fire up the academic year - University of South Africa

STAFF NEWSLETTER
JAN/FEB 2009
CHALLENGES
fire up the academic year
Photo (left): Dr Matthews Phosa, and photo (right): Prof. Mandla Makhanya, Dr Gwen Ramokgopa and Prof. Barney Pityana
INSIDE
Page 2
The Principal speaks on the
new registration process
Page 4
Inspirational staff
acknowledged
Page 6
I love Unisa because...
Page 8
2008 Highlights
“What kind of service are we rendering to
our stakeholders? Are we growing students
who will add value to our economy? Are
we developing our skills and qualifications
in order to show continuous excellence in
academia? Are we providing the kind of
service that will engender a sense of pride
and belonging in this most wonderful
of institutions?”
With this series of soul-searching questions from
the Chairperson of Council, Dr Matthews Phosa,
the academic year got off to a stirring start at the
official opening function on 28 January 2009 at the
Muckleneuk Campus.
In his address, Prof. Barney Pityana, Principal
and Vice-Chancellor, emphasised that the
occasion gave staff an opportunity to reflect on
the achievements and failures of the University
and map a course for the year ahead. “Unisa
is an institution dedicated to innovation,” he
said. “Innovation is driven by experimentation,
sometimes trial and error, curiosity and
inquisitiveness, and pushing the barriers of the
unknown. We believe that that is the context in
which learning thrives. Learning takes courage,
and discovery means unlocking one’s power to be
excited by the new and unusual.”
Prof. Pityana emphasised that 2009 would be
the year of open and distance learning (ODL) at
Unisa. The Unisa Council has approved the Unisa
ODL policy and plan and the ODL task team, led
by Prof. Dele Braimoh, Director of the Institute for
Open and Distance Learning (IODL), was at work
on the implementation of ODL.
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Continued from page 1
The establishment of a comprehensive
and integrated tutor system would be an
exciting feature of this.
Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, Executive Mayor
of the City of Tshwane, delivered the
keynote address. She noted that the vision
of Unisa towards the African university
in the service of humanity, resonated with
the vision of the City to be an African
capital city of excellence that empowered
its community to prosper in a safe and
healthy environment. Dr Ramokgopa
stressed the need to generate knowledge
relevant to local social and economic
needs.
She concluded with a challenge to her
listeners: “Look at the silos we are in,
look at the solutions we are generating,
look at better and more appropriate
knowledge needs for our society, our
city, our country, our continent, that will
enable us to say, indeed, that this is the
African century.”
After the presentation of the Chairperson
of Council and Excellence in Tuition
Awards (see page 4), the opening
ceremony concluded with a vote of
thanks by the Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof.
Mandla Makhanya.
Principal speaks on new
registrations process
Prof. Mandla Makhanya (Pro Vice-Chancellor), Prof. Louis Molamu (Registrar), and Prof. Barney Pityana (Principal and
Vice-Chancellor) toast Jan van Zyl, the first student registered in the new registrations process.
At the end of last year, on
8 December, we inaugurated the
new dedicated Registration Building
for the new registrations period. We
have been and we are convinced that
this facility will make registrations
a painless affair for both staff and
students. We were aware that, as an
institution, we had to mark progress,
knowing as we did, that with the
numbers of students now being
registered annually at Unisa, we
could no longer rely on horse-cart
facilities in an age of technology.
Council was persuaded to invest a
large amount of money to put up a new
building with the requisite facilities. We
spent the year 2008 in a considerable
communication campaign, using print,
radio and multimedia tools like the web;
we used TV, pamphleteering and word of
mouth. Much was done to train and build
staff capacity. We are delighted with the
collaboration we received from the SA
Post Office and SkyNet, and from Dell
and Telkom.
I now wish to take this opportunity to
thank the staff who were involved in this
project: The cooperation we received
from the university architect, HMZ; the
construction team supported by our own
staff from University Estates, especially
Mr Tim Humpage; the project team led
by Prof. Dawid van Wyk and Prof. Divya
Singh; staff at the Directorates of Student
Admissions and Registrations, Student
Counselling, Finance, ICT and Safety and
Security, was superb. All worked together
throughout last year to bring this event
to fruition. It was, they tell me, a labour
of love, excited as they all were about
the prospect of improving the process for
students, and improving efficiency.
I am delighted to announce that Council
resolved that the building be named the
Eski’a Mphahlele Registration Halls,
after the illustrious Unisa alumnus, the
late Prof Eski’a Mphahlele, scholar,
man of letters and Africanist, who died
last year in Limpopo aged 88. We are in
conversation with the Mphahlele Family
about arrangements for the dedication of
the building later this year.
The purpose of the new registration
process was also educational. It has
become necessary for Unisa to cut
down on and eventually eliminate
the phenomenon of walk-in student
registrations. This makes planning more
difficult, and leads to study materials not
PAGE 2

