Unisa community has heart of gold - University of South Africa

STAFF NEWSLETTER JUNE 2008
Unisa community
has heart of gold
Ms Melanie Nicolau with a Red Cross aid worker receiving the Unisa donations
The Departments of Geography and Political
Sciences spearheaded a campaign
to donate supplies to victims of the recent
xenophobic attacks. Department of Geography
Head, Ms Melanie Nicolau, said
that reports of people in need prompted
her to suggest to the two departments
that this would be a worthy outreach to
coincide with Africa Day celebrations on
25 May. “The two disciplines involved
immediately took on the opportunity to
practically apply the Unisa vision of the
African university in the service of humanity,”
she said.
They received a wide variety of donations
such as food, baby supplies, toi-
letries, cleaning products, toys, blankets
and clothes. These will be given to the
Red Cross in Pretoria North as well as
to refugee organisations. Nicolau says
that the Department of Geography has
realised that the Unisa community truly
does have a heart of gold. “We would also
like to thank them for all that they have
donated”.
Ms Nicolau said that although active
collection ended on 6 June, they will continue
receiving donations for as long as
the Unisa community is willing to donate:
contact them at the Department of Geography,
TvW 9-128 X6013/6031.
KwaZulu-Natal Regional Director,
Mr Magnate Ntombela, decided that
any food left over after the seven KZN
autumn graduation ceremonies would
be donated to victims of xenophobia in
Durban. Welile Caterers and Magic Pan
Caterers were more than happy to deliver
the food on behalf of Unisa to the Cato
Manor Police Station. Professor David
Mosoma, Professor Louis Molamu, Professor
Oludele Akinboade and Mr Magnate
Ntombela visited the police station
on 30 May.
Fifty-three staff members contibuted to
the Unisa fund to assist the victims of
xenophobic attacks and R11 350 was
raised.
Focus theme: Support Services
Page 2
25th International Aids
Candlelight Memorial
Page 3
Final preparations for
HEQC Audit on track
Page 4
Black Forum Africa
Week Conference
Page 6
Quality @ any time,
any place

Unisa commemorates
Aids Candlelight Memorial
A message of hope and remembrance was
very much to the fore at Unisa’s special
commemoration of the 25th International
Aids Candlelight Memorial in the
ZK Matthews Hall on the Friday morning
preceding the global event on the third
Sunday in May. This historic memorial
is among the world’s oldest and largest
campaigns against the disease, and since
1983 has honoured those lost or affected
by the Aids pandemic. The event also
serves to educate and mobilise communities
to action.
In his opening address, Professor Narend
Baijnath, Vice-Principal: Strategy, Planning
and Partnerships, emphasised that
the vision that drives the University is
service, and that the leadership of the
University is driven by an ethic of care.
He added that it was inspiring to see that
there were volunteer workers both inside
and outside the University in civil society
dedicating themselves to dealing with the
scourge of HIV/Aids.
The theme of Never give up – never forget
was highlighted by a motivational talk
by Criselda Kananda, a high-profile Aids
activist, dynamic motivational speaker
and popular radio presenter. Ms Kananda
spoke on the topic The art of winning
- using inner strength to overcome
challenges, and is a glowing testimony
to the healthy and positive lifestyle she
advocates. She encouraged the audience
to celebrate life and be mindful of their
daily blessings, saying that because the
hour of our death is unbeknown to us,
we should live a life of faith and open
our hearts to people irrespective of their
health condition.
She emphasised the importance of maintaining
a good mind, health and prayer
life; and reiterated that people should
apply excellence in all they do and cling
to what is valuable and precious. In conclusion,
she urged her attentive audience
to focus on what the enemy is: the virus
and not the people with the virus.
The presentation was followed by a question-and
answer session.
Meditation
Let us affirm together that we are all
affected.
We can all be infected – indeed some of us
are infected without knowing.
HIV and AIDS is our challenge, all of us
together;
HIV and AIDS is our opportunity
To relearn what it means to be human,
What it means to be alive
And how precious it is to be alive,
And yet how fragile life is,
How vulnerable all of us are.
Professor Tinyiko Maluleke
Each candle a special
meaning
The Unisa KwaZulu-Natal Aids peer
educators organised their regional event
in the Unisa Library on 22 May 2008.
The peer educators selected several
prayers from different countries to pray
at the event. Each candle lit represented
a special meaning: for people who
died from Aids, people struggling with
HIV/Aids, people who support family
and friends dealing with HIV/Aids and,
for professional people, finding a cure for
HIV/Aids.
Sister Ntombi Molefe, the VCT Practitioner at
the Campus Health Clinic, lights the candles
From left, Ms Criselda Kananda and Ms Vicky
Malefo, Manager: HIV/Aids Division
From left, KZN peer educators Tumelo Mokoena, Nokuthula Ndlovu, Linda Sapo, Zandile Zenzile,
Mabusi Vutha, Thuli Shange, Nonkonyiso Nxumalo, Felecia Khanyile, Skhumbuzo Mhlongo
2

