerkenberg House
• Dr Alwyn Louw – Head for Nkosi Johnson House
• Louis Fincham – Head of Meerhorff House
• Simthembile Xeketwana – Head of Francie van Zijl House

A key part of the job is to come up with a programme of culture change in the residences – with the aim of developing a healthy, united community. This includes integrating the PSO students into the cluster and enhancing their university experience. He will also build relationships between the learning faculties and the living clusters and with people and institutions outside the university environment.

He is also tasked with building an academic learning culture in residence cluster as well as training students in leadership and identifying student leaders.

"It will be a full-time job, right inside the residence space but also being closely involved with student integration and development."

Njabulo will meet regularly with student leaders and residence heads and staff to discuss what's working and what's not working in the residence space.

A priority is to create a platform – and workshops – for students to have conversations on different issues, such as diversity and gender-based violence.

Njabulo said recent meetings he's had with stakeholders on campus have highlighted the gaps and needs.

“One of the biggest issues facing residences is transformation. This university is over 100 years old and has kept up some traditions which may no longer be relevant.

"Mental health is another one of the big issues to which we've not paid enough attention. Our Centre for Student Counselling and Development is always fully booked. Students deal with a lot – academics, social and family issues as well as peer pressure. We must support them.

"Another issue is food security. Just because someone has a bursary doesn't mean they have enough money for food. We have programmes – such as the Pantry Project – but we need to enhance them."

On security in the residences: “It is a shared responsibility amongst students themselves, their leaders and relevant staff members. If we commit to have a safer and conducive environment, everyone will have to play their role. As the Cluster Head, I have already started conversations with students about promoting a safe campus and what their role will be. At this stage safety is a priority for residences and action plans are being put in place."

Njabulo believes he brings a number of strengths to the task: "I wake up excited to assist students with their development. This job is an investment in society. I often think 'this student of today will be a doctor tomorrow'. Our society needs doctors and nurses. It feels good to be contributing to this.

Njabulo's interests include hiking and running and he also loves the adrenaline of extreme sports.

He also enjoys reading, particularly books relating to current affairs.

Caption: Njabulo Maphumulo is the Residence Head Coordinator at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University.

Photo credit: Wilma Stassen

6 November 2019 is SADC Malaria Day. World Malaria Day is celebrated every year in April and this year focused on #EndMalaria. But what is happening closer to home on the continent?

A small town, Arus Village in Solai, in the Nakuru County in Kenya has recently been gripped with panic following the death of 3 people in a week due to malaria. Residents have been urged to visit health facilities in the area for a malaria check-up. The symptoms of malaria include; diarrhoea, high fever, chills, headaches, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, and profuse sweating. According to the World Health Organization, the early symptoms; fever, headache, and chills may be mild and difficult to recognize as malaria.

Nakuru County health executive Dr Gichuki Kariuki said having regular check-ups is the only solution. He termed the deaths unfortunate, adding that had the patients visited health facilities on noting the 1st symptoms, they could have been saved. "We urge residents of Solai and Nakuru as a whole to ensure they go for check-ups in our health facilities whenever they spot symptoms" he said.

Nakuru is facing challenges when it comes to malaria, as the national government has not been providing mosquito nets since malaria prevalence is low. This is because Solai is located 1952m above sea level, and generally, malaria activity is confined to areas below 1500m. It is unusual to have an outbreak at this altitude but a warmer climate moving the altitude limit of malaria transmission upwards is a possible explanation.

What to do if you are travelling to a malaria area?

Prevention is better than cure, so it is best to try to follow these practical tips:

• Protect yourself from mosquito bites by sleeping under an insecticide-treated mosquito net.
• Wear socks, long pants, long-sleeve shirts and blouses.
• Spray mosquito repellent onto your clothes and the exposed parts of your skin.
• Make sure the room doors and windows are closed properly and screened with gauze to prevent mosquitoes from getting in.
• Spray the room with an insecticide before entering.
• Pregnant women and young children should avoid travelling to malaria-prone areas.
  
• Be sure to get the right anti-malarial medicines for the country where you are travelling to

Make an appointment at Campus Health Service and see a Travel Doctor to make sure you are prepared for your travels.

Make an appointment here.

Nelisa Mbambalala, a student at the Institute for Plant Biotechnology (IPB), recently travelled to Valencia, Spain, to attend the Global Conference on Plant Science and Research. The event focused on recent trends and the latest innovations in plant science, and brought together scientists from across the world to discuss innovative research in plant molecular biology and biochemistry, plant genetic engineering and genomics, and plant morphology and metabolism.