eing available because nothing could
be planned for. It puts pressure on staff,
especially at Despatch, to respond on
demand to student’s needs for learning
materials. Our research has shown that
there are many students who turn up
to register at Unisa without even being
aware that Unisa is a dedicated distance
education university, and who are
consequently not ready for the rigours of
distance education.
We therefore required that all students
should apply in advance so that they
could be assisted with pre-registration
processes, receive career and academic
counselling and be prepared for distance
education study. It was also our view that
the process would shorten the registration
period, allowing students and staff a
longer tuition period before they sit for
examinations. Finally, we needed to do
that so that Unisa could better manage its
enrolments. The Minister of Education
obliges all higher education institutions to
manage enrolments within set enrolment
and course targets. With that, of course,
goes the obligation for the University
to improve the success of its students
and ensure completion of their studies.
Students who attend Unisa unprepared
for distance education study end up
dropping out of their studies, frustrated
because they discover that Unisa is no
ordinary university as far as the learning
model is concerned.
Notwithstanding many teething
problems, like inadequate
bandwidth for the high volumes of
usage, logistical arrangements in
a building not wholly complete,
the challenge of students turning
up to register regardless of
the plan for pre-registration
processes, and, of course, the
higher number of students
who qualified for degree
studies this year (resulting
in some students being
surprised, and others discovering
that residential universities of their choice
were now requiring higher grades for
admission) – I am delighted to report
that despite all of that, we consider the
process to have been a success. A total
of 60 248 students registered through
the central admissions office and 30 230
registered through Unisa. There were
52 550 online registrations and 49 081
students utilised the Self-Help stations
provided at our centres. In all, 187 582
students have now registered through the
new process. Of these 51 867 were new
students and 121 677 returning students.
The total number of registrations
therefore is currently 170 243 plus 69 188
temporary registrations.
Staff members are always on hand to assist aspiring students.
It is evident to us that the system
has been able to carry a huge load
of registrations, better than anything
previously possible. We pay tribute to
the students who were able to utilise
the smart registration mechanism. We
thank parents and prospective students
for their patience as they had to stand in
long queues, for which we apologise. We
also thank our army of staff who attended
to this task with so much dedication
and efficiency. We believe that once
the building is complete, the process
will be much smoother. We have learnt
some lessons this year and we can only
improve.
Prof. Pityana was speaking at the
academic opening of the University.
Chancellor praises SBL
For the first time since his appointment, the Chancellor
of Unisa, the Honourable Judge Bernard Ngoepe, paid a
visit to the Unisa Graduate School of Business Leadership
(SBL) on 13 November 2008.
Judge Ngoepe was received by the SBL executive and
management team, and was officially welcomed by the Executive
Director and CEO of the School, Prof. David Abdulai, who spoke
of the School’s success in becoming one of the top business
schools in Africa. As well as discussing the accomplishments and
challenges facing the School, an elaborate presentation was made
to the Chancellor on how the electronic delivery system was
used to ensure that SBL clients receive only the best in terms of
customer service.
The Chancellor mentioned that he was indeed privileged to have
had the opportunity to visit the SBL and was overwhelmed by
what the School has accomplished under its new management
in a short time. He praised Prof. Abdulai for the transformation
that has taken place in the SBL. Judge Ngoepe spoke positively
about the future of the SBL and was optimistic about the growth
trajectory of the School. He promised to continue supporting the
SBL and its future endeavours.
Dr Bheki Shongwe, Prof. David Abdulai, Judge Bernard Ngoepe, Prof.
Akhabue Okharedia, Ms Cristal Peterson and Mr Moyagabo Bogopa.
PAGE 3

Inspirational staff acknowledged
The Academic Opening also served to showcase staff who received Chairperson of Council and Excellence in
Tuition Awards. According to Dr Divya Singh, Deputy Registrar and Programme Director, these are people who, by
their example, have shown what it is to serve and inspire. “They have made a striving for excellence in all that they
do a part of their very own personal ethos. And in doing so, they actually send out a challenge to all of us to do the
same. They set the bar and they offer themselves as role models, who embody all that we in the Unisa community
aspire to. We acknowledge that if each of the Unisa people here today were to apply themselves in a like manner,
this institution would certainly be unrivalled, both in excellence in tuition and in service. It is, therefore, fitting that
we honour these colleagues, who have elected to make a difference and contribute to the future of Unisa and the
future of the country, and who through their conduct, have set this example for all of us.”
Chairperson of Council Awards
The Chairperson of Council Awards for Excellence have been
instituted in honour of the serving Chairperson of Council.
The awards give recognition for the excellent performance,
accomplishments and achievements of members of staff. The
criteria for nominations are based on:
• Excellent overall job performance
• Outstanding contribution to Unisa
• Excellent services to the community
• Distinguished leadership
• Integrity and impeccable character
• Achievement of A rating status by researchers
Dr Matthews Phosa, the Unisa Chairperson of Council,
presented the awards to the following:
• Dr Elsje Cronjé, Department of Psychology, for her
excellent services to the community
• Prof. Coenraad Visser, Department of Mercantile Law, for
his distinguished leadership
• Mr Vinesh Balmakund, Directorate of Student Admissions
and Registrations, for his excellent overall job performance
• Ms Judith Pollock, Office of the Principal and Vice-
Chancellor, for her excellent overall job performance
• Prof. Rosalie Finlayson, Department of Human Resources
Development, for her excellent overall job performance
• Prof. Elmarie Sadler, Department of Auditing, for her
distinguished leadership
• Dr Sam Ngwenya, Department of Finance and Risk
Management and Banking, for his excellent overall job
performance
• Ms Poppie Khoza, Corporate Communication and
Marketing, for her excellent overall job performance
• Mr Stanley Nhlapo, Midlands: Learner Support, for
outstanding contribution to Unisa (in absentia)
• Prof. Mokgaga Mphahlele, Department of Chemistry, for his
excellent overall job performance
• Ms Rosemary Negota, Language Services, for her
distinguished leadership
Excellence in tuition awards
These awards reward excellence in the design and development
of study material and give recognition to the time and effort
spent in this pursuit. They were presented by Prof. Rita Maré,
Vice-Principal: Academic and Research, to the following staff
members:
• Ms Annemarie Davis, Department of Business Management
in the School of Management Sciences
• Dr Wendy Ross, Department of Art History, Visual Arts and
Musicology in the School of Arts, Educations, Languages
and Communication
• Ms Elize Symington, Department of Life and Consumer
Sciences in the School of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Ms Dalize van Heerden van Heerden, School of Computing
Mr Stanley Nhlapo
Front, Ms Rosemary Negota, Dr Elsje Cronje, Ms Annemarie Davis, Ms Dalize van Heerden, Ms Poppie Khoza, Prof. Rosalie Finlayson;
Middle, Ms Judith Pollock, Ms Elize Symington, Dr Wendy Ross, Prof. Mokgaga Mphahlele, Prof. Elmarie Sadler; Back, Dr Sam Ngwenya,
Prof. Coenraad Visser, Mr Vinesh Balmakund
PAGE 4