Preparations for
HEQC Audit on track
On 21 May 2008 a detailed briefing session
on the Institutional Audit by the
Higher Education Quality Committee
(HEQC) was held at the ZK Matthews
Hall on the Muckleneuk campus. This
launch of the final preparations allowed
staff to acquire a better understanding of
why Unisa is undergoing the audit, how
the process will be carried out, and the
implications for Unisa as a tertiary institution.
Ms Liana Griesel, the Acting Executive
Director: Strategy, Planning and Quality
Assurance and Promotion, began by outlining
the regulatory framework for quality
assurance at Unisa. She pointed out
some of the areas that the HEQC Audit
will tackle.
The second speaker was Ms Rachel
Prinsloo, Director: Academic Quality Assurance
and Programme Reaccreditation,
who enlightened staff about Unisa’s responsiveness
to the HEQC Audit and how
to interpret the criteria. She presented a
brief overview of the HEQC National
System and the criteria for the audit model,
as well as Unisa’s policy interpretative
approach.
Thereafter Professor Wendy Kilfoil,
Director: Institute for Curriculum and
Learning Development (ICLD), explained
what the Unisa’s portfolio would consist
From left, Professor Wendy Kilfoil, Director: ICLD; Ms Liana Griesel, Acting Executive Director:
Strategy, Planning and Quality Assurance and Promotion; Mr Gerard Grobler, Director: Communications;
Professor Louie Swanepoel, Acting Director: Quality Assurance and Promotion; Ms
Rachel Prinsloo, Director: Academic Quality Assurance and Programme Reaccreditation
of and the rationale behind it, and highlighted
questions that could be posed during
the interview process.
The last speaker for the day was Professor
Louie Swanepoel, Acting Director:
Quality Assurance and Promotion, who
informed staff on how to prepare for the
Audit. Professor Swanepoel said that it
is important to have an idea of what the
aims of the Audit are and how to work
towards that. She also gave staff an overview
of some of the operational aspects
during the course of the Audit.
The session concluded with a productive
Q&A session.
Delivery of quality services essential
By its nature Open Distance Learning
(ODL) demands the provision of diverse
professional and administrative support
services. The experience of the student
is underpinned by a well-defined value
chain commencing with educational programmes
developed by academic staff,
through registration processes to delivery
of materials and return of assignments,
examinations and records management.
This includes essential academic support
functions such as the Library, materials
design and development, as well as the
critical support area of Human Resources.
Unisa’s Integrated Quality Management
Framework clearly defines that policies,
processes and procedures regulate and
ensure the consistency of the day-to-day
operations, and this forms the backbone
of quality management and good service
delivery.
In order to ensure consistency and alignment
of quality assurance mechanisms
across Unisa, a professional and administrative
support services quality assurance
committee (PAQC) operates as a subcommittee
of the Quality Assurance Committee
of Unisa and is responsible to the QA
committee for quality matters of all of the
support services.
Professional and administrative support
services must conform to most of the
HEQC institutional audit criteria in supporting
teaching and learning, research
and community engagement.
The purpose of the Institutional Audit in
the week of 11–15 August 2008 is also
to assess the effectiveness of the quality
management systems of support services
as well as to identify areas of strength that
should be acknowledged or commended,
and areas of weaknesses that need to
be addressed with different degrees of
urgency. During the HEQC Institutional
Audit the audit panel will interview selected
interviewees from the professional
and administrative support services.
These interviews will be held according
to a schedule or programme as agreed
between the HEQC and Unisa.
3