Nelisa received the Best Poster award at the conference for the poster she presented on her work, entitled "Analysis of the role of transcription factors in enhancing drought tolerance in sugarcane (Saccharum spp.)". This formed part of her MSc study, for which she has developed transgenic sugarcane that over-expresses a basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor (TF). TFs are natural regulators of gene expression and can act as molecular switches of stress-response genes in plants. bZIP can potentially regulate the expression of genes related to abiotic stress response to enhance drought tolerance in sugarcane.

Nelia's trip was made possible through the National Research Foundation's bilateral South Africa-India Joint Science and Technology Research collaboration grant, awarded to her project supervisor, Dr Christell van der Vyver.   

She says she boarded her flight to Spain with a lot of excitement and a bit of anxiety, as it was her first ever flight, but she enjoyed every minute of it. Fortunately her visit to Valencia was not all work and no play, and she made time to visit a few iconic landmarks, such as the Valencia Cathedral dating from around 1238, built on the site of a former Visigothic cathedral used as a mosque under the Moors, and the grandiose Plaza del Ayuntamiento, the main square in Valencia. The City of Arts and Sciences and its L'Oceanogràfic, an open-air oceanographic park, and the architect Calatrava's masterpiece, the Plaza de Toros, or L'Ágora, a huge multifunctional covered space, were definite highlights.

​Science communication programmes all over the world are strikingly similar in wording and do not necessarily relate well to the socio-cultural demographics of their audiences.

Before designing and implementing such programmes, it is crucial that the potential audiences be analysed in terms of their particular perceptions and expectations of science. Only once the audiences have been clearly described can effective science communication strategies be conceived.

In light of this, the South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Science Communication is undertaking a comprehensive study of South African rural and semi-urban communities to examine how the general public in these areas relate to science in the context of other forms of knowing.

The Chair is specifically interested in how a given town's lack of any scientific exposure versus the presence of a science centre or regular scientific installations impacts on its inhabitants' perceptions of science.

The first phase of the project, involving 52 participants, was undertaken in four communities across two provinces: in the Northern Cape, Carnarvon (which hosts the Square Kilometre Array project), and Sutherland (home to the South African Large Telescope); in the Western Cape, the agricultural town of Clanwilliam and the fishing town of Paternoster. The findings of this first study show that there are different types of rural publics and that they are not automatically all culturally distant from science; rather, they exhibit various degrees of distance.

Participants who had a comparatively high level of education and who had spent some time in urban environments displayed the smallest distance from science and were therefore labelled “culturally close to science". Somewhat surprisingly, however, these participants held the strongest reservations about a tax increase aimed at benefiting science.

Those participants grouped together as moderately educated (or “moderately close to science") had an average interest in and exposure to science. Their experiences of science were largely indirect and they predominantly used their own associated words for scientific terms relating to phenomena in their everyday lives. These participants furthermore displayed a moderate awareness of examples of science, and expressed some expectations of science.

Lastly, interviewees with a low level of education and no urban experience were grouped together as “culturally distant from science" – they had less interest in science than the other participants, little or no exposure to it, no concrete experiences of scientific phenomena, and did not formulate any concrete expectations. Interestingly, this is the public that expressed the strongest support for a tax increase in favour of scientific research.

Some of the data were interpreted in light of the complex relationship between science and religion that exists in many of the rural publics. Contrary to what may be expected, this relationship does not always constitute a zero-sum game.

Scientific knowledge indeed causes psychological discomfort in some people and the resolution may be in favour of science, but it can also cause a hierarchical relationship within the individual in which either science or religion is regarded as the superior 'truth'. Furthermore, some respondents reportedly experienced no conflict between the two forms of knowing.

Even when they accepted the contradiction narrative, they did not report experiencing any psychological discomfort and were comfortable living with both forms of knowing, be it in a parallel relationship in which each addresses different aspects of life, or in a complementary relationship in which one form enhances the experience of the other.

*The article appears in the latest edition of the Stellenbosch University Research Publication. Click here to read more. 

Photograph: Stock image 

​Dear SUNLearn facilitators

It is that time of the year again to bring 2019 to completion and to start with the rollover process to activate modules for 2020. As before, all registered 2020 modules will be created on SUNLearn automatically without being requested. Students are then automatically enrolled to these modules during registration and lecturers can decide whether they want to make use of the module space or not.