The Vice-Chancellor
congratulates
award winners
I wish to take this opportunity to
congratulate all those who received the
Chairperson of Council Awards at the
Opening Ceremony on
28 January.
I believe that there were a record
number of awards at that single
ceremony. It needs to be understood
that the awards are not merely given
at the behest of the Chairperson of
Council or the Vice-Chancellor.
Invitations for nominations are issued
by the Office of the Registrar months
before the end of the year. Nominations
must be motivated and supported by at
least one other signatory. Management
then reviews the nominations and makes
recommendations to the Chairperson of
Council, who consults with the executive
Committee of Council on the final
candidates.
We are delighted that this year we received
a large number of nominations and we
applaud the participation of staff in this
institutional programme. We believe that
those who received the awards represent the
best of Unisa staff in their work ethic and
the pride they derive from the University.
They are truly the best ambassadors any
institution can hope to have. One hopes
that, in addition, they are role models and
an inspiration to other members of staff.
Congratulations!
I believe that this also holds true for those
who received the awards for Excellence in
Tuition. This is an important recognition
of the dedication of so many colleagues to
teaching and learner support. The awards
are an indication of this University’s
commitment to encourage more academics
to seek and give only the best of themselves
to help students make the best of their
studies and realise their dreams. The awards
tell of the endeavours and the extent to
which such teachers have been prepared
to go in pursuit of their professional ethos.
The excellence of their teaching has been
recognised by both students and their peers.
That makes us truly proud.
New Dean promises
quality service
to students
Unisa’s new Dean of Students,
Mr Convy Baloyi, started at the
University on 5 January 2009,
“just in time to welcome staff
members back from
their holidays.”
As a Unisa graduate (he holds a
master’s degree in Public Administration)
and now as a member of staff, he
believes that it is impossible to compare
Unisa with other institutions of higher
learning. The primary reason for this,
according to him, is because we are an
Open Distance Learning institution with
a diverse and vast audience. “Although
we have little face-to-face contact with
our students, our students are not far
from us. We must be ever conscious of
this and of the need to do our best for
them.”
While Mr Baloyi acknowledges that
there are many challenges facing
students at Unisa (such as the fact that
Unisa has no SRC, student disabilities
and students requiring financial
assistance to access education), his
priority is to provide quality service to
Unisa students.
Seminar compares
Prof. Catherine Odora Hoppers,
NRF SARChI Chair in Development
Education, and the School of
Graduate Studies hosted an
international seminar addressed
by Prof. Bernt Gustavsson from
Orebro University, Sweden, on
27 January 2009.
Speaking on Bildung, ubuntu, plurality
and reciprocity: What possibilities for
transcending western understandings
in a democratic and globalized world?,
Prof. Gustavsson said that when
he read Desmond Tutu’s No future
without forgiveness, he realised that
the concept of ubuntu can be compared
with bildung in some dimensions,
especially the hermeneutic concept.
“We are responsible for our promises
and need to deliver on these promises if
we are going to earn our students’ trust
and gain credibility.
This is where each individual can
make a difference and I commit to only
promising what I can deliver.”
bildung and ubuntu
Mr Convy Baloyi
“It is about community, through which
human beings can develop and grow
and how ethically we can live together.”
The respondent was Prof. Philip Higgs
of the School of Graduate Studies.
Prof. Philip Higgs, Prof. Catherine
Odora Hoppers, Prof. Bernt Gustavsson
PAGE 5

Ilove Unisa
because
...of its policy of Open
Distance Learning.
Prof. Ranwedzi Nengwekhulu,
Human Sciences
...life is never dull here.
Doreen Gough, Corporate
Communication and Marketing
...Unisa cares for its
students as well as
its hard workers.
Daniel Maake, Despatch
...of all the interesting
people I see through
my lens.
Izelle Jacobs, Sound, Video
and Photography
...
my
it
family
has afforded
an opportunity
me and
to
be
intellectuals;
exposed to
now
the
we
world
know
of
what’s
UNISA,
out
VIVA!
there. VIVA,
Gilbert Mamorobela, Corporate
Communication and Marketing
PAGE 6
...it puts me on the global arena.
I
introduction
don’t have to
I just
give
call
a personal
out Unisa
and I am known.
Lindile Nhlapo, Unisa Library
and Information Services
...it is the best institution in
ODL education in Africa and a
great employer.
Prof. Sylvester Moyo, Life Sciences.

Your NO counts -
lifting the lid on corruption
‘’We must make a consolidated effort to say ‘no’
to corruption,’’ said Prof. Mandla Makhanya,
Pro Vice-Chancellor, as he opened the celebration
of International Anti-Corruption Day and the
launch of the report of the 3rd National Anti-
Corruption Summit of South Africa, held in Senate
Hall on the Muckleneuk Campus on 9 December
2008.
International Anti-Corruption Day is celebrated annually
in honour of the United Nations Convention against
Corruption (UNCAC), which was signed on 9 December
2003 in Mexico. In terms of UNCAC, corruption is
harmful to development and poses a threat to the security
and stability of society.
The event was a collaboration between the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for
Southern Africa (UNODC ROSAF); the Public Service
Commission (PSC); and Unisa.
Dr Jonathan Lucas, Prof. Sam Sangweni, Ms Koko Mashigo,
Prof. Jerry O Kuye, and Prof. Mandla Makhanya display their copies of the report.
Partnerships explore
development and ethics
From our side. Emerging perspectives on development and ethics is
a collaborative effort of younger scholars in southern Africa and the
Netherlands who are interested in the relationship between development
and ethics from a Christian point of view.
The 17 chapters that make up the book have been produced through a unique set of
partnerships, in which the authors have intentionally worked with practitioners who
are working in the development arena. The essays were also shared in a number
of settings with the authors, so that they have also benefited from this creative
partnership process. These partnerships have embraced people in both the South and
the North, signalling a desire for a global dialogue led by Africa on matters that have
a strong impact upon the continent.
The book is constructed around three clusters of key development themes, and
essays include Churches, public life and development: Restoration of human dignity
in the context of education; Do minorities need cultural rights? The case of the
Griqua people in South Africa; and Neo-liberal capitalism, African elites and ICT:
Challenges and prospects for a development ethic based on ukama and ubuntu.
This is an important book, which
needed to be written. It now needs
to be read by everyone with any
interest in development issues within
southern Africa and beyond, and
especially in the role that the Church,
alongside other faith communities,
has the potential to play.
Njongunkulu Ndungane
About the editors
Steve de Gruchy is a Professor of Theology and Development at the University of
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Nico Koopman is a Professor of Systematic Theology and Ethics at the University of
Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Sytse Strijbos has lectured philosophy at VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
and at the North West University (Potchefstroom campus), and is currently chairman
of the International Institute for Development and Ethics (Europe).
Published within the SAVUSA series, by Unisa Press and Rozenberg
SA price: R200 (VAT incl.)
PAGE 7