Conference stimulates discussion
The annual Black Forum Africa Week
Conference got off to a rousing start in
Senate Hall on 14 May 2008. With the
inspiring theme: Towards transforming
higher learning for liberation and
development, the conference showcased
high-profile speakers and delegates at the
opening session, with issues such as elusive
equity, knowledge apartheid, racism
as a mutating virus, and the inferiority
complex of poverty stimulating discussion
and debate.
In his opening address, Professor Moroka
Mogashoa, Black Forum President, noted
that Unisa had gone through a great deal
in the past five years to create a transformed
institution, but made the point
that sometimes reconstruction is confused
with transformation. “We need to take
stock critically and say what it is that we
have achieved,” he added.
Professor Chika Sehoole, Chief Director:
Higher Education Policy, Department of
Education, who delivered the keynote address
on behalf of Mr Duncan Hindle, the
Director-General of Education, emphasised
the role that black people in South
Africa in the knowledge industry can play
in transforming higher education. “As the
Black Forum, you should not only think
about what can be done for you, but also
what it is that you can do for yourself,
and what contribution you can claim in
terms of taking this institution forward.”
He added that, from his own experience,
the best way of silencing one’s critics is to
produce, not only in terms of scholarship
but also of research. “The more we produce
and the more our names are reflected
in publications the more we are going to
earn the respect of our peers,” he said.
Dr Fanie du Toit, Executive Director: Institute
for Justice and Reconciliation, took
a critical look at public trust in democracy
in his presentation, drawing on the findings
of a transformation audit conducted
by the institute. He is of the opinion
that South Africa stands balanced on the
knife-edge of two scenarios: the leaky
tyre syndrome into slow and irreversible
decline, or the albatross syndrome, a comparison
between South Africa and a bird
that struggles for about a kilometre to get
airborne, but then is strong and powerful
in flight. He believes that the difference
between the two scenarios will come
down to the human factor and to leadership.
He pointed out that the economy is
not doing badly, but that equality and education
are deteriorating, and the country
needs to invest in human beings. “Among
other things, our research shows that what
South Africans want,” he concluded, “is
to be treated with respect.”
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, delivering
a paper entitled Why African descendants
are still facing poverty in Haiti, and
spoke of the need to nurture the spirit of
ubuntu. “Africans and African descendants
must be empowered by drawing
from African values,” he emphasised.
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide receives a token of appreciation from Professor
Annalet van Schalkwyk, Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology
From left, Professor Moroka Mogashoa, Black Forum President; Dr Fanie du Toit, Executive
Director: Institute for Justice and Reconciliation; Professor Olga Makhubela-
Nkondo, Department of Nursing; and Professor Shadrack Gutto, Director: Centre for
African Renaissance Studies
The Black Forum is an academic staff
association concerned with matters of
transformation and affirmative action
in terms of the democratic constitution,
higher education legislation, Labour Relations
Act and Employment Equity Act of
the Republic of South Africa.
Preamble of the Constitution of
the Black Forum
We the Black academic, professional,
administrative and support staff of the
University of South Africa (Hereafter
Unisa); cognisant of the history of the
University, the extent to which Black
Other speakers during the three days of
the conference included Dr Danny Titus,
Executive Director: Afrikaanse Taal en
Kultuurvereniging (ATKV); and
Dr Cheryl de la Rey, CEO: Council on
Higher Education (CHE), Dr Peter Kagwanja,
a Director at the Human Sciences
Research Council (HSRC), Dr Anniekie
Ravhudzulo, Educational Consultant:
ICLD; and Ms Tshepo Khumbane, a
development activist and founder of the
Water for Food Movement.
people have been treated unequally as
they were oppressed, excluded and marginalised,
hereby organise ourselves by
forming the Black Forum with the principal
aim of participating in the transformation
of Unisa in order to create a national
academic institution where all academic,
administrative and support staff are equal
parties and represented equitably in the
life of the University.
We therefore adopt this constitution as a
future guide in correcting centuries old
imbalances of various kinds between
Black and White created by the past colonial
and apartheid regime
4