Regarding the content:

• All content (except Turnitin links) of all registered 2019 modules will be carried over to their respective 2020 module. All these modules are hidden from students until the start of classes (Health Sciences' modules will be made visible earlier for when their students start). In case content should remain hidden after the start of classes (e.g. in the case of second semester modules), it can be done in the following way.
• All staff will be enrolled for 2020 modules as they were enrolled for 2019 modules.

By approaching the process in this manner we aim to complete the whole process in the shortest time possible.

• We are of course aware that not all facilitators want the previous year's content carried over, in this case we recommend the following steps to remove unwanted content.
  
• If other modules' content is required, e.g. 2018 content, instead of 2019, contact the SUNLearn office.
  
• If any facilitators are to be added or removed contact the SUNLearn office.
  
• If a module's code has changed, we will be unable to transfer the 2019 content to the new 2020 code. Please contact the SUNLearn office to inform us of any code chages.
  
• We will not be rolling over non-registered modules. Please request the rollover of these modules after the rollover process is complete by contacting the SUNLearn office.
  

The process will now run as follows:

1. We are currently busy transferring all content from 2019 to 2020.
2. As soon as this is finished we will enrol all 2019 facilitators to 2020 modules.

Each step in this process will be made known on the SUNLearn Dashboard.

Kind regards

The Learning Technologies Support (SUNLearn) team
https://learnhelp.sun.ac.za
021 808 2222​

​​Stellenbosch University's purposeful intention to join networks of world-leading research-focused universities, has just received a significant boost. The Assembly of Venice International University – a consortium of 20 universities from 15 countries on four continents with a common campus on the Island of San Servolo in Venice – recently unanimously approved SU's membership.

SU is the first university from the African continent to be admitted to the ranks of the grouping of research-intensive universities following meetings with VIU leadership and the visit to VIU by Prof Hester Klopper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Strategy and Internationalisation, in June 2018.

The University's formal adhesion to VIU was signed at the Stellenbosch main campus on Friday, 1 November 2019. Prof Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, said he was very pleased with VIU's acceptance of Stellenbosch University and specifically for all the advantages and opportunities that it would bring to students and staff of SU in terms of mobility programmes, joint and split-site degree possibilities and the new dimensions that it would add to SU's identified research areas.

Mr Lorenzo Fioramonti, Minister of Education, Universities and Research in Italy, described SU's entry to VIU as a springboard for greater strengthening of relations between universities in Italy and South Africa.

Fioramonti said that the Italian government had decided to partner and invest in a selected group of universities that has the potential to make the biggest impact in scientific research – not only in their home countries, but globally. He said SU formed part of this group of universities of impact.

Ambassador Umberto Vattani, President of VIU, described SU as a scientific leader that has much to offer to the partners in VIU. He said he was looking forward to the contribution of SU researchers with “delightful anticipation".

VIU fulfils its role as a consortium by providing an innovative platform for transnational education and research. The member universities devise study programmes to prepare their students to face today's global challenges such as sustainable development, climate change, ageing, urban growth and sustainable cities.

“The VIU membership strengthens SU's strategic themes of creating networked and collaborative teaching and learning, delivering research with local, national and global impact, while contributing to the transformative learning experience with students and lecturers participating in collaborative interdisciplinary research projects," says Prof Klopper.

As a result of SU's admittance, Prof De Villiers is now an ex officio member of the VIU Assembly. Prof Hester Klopper will serve as SU's representatives on the VIU Board of Directors and a SU representative will serve on the Academic Council. These appointments will be ratified at the next meeting of the Assembly.

The full list of VIU partners is:

• Boston College of the United States
• Duke University of the United States
•  Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
• Tel Aviv University of Israel
•  Korea University in Seoul
• Tsinghua University of Beijing
• Ca' Foscari University of Venice
• University IUAV of Venice
• European University at Saint Petersburg
• Waseda University of Tokyo)
• Metropolitan City of Venice
• University of Padua
• University of Bordeaux in France
• National Research Council of Italy
• University of Lausanne in Switzerland
• National Institute of Scientific Research of Quebec City in Canada
• University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy
• KU Leuven of Belgium
• University of Ljubljana in Slovenia
• Stellenbosch University
• University of Exeter, UK

Main picture:

Prof Wim de Villiers, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor, with the Italian Minister for Education, Universities and Research, Mr Lorenzo Fioramonti at the occasion of the signing of the adhesion of SU to the membership of Venice International University. Behind them from left: Dr Pierguido Sarti, Science and Technology Attaché; Ms Nicoletta Cocco, Secretary to the Minister; Mr Emanuelle Pollio, Italy Consul-General; and Mr Raimondo De Cardona, Diplomatic Advisor.