2008 Hig
Executive appointments
The year 2008 started on a high note
when the dynamic Prof. Mandla
Makhanya started his tenure as Pro Vice-
Chancellor at Unisa.
This key role in the University’s
management provides strategic direction
to the University in its academic identity
and focus, through leadership that is
responsive to change and transformation.
The year also started with two new
executive deans taking up their position.
Prof. Mamokgethi Setati became the first
female Executive Dean of the College of
Science, Engineering and Technology,
while Dr Nqosa Mahao took up the
leadership of the College of Law.
Strategic Tshwane
Partnership
The City of Tshwane, Unisa and the
Human Sciences Research Council
(HSRC) reached an agreement to work
together in a number of areas. As a higher
education institution, Unisa will assist the
city mainly in the area of research and
development.
Consortium to advance
higher education in Africa
Unisa hosted the African Council for
Distance Education (ACDE) stakeholders’
workshop during February, addressing
key issues such as how distance higher
education institutions in Africa can join
forces and work together to address the
educational needs of the continent.
Recognising and bringing
racism into consciousness
The University issued its Statement on
racism, racial discrimination and all
forms of intolerance. In the Statement,
Unisa commits itself to continuing its
efforts aimed at creating an institutional
environment that is affirming and creates
spaces of belonging for all staff and
students whatever their race, language
or culture, for all nationalities, to value
diversity as an occasion for learning and
discovery. In that regard the Statement
goes further than racism. It speaks about
‘all forms of intolerance’. That means
that the Institution will denounce sexism,
homophobia, xenophobia and similar
expressions of intolerance.
HEQC audit focuses on
quality assurance
The Higher Education Quality Committee
(HEQC) institutional audit, which took
place in August, focused on Unisa’s
policies, systems, procedures, strategies
and resources for the quality management
of the core functions of teaching and
learning, research and community
engagement services, especially at the
point of delivery. The intention was
to highlight areas of strength through
commendations and, where specific
recommendations requiring attention were
made, developing plans and effecting
the necessary improvements. The audit,
therefore, assessed Unisa’s capacity for
quality management of its academic
activities in a manner that meets its
specified mission, goals and objectives,
and engaged with the expectations and
needs of various internal and external
stakeholders.
Research Chairs
New study and research avenues opened
up for postgraduate education students
across Africa as Unisa expanded its
unique expertise in the field. Two
new research Chairs were specifically
positioned to play a pivotal role in the
embedding of Unisa’s institutional
identity:
• South African Research Chairs
Initiative (SARChI) NRF South African
Research Chair in Development
Education
• United Nations Education, Science
and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)
African Chair in Open and Distance
Learning (ODL)
PAGE 8

hlights
Transforming towards Open
Distance Learning
The open distance learning (ODL)
business model has been firmly
entrenched as part of Unisa’s future, as
the University continued to transform
and position itself in the higher education
sector as the leading provider of ODL
opportunities, in line with its social
mandate.
Fast-tracking young
academics
Unisa launched an exciting pilot project
with the aim of developing Young,
promising and talented academics for the
future, with a view to assist in building
capacity of high-quality academics at
Unisa. A group of 16 academics from the
five colleges participated in the inaugural
Young Academics Project (YAP).
The project focused on fast-tracking
participants in the areas of tuition,
research and academic management.
Recognition for exceptional
individuals
Unisa conferred honorary doctorates
on five remarkable people at its autumn
graduation ceremonies, paying tribute
to the outstanding contributions the
recipients have made in different ways
and diverse fields. The recipients were
former United Nations Secretary-General
Kofi Annan, Mr Brian Joffe (Executive
Chairman of Bidvest Group), Mr
Ramakgabotla John Mekoa (renowned
musician and founder of the Music
Academy in Gauteng), Prof. Noel
Chabani Manganyi (clinical psychologist
and academic who chairs the Council
on Higher Education), and Archbishop
Winston Hugh Njongonkulu Ndungane
(Archbishop of Cape Town).
Unisa honours its own
Unisa staff members were rewarded
through the various award ceremonies,
including the Excellence in Tuition
awards, the Principal’s Research Awards,
the Chancellor’s Research Awards, and
the Women in Research Awards.
New community
engagement initiatives
Unisa formalised community engagement
and outreach as one of its core business
areas, along with tuition and research, by
establishing a Directorate: Community
Engagement and Outreach. In order
to comply with the strategic objective
that the resources and capacities of the
University must be utilised in community
development initiatives, and collaborative
partnerships, Council approved a Policy
on Community Engagement and Outreach
at the beginning of 2008.
South African wins 11th
International Piano
Competition
On 9 February, Ben Schoeman made
history by becoming the first South
African pianist to win the prestigious
Unisa International Piano Competition, in
the face of stiff competition from pianists
from around the globe.
His victory was applauded by a packed
crowd in the ZK Matthews Hall at
Unisa, which registered its joy at his
historic win with prolonged applause and
enthusiastic cheers. Mr Schoeman was
awarded the first prize by a panel that
included six international adjudicators
drawn from many parts of the world – all
acclaimed musicians in their own right
and experienced jurists in competitions of
this nature.
Public lectures
A number of public lectures took place
throughout the year, engaging the broader
community in intellectual and stimulating
debate, as well as commemorating and
paying tribute to people who played a
significant role in the shaping of our
democracy. These lectures included
the Founders Lecture, the Feroza Adam
Memorial Lecture, the Abdullah Omar
Memorial Lecture, and the
Prof. G Humphreys Memorial Lecture.
Building projects
Two major Unisa building projects were
begun in 2008. The new registration
building, the Eski’a Mphahlele
Registration Halls at the Sunnyside
Campus, was officially opened on
8 December, when the registration period
for 2009 commenced. Construction
started on the new Unisa entrance
building at the Muckleneuk Campus.
This building will become the central
building, or ‘soul’ of Unisa, as it will be
an information hub and one-stop facility
for prospective and existing students, as
well as the general public.
Revamped facilities included the
transformation of the Film Auditorium
at Muckleneuk into the Miriam Makeba
Concert Hall and the Sunnyside
Conference Hall into the Enoch Sontonga
Concert Hall.
PAGE 9