Support services important role to play
At Unisa there are several units that support the University to excel in its core business of
teaching and learning, research and community engagement. This issue of Focus takes a
closer look at two of the support units, namely the Corporate Communication and Marketing
Department and the Study Material, Publications, Production and Delivery Unit.
Effective communication targeted
marketing aim
The objectives of the Corporate Communication
and Marketing Department, ably
headed by Dr Marié Ferreira, are to:
• Manage and coordinate internal and
external communication and marketing
• Establish a common understanding of
the nature and role of Unisa as a comprehensive
open and distance education
university through communication and
assertive and targeted marketing
• Establish the Unisa brand and create a
heightened awareness of the brand
• Develop and implement an integrated
student recruitment strategy to ensure
that the university meets its 2010 Department
of Education (DoE) enrolment
targets of 254 000 active headcount
enrolments
• Communicate and market corporate
projects
• Analyse the competitive environment
and market need through detailed market
analysis.
These objectives are achieved through the
work done both in front and behind the
scenes by four directorates:
Communications
The Communications Directorate compiles
the Corporate Profile, Research
Report, Corporate Social Investment
Report, Annual Report, Inspired, Focus,
and occasional reports and newsletters,
and disseminates and analyses media information.
Marketing
The Marketing Directorate maintains the
corporate identity and branding of Unisa
and manages all promotional items. The
student recruitment sub-directorate is
responsible for national and international
student recruitment drives, and businessto-business
marketing.
Public Relations
The Public Relations Directorate provides
a comprehensive events management
service to management and various internal
stakeholders, and also coordinates
campus tours and visitor programmes.
Electronic and Web
Communication
The Electronic and Web Communication
Directorate manages and monitors the
Unisa website and ensures a user friendly
web environment.
5

Quality @ any time, any place
Professor Barney Pityana with Unisa Press staff members Mr Carsten Tsiri and Ms Samantha Miller, who were marketing books at the Unisa Inspired
Week
The Study Material, Publications, Production
and Delivery Unit is one of those
Unisa support services that work quietly
in the background, underpinning one of
the core functions of an ODL institution.
Offering a one-stop service from conception
to delivery, the unit plans and coordinates
publications and study material,
providing a range of language, publishing
and graphic design services, complete
with professional video, sound and photography
productions. A choice of duplication,
digital or litho printing is offered
together with binding and, once complete,
Despatch stands ready to distribute the
completed material to students, staff and
other interest groups. In addition, the
Unisa Press publishes independent academic
books and accredited journals.
Key contacts
Executive Director:
Study Material, Publications,
Production and Delivery
Dr Majid Mahomed
Tel: 012 429 3500
E-mail: usmd@unisa.ac.za
Planning and Coordination of
Study Material
Director: Mr Ernie Blignaut
Tel: 012 429 6809
E-mail: blignep@unisa.ac.za
Language Services
Tel: 012 337 6061
Unisa Press
Director: Ms Beth le Roux
Tel: 012 429 4491
E-mail: lrouxeh@unisa.ac.za
Sound, Video and Photography
Director: Mr Wessie van der
Westhuizen
Tel: 012 429 3073
Email mihaltl@unisa.ac.za
Print Production
Acting Director: Mr Rudzani
Ramahanedza
Tel 012 429 8990
E-mail: dramahan@unisa.ac.za
Ms Julia Mokgohloa chats to book-buying customers
at a recent ANC conference, where Unisa
Press marketed books
6

– the Study Materials Unit
Planning of Publications
Mr Leon Marais
Tel: 012 429 2351
E-mail: marail@unisa.ac.za
Mr Andy Smit
Tel: 011 471 3280/012 429 2765
E-mail: asmit@unisa.ac.za
Pre-press: design, layout, typesetting,
proofing
Mr Carl Pretorius
Tel: 012 429 2790
E-mail: pretocr@unisa.ac.za
Mr Charles Backhouse
Tel: 012 429 2809
E-mail: backhcp@unisa.ac.za
Printing
Mr Ben Magome
Tel: 012 429 8269
E-mail: magomtb@unisa.ac.za
Mr Johnny Vorster
Tel 011 471 3354
E-mail: vorstej@unisa.ac.za
Ms Judy Jooste, Theresa Mihalik and Laura Schultz taking a short break from their duties within
the Directorate: Sound, Video and Photography
Digital printing
Mr Patrick Doyle
Tel: 011 471 3760/012 429 2354
E-mail: pdoyle@unisa.ac.za
Litho printing
Mr Eddie Kloet
Tel: 012 429 2580
E-mail: kloetba@unisa.ac.za
Mr Joe Martins
Tel: 012 429 6363
Mr Johan Fourie
Tel 011 471 2458
Finishing: bindery
Mr Jeff Mphela
Tel: 011 471 2459/012 429 2330
E-mail: mphelajt@unisa.ac.za
Despatch
Director: Mr Zayed Bagus
Tel: 012 429 2414
E-mail: despatch@unisa.ac.za
Members of the Despatch team hard at work
7