Second picture:

Prof Wim de Villiers and Ambassador Umberto Vattani, President of Venice International University, at the signing of the adhesion of SU to VIU.

Photographer: Stefan Els

Theme Change and Upgrade

Your choices as a science, engineering or healthcare student can have an immense impact on your future career and can give you the cutting edge when applying for a job. That is why it is critical that you use the support available to advance your research. With Stellenbosch University's Central Analytical Facilities (CAF) you can have access to advanced multi-user equipment and trained staff who can support you in your research. There are ten different units, each specialising in a specific area.

Engineers often need to test a product for defects. If you are one of them, you can use computed tomography at the CT Scanner Facility which will give you high resolution scans of the particles inside your product and you will see exactly where the weak areas are.

A brand new PET-CT Scanner Facility is located at Tygerberg Hospital. Imaging is performed with a positron-emission tomography (PET) scanner which in modern systems is routinely combined with a conventional (x-ray) computed tomography (CT) system.

We all have different interests. A very popular field is food. Head for the Vibrational Spectroscopy Facility where you will be able to identify defects on fruit or distinguish between real and fake pharmaceutical products.

Each laboratory specialises in a different area and at the ICP-MS & XRF Facility you can perform elemental and isotopic analysis on solutions and solid samples using a range of different methods. What is in the water you are drinking? This is the place to find out. But these are not your only options. You can assess the properties of cells, particles or molecules at the Fluorescence Microscopy Facility and also get help with sample preparation like cryosectioning and ultramicrotome sectioning.

With many wine farms in the Stellenbosch area it is important to mention the Mass Spectrometry Facility where you can analyse wine and many other products. Or maybe you love rocks! If you do then visit the Electron Microscopy Facility where you will find instrumentation for high resolution imaging and identification of chemical signatures on a single specimen. The DNA Sequencing Facility focuses on human genetics. They provide standard capillary sequencing, fragment analysis and next-generation sequencing services. CAF also provides help to students at the Chemistry Department who will find the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility very helpful with liquids and solid state spectrometers for many applications.

Students who are interested in human movement can use the Neuromechanics Facility. You will learn about biomechanical analysis, which involves the movement patterns of the human body, as well as motor control and the work of the brain. Another exciting application in neuromechanics is to use wearable sensors or an inertial system, which is portable and will allow you to capture data of an athlete on any track. The study of motion or kinematics can keep you busy for many years. Healthcare, engineering and sports students can benefit from neuromechanics as it is a multidisciplinary field.

You truly have state-of-the-art equipment and services available on your doorstep. Use these opportunities and get the benefits you need to be competitive when entering your first job.
For more information: www.sun.ac.za/caf

​Ton Vosloo and Anet Pienaar-Vosloo, a couple with close ties to Stellenbosch University (SU), announced that from 2020 they will be sponsoring the Ton and Anet Vosloo Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice at SU for five years.

In addition to the Chair, funds are made available for bursaries for deserving students studying Afrikaans at postgraduate level at SU.

According to the Vosloo couple, the Chair is aimed at further developing Afrikaans as an important instrument in the service of the entire South African community.

Until 2015, Vosloo was in the industry for 59 years as a journalist, editor, CEO and chairperson of Naspers, and for the past three years, professor of journalism at SU. Pienaar-Vosloo, also a former journalist, is filming the third television series Mooi for the VIA TV channel. She is a Matie who studied fine art, and is well known for her role as co-founder and director of the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Aardklop and various other festivals across the country. She is also the first female chair of the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town.

Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, says the donation not only helps in maintaining Afrikaans as a medium of instruction, but also in promoting Afrikaans as a science and career language in a multilingual community. "As far as we know this is the first and only sponsored Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice at any university," he adds.

Prof Ilse Feinauer of the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch in SU's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, has been appointed incumbent of this Chair. She has been teaching at the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch since 1982, and since 1996 has been involved in the postgraduate programme in translation, which has been expanded under her guidance from a postgraduate diploma in translation to a PhD in translation. She chaired the Department from 2005 to the end of 2008 and held the position of Vice Dean: Research of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences from 2015 to 2018. In 2013, Feinauer became the first woman to be promoted to professor of Afrikaans linguistics at SU, and in 2014, the Taiyuan University of Technology in Taiyuan, Shanxi (China), awarded her an honorary professorship in their Faculty of International Language and Culture.