CARS hosts
stakeholder meeting
The Centre for African Renaissance
Studies (CARS) held a stakeholder
meeting on 4 November 2008 to
discuss the establishment of centres
of excellence and a database of
African experts within Africa and
the Diaspora. This is a collaborative
project between CARS/Unisa, the
Development Bank of Southern
Africa (DBSA) and New Partnership
for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
The main objectives of the project are
to define what centres of excellence are
within the African context; to identify
Africa’s knowledge, challenges, needs
and gaps; to adapt best practices from
existing centres of excellence; to
determine the criteria for the location,
monitoring and evaluation of the centres
When the Department of
Environmental Sciences started the
Recycling Project and launched it
during 2008 Unisa Inspired Week,
it really meant to make a difference,
not only to the Unisa community, but
also to the community around it.
Since its launch, the project has gained
momentum and has joined partnerships
with different organisations. The
exhibition and recycling stations at the
Pretoria Show served to provide people
with the opportunity to recycle at the
event as well as to promote awareness of
waste recycling.
Another highlight for the project
was the e-waste container, which
Director and Chair of CARS, Prof. Shadrack Gutto with stakeholders at the meeting
of excellence; and to establish a database
of African experts within Africa and the
Diaspora.
The occasion, opened by Prof. Rita Maré,
Vice-Principal: Academic and Research,
was attended by more than 30 dignitaries
and stakeholders, including the DBSA,
was installed at the Muckleneuk
Campus in December 2008. Staff are
encouraged to bring any old electrical
and electronic equipment and dispose of
it in this container. DESCO Electronic
Recyclers have sponsored this container
and will handle the e-waste downstream
in a responsible manner.
The project also has a partnership with
the Moreleta Spar Supermarket whereby
recycling bins for different types of waste
have been placed inside the supermarket
and customers are encouraged to bring
waste for recycling. This partnership
has yielded a fantastic response from
the community who have actively
participated and voiced their approval for
this venture.
NEPAD, government, the International
Council on Scientific Union (ICSU),
ambassadors, the Academy of Science of
South Africa (ASSAf), the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
and Unisa staff.
Recycling project leads the way
The recycling project can only survive
with the continued support and
participation of all members of the Unisa
community.
We encourage people to make that
little extra effort to maintain a beautiful
environment for us all, as well as to
protect and conserve our natural heritage
for future generations.
REUSE
REDUCE
RECYCLE
Recycling is good for the University and the community.
Dr Maggi Linington, Executive Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, launches the e-waste
container at the Muckleneuk Campus.

Staff members honoured
Prof. George Subotzky
Prof. Neville Botha
Prof. Jopie Pretorius
Prof. George Subotzky, Executive
Director: Information and Strategic
Analysis, made a presentation
entitled Institutional Research: What
is it and what is it for? at the 2008
Annual Forum of the South African
Association for Institutional Research
in Windhoek.
His contribution was voted best
presentation by delegates at the forum.
This accolade entitles him to make the
presentation at the American Institutional
Research Forum in Atlanta later this year.
Prof. Neville Botha of the
Department of Public, Constitutional
and International Law is one of
four South Africans appointed as a
member of the Permanent Court of
Arbitration in The Hague.
Members of the Court are recognised as
being of “known competency in questions
of international law, and of the highest
moral reputation”. They are appointed for
a term of six years, and their appointments
can be renewed.
In addition to forming a panel of potential
arbitrators, the Members of the Court from
each member state constitute a “national
group” that is entitled to nominate
candidates for election to the International
Court of Justice. They are also among a
handful of groups entitled to nominate
candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Prof. Jopie Pretorius of the
Department of Mercantile Law
has once again been appointed by
the Minister of Finance, in terms of
section 92 of the Banks Act (Act
94 of 1990), as a member of the
Standing Committee of the Revision
of the Banks Act.
This committee, which is responsible for
the constant revision of the Banks Act,
ensures that all bank-related legislation is
up to date and conforms to international
standards. According to Prof. Pretorius,
one reason why South Africa seems to
have escaped the worst of the world
wide banking crisis is because our
legislation meets international regulatory,
supervisory and market best practices and
standards.
North Eastern Region launches RSC
The North Eastern Region launched its regional service charter on 20 December 2008. The day started off with
presentations by various units highlighting their achievements and challenges for 2008 and their plans for 2009, while
the afternoon was reserved for the launch of the service charter.
An exciting feature of the launch was
that all staff members signed a pledge
to uphold the promises contained in
the regional service charter. The signed
pledge, together with the pop-up
banners and posters, will be distributed
to all offices in the region as a constant
reminder to all staff of the promise to
deliver quality service in the region.
Staff members celebrate the announcement of
Mr Herman Entres (centre) as Worker of the Year.
After the signing ceremony, staff
members received a jacket branded with
the Unisa logo and a special slogan:
North Eastern Region, Inspired to Serve.
Throughout the day, serious proceedings
were interspersed with poetry and drama
from the region’s students. At the yearend
dinner that evening, Mr Herman
Entres was voted Worker of the Year for
the region and received a floating trophy
for his achievements.
PAGE 11