Heartbreak of our youth
From left, Ms Eugenia Machobane, Zivuseni Primary School; Mr John Maluleke, Principal: Wallmansthal
Secondary School; Ms Nomusa Mpila, Zivuseni Primary School; Ms Lea Mokweuho,
Baweze Primary School; Professor Herman Conradie, Department of Criminology; Mr Reginald
Ntenane, Wallmansthal Secondary School; Professor Erna Prinsloo, Department of Educational
Studies
The Interest Group Socio-education and
the Department of Criminology held a
second round of panel discussions on the
well-being of the youth of South Africa
on 28 May 2008. During the previous
round in 2007, the discussion focused
on the lack of a value system in South
African society and the effects this had on
children.
In the current session, principals and life
orientation teachers from schools in the
Gauteng area discussed the problems and
challenges they faced in their schools
as they attempt to guide their learners
towards adequate, responsible and happy
adulthood.
Professor Herman Conradie from the
Department of Criminology opened the
discussion by outlining how educators can
identify the tell-tale indicators of abuse.
He also specified how to identify the
perpetrators of mental, emotional, intellectual
and physical abuse.
Professor Conradie emphasised that when
the school suspects abuse, a social worker
should be called to take a statement. If
educators get involved, they may prejudice
the legal processes. “This also serves
to protect the relationship the educator
has with the child and the parents,” said
Professor Conradie.
Honorary doctorates awarded
Unisa conferred four honorary doctorates
during the autumn graduations:
• Mr Brian Joffe, Executive Chairman
of Bidvest Group, received the degree
DCom on 5 May.
• Mr Ramakgabotla John Mekoa,
renowned musician and founder of the
Music Academy Gauteng, received the
degree DMus on 4 June.
• Professor Noel Chabani Manganyi, a
clinical psychologist and academic,
who chairs the Council on Higher
Education, received the degree DLitt et
Phil on 11 June.
• Archbishop Winston Hugh Njongonkulu
Ndungane, the Archbishop of Cape
Town, received the degree DLitt et Phil
on 12 June.
All the honorary doctorates were conferred
in Pretoria.
Mr Brian Joffe (centre) receives his blazer from Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Barney
Pityana, and Deputy Registrar, Professor Divya Singh
8
As the session continued, the discussants
painted a chilling picture of school
violence, disruptive behaviour, alcohol
and drug abuse, sexual abuse and teenage
pregnancies, and dysfunctional or
non-existent family backgrounds. The
consensus was that life orientation classes
have a limited impact in mitigating these
risk factors.
Educators also felt that they receive little
or no support from communities, the
education authorities or social services in
alleviating the problems they encounter
on a daily basis.
Some educators argued that because they
were forced to act as social workers, police,
or medical personnel, their teaching
time was compromised. Another perception
was that problems were compounded
if not all staff members employed by
schools were competent or committed.
The lack of effective and workable school
policies was also highlighted.
The information gleaned from these
round table discussions will be of value
during the evaluation and development
of training courses in Education at Unisa.
“Teachers need empowerment and society
needs more structures,’’ summed up Professor
Erna Prinsloo from the Department
of Educational Studies.

First volume of Language Matters published
In May a lunch was hosted by Unisa
Press in the Unisa Art Gallery to celebrate
the publication of the first volume of
Language Matters (edited by Professor
Lawrie Barnes) to appear in print under
the joint publishing agreement between
Unisa Press and Taylor & Francis, the
oldest academic publishing house in the
United Kingdom.
The first issue of this volume was in the
form of a Festchrift dedicated to Professor
Rusandré Hendrikse of the Department of
Linguistics, on the occasion of his sixtieth
birthday. During this celebration a copy of
the Festchrift was presented to Professor
Hendrikse by the guest editor of the
Festchrift, Dr Britta Zawada.
There are ten other Unisa journals that are
published jointly with Taylor and Francis;
these are the Africa Education Review, African
Historical Review, Communicatio,
Critical Arts, English Academy Review,
the International Journal of African
Renaissance Studies, Muziki, Myth &
Symbol and Scrutiny 2. These publications
all gain by their wider international
status and exposure, and have become
truly international flagship journals.
Enquiries about publishing in any of
these journals can be directed to Unisa
Press Senior Journals Editor, Ms Joanne
Davies, tel: 012 429 3016, e-mail:
daviejc@unisa.ac.za and subscription
enquiries are attended to by Ms Julia
Mokgohloa, tel: 012 429 2976, e-mail
mokgojk@unisa.ac.za.
Front, from left: Professor Brenda Spencer (Associate Editor), Dr Mirriam Lephalala (Associate
Editor), Professor Lawrie Barnes (Editor: Language Matters), Ms Beth Le Roux (Director Unisa
Press), Ms Penny Sanderson (Associate Editor)
Back, from left: Professor Oupa Mashile (Director School of Arts, Education, Languages and Communication),
Dr Britta Zawada (CoD Department of Linguistics & Guest Editor), Professor Rusandré
Hendrikse (recipient of Festchrift), Mr Cuan Webster (Taylor and Francis)
Outcomes of the new curriculum
The Department of Anthropology and
Archaeology held a seminar on What can
we expect university students to know
and how to think? Outcomes of the new
curriculum on 21 May 2008. The speaker
was Dr Cynthia Kros, currently the Head
of Division, Arts and Culture, Heritage
and Management at the Wits School of
Arts. Dr Kros is actively involved in
teacher training and outreach programmes
and shared the knowledge she had gained
from these with the participants.
Dr Cynthia Kros (front) with some of the seminar attendees
9