“It is an incredible honour and privilege for me to be able to hold this Chair in Afrikaans Language Practice. All credit goes to Prof Wim de Villiers for laying the groundwork to make this Chair a reality in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch."

According to Prof Feinauer, bursaries have already been awarded to four honours students, three master's students, two PhD students and one postdoctoral fellowship in Afrikaans and Dutch for 2020. “This Chair provides the Department with the opportunity to empower postgraduate students in particular to do research in and about Afrikaans in order to pursue a professional career after completing their studies in and through Afrikaans," she added.

When Ton Vosloo was asked why he and his wife came forward with the support of Afrikaans, he replied: “In my memoirs Across Boundaries: A life in the media in a time of change, published last year, I wrote a chapter entitled, 'Afrikaans in decline'. I made the point in the chapter that I hope gracious individuals would come forward who were concerned with the A to Z of Afrikaans.

“Anet and I have the grace that we can help. Afrikaans, as Jan Rabie put it, is our oxygen. Now is the time to step in further to develop this incredible source of knowledge for the sake of our nation's future. "

The Vosloos have been esteemed SU donors for some time.

A popular way to remove invasive Acacia trees in South Africa is to fell, stack and burn them. But this can also lead to an increase in the abundance of non-targeted alien species (or secondary invaders) – even three years after a specific area has been cleared of acacias, researchers at Stellenbosch University (SU) and Nürtingen-Geislingen University of Applied Sciences in Germany found. The findings of their study were published in the South African Journal of Botany recently.

Lead researcher Dr Mlungele Nsikani from the Centre for Invasion Biology at SU, says that, as part of their study, they focused on a specific group of invasive Acacia trees namely Acacia saligna, also known as Port Jacksons, in the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and Mountain Sandstone Fynbos in the Western Cape where these trees are commonly found. They selected Blaauwberg Nature Reserve for the former and Glencairn for the latter as both areas were cleared of Port Jacksons and had been left to recover naturally.

The researchers tried to find out which species were secondary invaders after these areas had been cleared of invasive Port Jacksons and whether, after clearing, there was a difference in the number of species and cover by secondary invaders between areas that experienced low and high severity fires and no fires, and whether these differences changed in the years after clearing. They also wanted to determine if the number of species and cover of secondary invaders after clearing differed in and between lowland and mountain fynbos, and if these differences changed in the years after clearing.

Nsikani says secondary invasion happens when primary invaders, in this case acacias, have been removed from an area through clearing and other alien species (regardless of the acacias) take advantage and occupy that area.

“Secondary invasive species can flourish in previously invaded areas because clearing primary invaders often creates a 'space' for their recruitment from banks of seed in the soil that accumulated prior to primary invasion and/or from seeds that migrated from surrounding areas by reducing competition."

Regarding their major findings, Nsikani says they documented 32 secondary invader species in the abovementioned areas that have been cleared of invasive Port Jacksons. He adds that the number of secondary invader species they documented is significantly larger than those recorded by previous studies.

“These species were grasses (22%), herbs (72%) and shrubs (6%). We found that 50% of the secondary invader species occurred in both fynbos types, while 9% were only found in the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos and 41% were only found in Mountain Sandstone Fynbos.

“From the secondary invader species we identified, 91% occurred in areas that experienced high severity fires, 91% were found where there were low severity fires and 88% were found where there were no fires.

“In the first year after clearing, 78% of the secondary invader species were present while 72% occurred in the second year after clearing and 84% in the third year after clearing."

Nsikani says the number of secondary invader species significantly increased by 64% in the second year after clearing in the Cape Flats Sand Fynbos but did not change significantly thereafter. In Mountain Sandstone Fynbos, secondary invader richness did not significantly change in all years after clearing.

“As far secondary invader cover, that is the area covered by these invasive species, was concerned, it significantly increased by 388% in the second year after clearing in Cape Flats Sand Fynbos but significantly decreased by 65% in the third year to a level similar to that in the first year. In mountain fynbos, it significantly increased by 90% in the second year after clearing but did not significantly change in the third year."

He adds that native species cover in Cape Flats Sand Fynbos increased by 81% in the third year after clearing, while the mountain fynbos study area only experienced a 28% increase.

Given the number of secondary invasive species documented in their study, Nsikani says restoration ecologists need to be aware of the range of these species that may be dominant and persistent after clearing invasive acacias. They should also look at alternative ways to manage them.