Inaugural lectures
Prof. Dirk Kotzé – Department
of Political Science
The political science of politics
in South Africa – 9 October 2008
The main motivation for this lecture
was to determine how equipped the
Political Sciences are today for political
scientists dealing with the politics of
South Africa and beyond its borders.
Major events like the fall of the Berlin
Wall or September 11 have a major
impact, not only on domestic and
global politics, but also on Political
Science as a discipline. Similar events in
South Africa, like 1994 or Polokwane,
presumably also have a significant impact
on South African society and therefore
on also Political Sciences’ theoretical
ability to understand and analyse them.
The question is, therefore, whether the
discipline is theoretically equipped to deal
with political dynamics in South Africa.
Four focus points are used to explore this
question: the middle class, the state and
the ‘local state’ in Africa, political conflict
resolution, and South African politics
since Polokwane as a ‘second transition’
period.
Since 1988, Prof. Dirk Kotzé has been a
member of the Department of Political
Sciences at Unisa. He has also been the
Chairperson of the Department since
April 2008. His main areas of interest are
South African politics, political conflict
resolution, negotiated transitions, public
policy, and elections. Since 2006 he has
been the National Secretary/Treasurer
of the South African Association of
Political Studies. This year two coedited
books published by the Africa
Institute appeared, namely The state
of Africa: post-conflict reconstruction
and development and African political
elites. The land question in South Africa
is an area of specific involvement as
he is a trustee member of the National
Land Restitution Trust, a member of
the ministerial panel on foreign land
ownership in South Africa, and assists
organised agriculture and the Policy Unit
in the Department of Land Affairs.
Prof. Danie du Plessis –
Department of Communication
Science
Lost and found: “Old” values for
“new” learning organisations –
28 October 2008
This lecture concentrated on
organisational communication and
specifically focused on issues related
to intra-organisational communication.
It considered the evolution of society
and the organisations produced by it,
and then attempted to illustrate that,
although society evolved from primitive
to postmodern, organisations, in general,
do not reflect the values (which impact
on the communication in organisations)
that members of society accept as given
in their capacities as private members of
society. This results in a situation where
a kind of dualistic character develops in
employees, who become two different
people at work and when not at work.
It was proposed that one type of
organisation provides the possibility of
representing an authentic environment in
which the postmodern person’s societal
and organisational values can be brought
together coherently. This is the new
“learning organisation” concept, which
was developed since the late 1990s
by Senge and others. The ideal new
learning organisation can be compared
to a sophisticated machine where all the
different components and functions are
self-adjusting in response to variables that
change. Communication and the important
values underpinning it play a critical role
in making this possible.
Prof. Danie du Plessis joined Unisa as
a junior lecturer in 1988 after working
for three years in the communications
industry. He obtained his BA
(Communication Science) and MA
(Communication Science) from the
University of Potchefstroom (now the
University of the North West) and his
DLitt et Phil from Unisa. Prof. du Plessis
has been the Chair of the Department
of Communication Science since 2004.
He participated in local as well as
international research projects, focusing
on organisational communication and also
the use of media in different contexts. He
contributed to a number of scholarly books
as well as publishing a number of articles
in scientific journals. He was promoted to
full Professor from January 2008.
Prof. Marlize van Jaarsveld –
Department of Mercantile Law
Battling between contract and
statute after dismissal: Seeking
clarity amidst judicial disparity –
27 November 2008
In this lecture, Prof. Van Jaarsveld
looked at various trends relating to
globalisation influencing employment
in different ways. One of these is
the interface between traditional
contractual principles in the individual
employment relationship and existing
legislation. The process of interfacing
two distinctly different concepts is
not without challenges. In matters
concerning dismissals, an important
aspect is whether an employee may
utilise a particular contractual remedy,
aside from the availability of a statutory
remedy in the event of a dismissal.
PAGE 12