“As far as the removal of invasive acacias is concerned, we found that wood debris should be spread throughout a restoration area instead of being stacked and then burnt to reduce banks of Acacia seeds that are stored in the soil. To avoid the growth of a second generation of invasive acacias, the seedlings that germinate when it rains can be controlled through manual weeding, mowing and the use of herbicides.

“We urge practicing restoration ecologists to manage secondary invasions through actions such as herbicide, grazing, manual weeding, mowing, prescribed burning, soil nitrogen management, using the sun's power to control weeds and weed mats."

While they encourage restoration ecologists to use these methods, Nsikani and his co-researcher do, however, acknowledge that mowing, grazing and the use of herbicides could lead to the loss of native species in the area.

• SOURCE: Nsikani MM, Gaertner M, Kritzinger-Klopper S, Ngubane NP, Esler, KJ 2019. Secondary invasion after clearing invasive Acacia saligna in the South African fynbos. South African Journal of Botany 125: 280–289.

Main photo: Port Jackson trees: Credit: Wikimedia. Photo 1: Dr Mlungele Nsikani

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES ONLY

Dr Mlungele Nsikani

Centre for Invasion Biology

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 3403

Email: mlungele@sun.ac.za

​ISSUED BY

Martin Viljoen

Manager: Media

Corporate Communication

Stellenbosch University

Tel: 021 808 4921

Email: viljoenm@sun.ac.za

​​

Stellenbosch University (SU) is the first tertiary institution in South Africa to adopt the Oracle Cloud Financials Application to replace our current financial system.

This new cloud-based system will enable SU to modernise our finance function by streamlining processes, increasing our productivity and improving our business decisions with access to real-time financial data and multi-dimensional analytics and reporting. 

SU's decision to follow an 'adopt' approach versus an 'adapt' approach means that some of our financial business processes and transactions will change from the way we currently do them.

The Business Optimisation workstream, led by Annemi Murray and her team, are conducting End-to-End (E2E) workshops. The team has completed the review of the Procure-to-Pay, Assets, Cash & Treasury Management and Expenses business processes and are currently working through the Accounts Receivable (AR) business process. The objective of the E2E workshops is to identify how SU's current business processes will need to change in order to adopt the streamlined Oracle Cloud Financials' processes. Functional representatives from Finance, IT and Faculties are playing an essential role in these workshops. 

The next SUNFin Implementation Project milestone is the delivery of Iteration 1 by our implementation partner, Visions. Iteration 1 is a prototype (an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process) of the new Oracle Cloud Financials system. This first Iteration of the SUNFin system is based on SU's configuration decisions made during the CPA workshops earlier in the year and is populated with SU data. The objective of the Iteration 1 review workshops is for Visions to walk the project team through this first release of the system and the core financial processes so that SU can validate configuration decisions. The Iteration 1 review workshops are currently in progress and will be completed by mid-November.

The SUNFin team will use the remainder of November to validate Iteration 1 and plan for the work required for Iteration 2. Iteration 2 is scheduled for delivery during the first quarter of 2020. 

During the preparation for Iteration 1, the SUNFin team identified several data cleansing initiatives which will be prioritised and addressed in preparation for Iteration 2. As part of this initiative the SUNFin team will implement new validation rules in the current financial system that will help prevent further data issues.

For more information on the SUNFin Implementation Project, please visit www.sun.ac.za/sunfin.

Please email your questions, comments, concerns or suggestions regarding the SUNFin project to sunfin@sun.ac.za.

​​​The SUNFin Implementation Project achieved its first milestone with the completion of the Cloud Process Alignment (CPA) workshops in June. 

The SUNFin project team, comprising representatives from Finance, Information Technology, HR, Faculty Management and Facilities Management obtained a good baseline understanding of how the new financial system will work and what changes we might need to make to our current business processes in order to implement the new system successfully.

One of the key outputs from the CPA workshops was a list of Actions & Decisions for both SU and Visions Consulting to address. The project team prioritised the work packages on the Actions & Decisions List required to prepare for configuration of Iteration 1 of the Oracle Cloud Financials application by Visions Consulting. Configuration of the system is scheduled to start towards the end of August 2019.

During July, the SUNFin project team mobilised a number of new workstreams that will focus on completing the work packages prioritised for Iteration 1.  These include: Business Optimisation; System Integration; Data Management; Training; Testing; and Reporting Requirements.  These workstream teams are representative of the faculties and relevant divisions within SU.

In August and September, the SUNFin workstreams will focus on the work required to deliver Iteration 1 of the SUNFin system containing SU data. In October the team will have the opportunity to review Iteration 1. Several Project Update sessions are being scheduled before the end of the year to provide an update on the project and an overview of Iteration 1 to a wider group of stakeholders.

For the remainder of 2019 the SUNFin team will work on streamlining Iteration 1, cleansing data and re-designing business processes to align to the new SUNFin system.

The configuration of Iteration 2 of the SUNFin system is planned to be delivered in February 2020. Iteration 2 will include a more complete version of the financial system, including some integrations with existing systems. 

For more information on the SUNFin Implementation Project, please visit www.sun.ac.za/sunfin.

Please email any questions, comments or concerns you may have regarding the SUNFin project to sunfin@sun.ac.za. 

​​​With the recent signing of two software contracts the analysis, planning and procurement phases of Stellenbosch University's System Renewal Project (SRP) have now been concluded, paving the way for the implementation of two major systems for academic and financial administration respectively.  

The SRP, that formed part of the broader ICT in Learning and Teaching Project, was spearheaded by a Steering Committee comprising staff members from across the University who refined the institution's requirements and evaluated competing products. The subsequent rigorous procurement process led to the appointment of two reputable vendors.

The contract for the SUNFin (Financial System) project was signed on Friday, 15 February 2019 with Oracle. Implementation of the system is planned to stretch over two financial periods. The SUNStudent (Student Information System) contract with SeroSoft was signed on 26 April 2019.

“These two systems form the bedrock of our academic and financial administration and with the implementation of two cutting edge cloud-based systems we will not only replace the current systems, but unlock the opportunities offered by a new generation of information systems. These systems will have a deep impact on the University as they alter our processes and procedures in academic and financial administration, and even the organisation structure in our administrative divisions. While these changes will require careful and deliberate change management, they will help SU realise the potential efficiency gains offered by new generation information systems," said Prof Stan du Plessis, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SU.

The SRP started as part of the broader ICT in Learning and Teaching Project, under the auspices of Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Teaching and Learning. The project was initiated with SU Council funding to replace two ageing information systems of the University namely the financial system and the student information system with SUNStudent and SUNFin.

• SUNStudent: This will be the Academia student information system provided by SeroSoft Solutions. This state-of-the-art student information system dealing with student administration, of which academic curricula and modules are important components, takes Stellenbosch University on its next step to digital transformation in education. The new system will replace the current, outdated system and promises to be solid and reliable, yet also flexible, modern and student-centric.  
• SUNFin: Like the student information system, the University's financial system too has reached the end of its lifecycle and will be replaced with Oracle® Enterprise Resource Planning Cloud (Oracle ERP Cloud), which is a comprehensive, integrated and scalable financial management solution.

“SUNStudent and SUNFin will be implemented in parallel, and close attention will be paid to integration of the systems within the University's ecosystem of information systems and middleware. Together with the replacement of the ageing systems, the integration of data from the new and existing systems will provide the opportunity to track and manage our strategic metrics as well as support information governance initiatives," said Prof Hester Klopper, DVC for Strategy and Internationalisation.

These contracts have been signed following the work of an SRP Steering Committee that was appointed to oversee the successful completion of the project. This committee was chaired by Prof Ian Cloete from the Division for Information Governance (formerly the Division for Institutional Research and Planning), with representatives from Information Technology, the Centre for Student Information System Support, Finance, Office of the Registrar, as well as Teaching and Learning. 

“I want to thank our staff for their hard work on analysis and planning that went into the project till now—that enabled us to follow a rigorous procurement process for the new systems, where staff from across the university contributed to evaluating competing products and refining of SU's requirements. Renewal of these two important systems will provide further opportunities for digitalisation and integration of information, as well as streamlining of existing processes to improve effectiveness and efficiency. We rely on the support of our staff and students for successful system implementations, and will keep them informed on progress as system components are planned and rolled out," said Prof Cloete.

At first the intention was to implement open source community software systems, to be developed in partnership with the Kuali Foundation and an international network of universities, but with the rapid improvements in competitive products, this decision was revised to procure both systems from reputable vendors.

As part of the SRP, a separate subproject for Middleware, Infrastructure and Integration (MII) was completed as well. The MII provides an architectural layer common to all present and future information systems of the University. Its purpose is to create an integrated information ecosystem for master- and transactional data for all SU information systems, which enables standardised data integration and sharing across disparate systems. Its capabilities were first proved with the successful implementation in 2018 of the Facilities Management Project Phambili to introduce a new facilities management information system.