Continued from page 7
By founding a claim on a contractual
basis, the employee may very well
be entitled to contractual damages as
opposed to a statutory recourse such as
compensation.
Jurisdictional problems are cause for
concern because the Labour Court
is not vested with the right to award
contractual damages. So a claim founded
on contractual damages following a
dismissal has to be lodged in the High
Court. Whether employees remain
vested with a choice in this regard is the
ultimate concern. This dilemma has been
the focal point in a number of recent
decisions of the judiciary which lead to
further confusion instead of providing
clarity. Reference to the common law
by the Constitution is helpful in this
regard because, by this inclusion, the
Constitution implies that the common
law is a living and developing body of
law and not a closed entity of the past.
While prior to 2007 the judiciary was
inclined to entertain well-founded and
correctly pleaded contractually based
claims where employment contracts
were unlawfully terminated, irrespective
of the availability of legislation dealing
with unfair dismissals, a number of
conflicting decisions have since provided
cause for concern, especially in light of
two existing conflicting decisions of the
Constitutional Court, culminating in the
creation of a judicial disparity.
Prof. Marlize Ingrid van Jaarsveld
qualified as an attorney and holds the
degrees BIUR, an LLB, an LLM with
specialisation in Mercantile law and
Labour law, the latter of which was
awarded cum laude from the University
of Pretoria, and an LLD (Unisa). She
spent five months at the Catholic
University of Leuven (Belgium) where
she completed two LLM courses, namely
International Business Law, obtained
magna cum laude, and Human Rights,
and conducted comparative research for a
LLM dissertation in Labour Law.
She was appointed at Unisa during 2000
as a temporary lecturer at the Department
of Jurisprudence, and later during the
same year joined the Department of
Mercantile Law. She was promoted
to senior lecturer during 2002 and as
an associate professor in 2003. She
was promoted to the position of full
Professor at the end of 2007. Prof. Van
Jaarsveld has participated in international
congresses in the United States and in
Scotland and in domestic conferences,
and has contributed 25 publications to
date, including a chapter in Gibson’s
South African Mercantile and Company
Law, a contribution on labour law for the
2007 Annual Survey of South African
Law, and two internationally published
articles.
Healthy
heart tipsAZ
to
February is the month associated with love and hearts. Valentine’s Day is celebrated and loved ones are spoilt with
chocolates and roses. However, there is also no better time than the month of hearts to start taking good care of
your own heart, says Ms Heleen du Toit of the Department of Health Studies. She says the statistics on heart disease
are alarming. In January 2009, Health 24 reported that more than 47 000 South Africans would suffer from heart
attacks this year.
“A healthy heart beats in rhythm with emotional, spiritual and biophysical well-being,”
says Ms Du Toit. She advises Unisa staff to take the ABCs of heart health to heart:
• Adore your family and friends; they are your strength when
you are weak.
• Be kind to yourself and set time aside to do things you
enjoy.
• Care for the environment.
• Dancing is a joyful way of exercise and worth more than we
think.
• Eat healthily.
• Fight stress, especially at work, where you spend so much
of your time.
• Get enough rest and sleep.
• Have a happy day.
• It is never too late to change your lifestyle.
• Junk food is garbage in your heart.
• Know the causes and symptoms of heart disease.
• Learn about your medication.
• Medical conditions must be followed up.
• Negative self talk is destructive for body mind and soul.
• On and on and on ... your heart will go – if you look after it.
• Plan a nutritional diet you and your family will be able to
follow for life.
• Quit smoking!
• Risk factors for heart disease must be determined.
• Stressed spelled backwards is Desserts – try to avoid both.
• To lose weight and lower cholesterol, eat fewer calories and
exercise regularly.
• Unwind by listening to your favourite music.
• Verify your blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.
• Walk on a treadmill or health walker while you watch a TV
soapie or a DVD.
• X – kiss your loved ones and show affection.
• Yearly checkups can help to detect early warning signs of
heart disease.
• Zest up your life and your heart will beat willingly and
healthily.
For more healthy tips and information about heart disease visit http://www.health24.com and http://www.euclidhospital.org and follow the links.
PAGE 13

Sports teams
excel at SAUSSA Games
The Unisa soccer team did the
University proud by winning a gold
soccer medal (the fourth in a row)
during the recent annual Southern
African Universities Staff Sports
Association Games (SAUSSA)
organised by the University of
Malawi in Blantyre from 8 to 11
December 2008.
The Unisa soccer team has not lost a
single game at the SAUSSA games in the
past year, something that will hopefully
continue well into the future. The team
beat the host, Malawi, 2-0; drew 0-0 with
Botswana; and beat Swaziland 8-0 in the
final game.
The netball team also won a bronze
medal, their first medal since the
University started participating in the
SAUSSA Games. The athletics team also
did well; they won several medals and
were awarded first place overall.
The teams wish to thank the following
sponsors for their generosity: Unisa’s
Centre for Business Management,
the Centre for African Renaissance
Studies, Unisa Foundation and Alumni
Relations, Corporate Communication
and Marketing, the College of Law, the
College of Economic and Management
Sciences, the College of Human Sciences
and the University management team, as
well as the Human Rights Commission
and Pretoria North Toyota.
The trip was exciting, but fraught with
challenges, especially in Zimbabwe.
Nonetheless, it was an experience of a
lifetime for most of the team members.
The University of Namibia will organise
and host the 2009 SAUSSA Games in
December 2009.
Members of staff who would like
to join one of these teams should
contact Mr Johannes Mtlala
(012 481 2859;
matlajp@unisa.ac.za)
Top:
The Unisa soccer team before their
final game against Swaziland
Right:
The Unisa netball team in
their sponsored attire
PAGE 14