During 2018, both the SUNFin and SUNStudent projects followed an extensive tender process which resulted in the appointment of two Rectorate approved vendors to replace the in-house existing systems. During the tender process stakeholders from across the University were involved in setting specifications and evaluating capabilities of various products, before the final choices were recommended. The new software solutions will provide modern up-to-date functions that were not possible with the older systems. The implementation projects will be reinforced by a comprehensive change management program, for which supplementary services have been procured. 

New governance and project management structures have been set up for each system to oversee the implementation and integration of the software. Mr Manie Lombard (Chief Director: Finance) is chair of the new SUNFin Steering Committee, whereas Dr Ronel Retief (Registrar) chairs the new Steering Committee for SUNStudent. Further communication regarding these new structures will be distributed shortly. The expectation is that a feasible go-live date is 2021, taking into account the normal student and financial lifecycle activities and the availability of SU personnel. This process will include consultation sessions, regular communication and training of stakeholders across the University environment. In the long term the SU community can look forward to improved services with modern interfaces.

Any general enquiries regarding the Systems Renewal Project may be directed to the Office of the Senior Director: Division for Information Governance. Please contact Ms Tarien Jacobs (X3967) in this regard or send an email to tarien@sun.ac.za. 

Enquiries regarding the implementation phase may be directed to the two new governance and project management structures. Further contact information will follow in the next round of communication.

​ 

​​​​​​​Thanks to the Extended Degree Programme (EDP), the future is full of possibilities for students such as Axola Dlepu, one of the students who gained access to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University (SU) through the programme.,

This innovative programme was instituted at SU in 2008 to deal with systemic obstacles to equity and student success and to assist students with additional academic support.

Coordinator of the programme, Dr Anita Jonker, says the EDP's role is to redress past inequalities and transform higher education by responding to new realities and opportunities.

According to Jonker, the programme is open to students who are interested in studying towards a Bachelor's degree with an average of 60–64,9% in their National Senior Certificate (NSC). She added that the National Benchmark Test (NBT) results, students' socio-economic status, as well as availability of places, are taken into consideration in EDP admissions.

EDP and mainstream students obtain the same degrees after completion of their undergraduate studies. The only difference is that EDP students do their first year over two years. Over and above their mainstream subjects, EDP students take modules that prepare them better for their graduate studies, such as Texts in the Humanities, Information Skills and Introduction to the Humanities.

In the first-year Texts in the Humanities, the focus is on reading and writing, critical thinking, rhetorical structure, coherence, cohesion, text-linguistic characteristics and argumentation. The lectures are presented in separate Afrikaans and English classes to provide optimal academic support in students' preferred medium of instruction.

In Introduction to the Humanities EDP students are introduced to four different subject-fields, with a specific focus on multilingual technical concepts that provide a foundation for other subject fields in the Humanities and Social Sciences. All the terminology and lecture notes are available in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa and interpreters give students the opportunity to participate in lectures in their mother-tongues.

Students who speak Afrikaans, and Kaaps and related language varieties have a tutor, Jocelyn Solomons, who facilitate the tutorial discussions in these language varieties, and those who speak English and, inter alia, isiXhosa, have a tutor, Busiswa Sobahle, who facilitate the tut discussions in English and isiXhosa.

Extensive extra-curricular support is integrated into the academic offering to enhance student success. This includes an accredited mentor programme, coordinated by Ms Shona Lombard, where senior EDP students mentor first-year students with similar BA programmes to adjust to the new challenges of university life.

 Bavani Naicker, a 20-year-old BA Social Dynamics student from KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) described the EDP as a comprehensive support system. She said they were given foundational knowledge to assist them in their studies.

“My highlight of the course was when we visited Parliament and interacted with representatives of the different political parties," she said.

Chloe Krieger, a BA International Studies student from Cape Town, said if it were not for EDP, she would have dropped out in her first year. “The EDP taught us crucial literacy and life skills that the basic education system failed to teach the majority of students."

Krieger said that the EDP helped her to develop an awareness about critical issues that she would not otherwise have been aware of. “I was also inspired to be an activist and to be an agent for change. I am currently serving on the 2019/2020 SRC and I am learning so much about issues that marginalised groups on campus face that many people overlook," she said.

Students who have provisionally been admitted to the EDP and their parents/guardians are invited to the first meeting with EDP lecturers and mentors on Friday, 24 January 2020 from 09:30 to 12:00 in Room 3001 of the Wilcocks Building at 52 Ryneveld Street.

Prospective students who want to read more about the EDP, can consult the EDP website at http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/arts/edp/home