Indian partnership promises sciences synergies
During a visit to Hyderabad in India, Prof. Barney Pityana, Principal and Vice-Chancellor; Prof. Narend Baijnath, Vice-
Principal: Strategy, Planning and Partnerships; and Ms Siza Magubane, Director: International Relations, visited the
Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) on 27 November 2008.
Prof. Pityana and Prof. Reddy exchange agreements after
the signing ceremony
The Vice-Chancellor was in India to
attend the Executive Heads Meeting
of the Association of Commonwealth
Universities from 28 to 30 November
2008.
The Unisa delegation was received by
the JNTU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. DN
Reddy, Dr K Lal Kishore, the Rector,
and the entire executive team. JNTU is
the only central university dedicated to
science, engineering and technology.
There is also a thriving School of
Business Management, and information
and communications technology has
become crucial as Hyderabad has
become India’s silicon city.
The delegation was taken on a tour of
the facilities and was highly impressed
by the work that is being done in
computer sciences, engineering and
environmental sciences. They felt
that there were interesting synergies
with Unisa programmes and research
that could bring advantage to the
partnership.
A memorandum of understanding was
signed by the two Vice-Chancellors on
30 November 2008.
Prof. Reddy is proposing a visit to
Unisa in May 2009, accompanied by
some of the academics, especially Dr
Lakshimi Narasu Mangamoori, the
Director of the Institute of Science and
Technology, who is doing remarkable
work in the sciences.
Two academic scoops for non-academic
Dr Paul Prinsloo, an education
consultant in the Directorate
of Curriculum and Learning
Development (DCLD), made history
last year when he became the first
non-academic Unisa staff member to
receive the prestigious Chancellor’s
Prize for Excellence in Research.
The prize is awarded every two years to
researchers who distinguish themselves in
not only their research output but also the
quality of their research.
As an education consultant, Dr Prinsloo
engages with academics in exploring
dilemmas, paradoxes and opportunities
in the teaching of their respective
disciplines. His research output can only
be described as prolific, both individually
and collaboratively. Says Dr Prinsloo,
“Collaborative research is in many ways
more difficult than doing research on your
own. Successful collaborative research
requires negotiating individual roles
and expectations, but also chartering
a journey through unknown territories
of interpersonal relations and different
expertises. I find collaborative research
a very rewarding challenge and trust that
these collaborative research
outputs have not only enriched
my understanding of teaching
and learning in an open and
distance (ODL) environment,
but also supported my coauthors’
journeys in becoming
reflective practitioners.”
Dr Prinsloo also distinguished
himself when he was the first
Unisa staff member to be
awarded a fellowship at the
Open University in the UK in
2007, where he collaborated
in a research project on factors
influencing student behaviour
and success in online learning.
He worked with Dr Sharon Slade and
Ms Fenella Galpin of the Open University
Business School during his fellowship
placement, which grew out of his awardwinning
research. The research focused
on students’ reflections in their learning
diaries as a compulsory part of the
Professional Certificate in Management
offered by the Business School of the
Open University. The research found that
learning diaries provide a safe space for
students to reflect on their experiences,
becoming aware of what it feels like to
Dr Paul Prinsloo
study online; to work in an online
team; to solve problems as a team in an
asynchronous learning environment and
to deal with the distinct characteristics of
being and learning online.
Dr Prinsloo regards the Chancellor’s Prize
and the Open University International
Fellowship as “important milestones in
my development as a researcher”. He is
also a talented painter who has already
had three solo exhibitions. He shares his
Pretoria home with his two dogs, Kathe
and Beckmann.
PAGE 15

LKDA 7886 • 012 460 8545
Word from the
Vice-Chancellor
I spoke to the former Minister of
Education the other day. I reminded
him that the merger and the
creation of the new Unisa were now
five years old. He cut through my
waffle and asked, “Is it working?”
That was Prof. Kader Asmal, who was
Minister of Education in 2004 when the
merger of the Technikon South Africa
with Unisa, and the incorporation of
Vudec came into effect on 1 January
2004, heralding the creation of the
new University of South Africa. Prof.
Asmal was very determined about the
mergers as set out in his National Plan
for Higher Education, 2001. He brushed
aside objections, but after representations
he made only minor changes, as in
averting a possible closure of Unitra,
and rethinking the merger of UniVen
with Turfloop. He saw the mergers
as a strategic restructuring of higher
education for addressing the legacies of
the apartheid system that would oblige
institutions to undertake institutional
transformation seriously. In truth, the plan
did more than that. It created a new type
of institution within the higher education
system, namely, the comprehensive
university. It also entrenched the
new nomenclature of institutions, the
universities of technology, which he had
agreed to earlier after representations
from the ATP.
The Unisa merger was the first of the
mergers. In January an interim Council
chaired by Dr NM Phosa was established,
and the official launch was held at
the Ormonde Conference Centre in
Johannesburg. Thus began in earnest
the road towards the new Unisa. In July
2004 a new substantive Council was
convened and its first task was to
adopt the University’s vision, mission
and values statement, at Mabalingwe.
I am not sure that I could answer Prof.
Asmal’s question without equivocation.
As the executive teams of the three
institutions, we worked very hard to take
charge of the merger process, even to
the point of dislodging the process from
the Minister’s own Distance Education
Task Team. We battled among ourselves
with many of the logistical issues but
we eventually agreed on clear principles
of engagement among ourselves. By
January 2004, we could genuinely “own”
the merger. But “is it working?” In many
respects it is. The merger has been a vital
catalyst for transformation at Unisa. That
was one of the objectives of Minister
Asmal.
This is transformation that goes
beyond the cosmetic. Structural and
organisational transformation has been
underway for some time, and academic
transformation is our present task. We
are seeking to affirm the academic
character of the institution, with firstclass
facilities, learner centredness,
research and a new PQM. We are
genuinely battling with the challenges of
failure rates and drop-out. A world-class
African university is under construction.
Constraints in the financial provision for
mergers have caused countless anxieties
and many unresolved tensions with the
Department of Education. That is the
legacy of Prof. Asmal as well. Among
others, one wonders whether enough
financial planning was undertaken at the
concept stage of the mergers.
Mergers necessarily caused many
institutions to adopt multi-campus
planning for which no financial provision
is made. The comprehensive university
was established, for which there is no
regulatory provision. Perhaps, it is by
God’s grace that merged institutions are
functioning as well as they are.
At the official Opening of the Academic
Year, I announced that Unisa was set to
mark this important milestone. We intend
to brand the University of South Africa
as a five-year-old merged institution in all
our posters, websites and imaging. We are
planning to publish a book on five years
of the life of this University. To this end,
a steering group has been set up, chaired
by Prof. Narend Baijnath and executed by
Ms Jeanette Botha in my office. The book
is expected to be published at the end
of April. The first graduation ceremony
of the year on 20 April will be devoted
to the five-year celebrations. Prof.
Kader Asmal himself has been invited
to be the main speaker. I am aware that
the Committee is also planning other
activities to mark the anniversary. These
plans will be published later.
May I, on behalf of Executive
Management, wish all staff and students
the very best for this year, as we work
towards our University’s continuing
growth and achievement.
Please send your contributions to the editor
at farres@unisa.ac.za or call 012 352 4159 if
you have any queries or comments.
Editor:
Design and Layout:
Sharon Farrell
LKDA Strategic Creative Adveritising