Prof. Baijnath serves on Global
Advisory Council
Professor Narend Baijnath, Vice Principal:
Strategy, Planning and Partnerships,
has been appointed to the Global Advisory
Council (GAC) for the Observatory
on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE)
based in London. Professor Baijnath will
sit on this board for the period from 2008
to 2010.
The GAC has been established to create
an international advisory group of higher
education, government, and private sector
professionals to support the mission and
goals of the Observatory. It is envisioned
that this body would provide consultative
and advisory commentaries on a range of
issues and initiatives related to cross-bor-
Professor Sozinho Francisco Matsinhe,
Learner Support’s Regional Academic
Coordinator at the Pretoria Hub, was
recently a keynote speaker and resource
person at the International Conference
on Bilingual Education “How to Help
Children Learn Better”, which took
place at the Democratic Republic of East
Timor’s capital, Dili, from 14 to 20 April
2008. Professor Matsinhe was invited
by the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) and the Minister of Education
of East Timor.
Professor Matsinhe says the main aim
of the conference was to discuss East
Timor’s language policy in education
and in his contribution enlightened the
gathering about his research on the role
indigenous languages play in bilingual
education in particular; and in fostering
sustainable development in general. “Being
aware of my research in those areas,
UNICEF and the Minister of Education
in the Democratic Republic of East
Timor thought my experience would be
important to what that country is trying
to achieve as far as language policy in
education is concerned,” he says.
He adds that there were other scholars
from the southeast region and beyond
who were also invited to bring their inputs
to the conference.
der higher education. Moreover, members
of the GAC are expected to engage in the
following activities to support the mission
and goals of the Observatory:
• Promote the mission, goals, and
services of the Observatory to external
global organisations, institutions and
agencies
• Advocate the value for subscribing and
becoming member organisations in the
Observatory
Professor Matsinhe delivering his keynote address in Dili
• Provide recommendations, feedback
and commentary on research topics,
marketing activities, partnership proposals;
conference and seminars events,
and general services of the Observatory
• Serve as a reviewer of research manu
scripts that align with the GAC member’s
expertise, experience and training
• Advise the Chief Executive of the
Observatory on potential funding opportunities
and sources that align with
the mission and goals of the Observatory
• Serve as sponsors, speakers and hosts at
sponsored meetings, seminars and
events of the Observatory
Unisa professor keynote speaker at international
conference
10

Midlands host a Tutor Development Workshop
About 60 tutors, six lecturers and staff
from the Midlands offices converged at a
resort in Kroonstad during the weekend of
10–11 May 2008 to attend a Tutor Development
Workshop.
The first of its kind in the region, the
workshop was conducted by Ms Thandi
Ngengebule and Ms Mahlapane Molatlhegi
of the Tutorial Services, Discussion
Classes, and Work Integrated Learning
(TSDL) and included tutors from the Free
State, North West and Northern Cape
which make up the Midlands Region.
This year has seen a record number of active
and dedicated tutors in the Midlands.
Some of the lecturers and tutors who attended the workshop in Kroonstad
Praise singer at Unisa
Professor Barney Pityana, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, is lauded by a praise singer. The event was organised by the Gauteng Region.
11

The Movement for Good was inaugurated
at the Apartheid Museum, Gold Reef
City, Johannesburg on 24 April 2008.
An extension of the work of Heartlines,
the celebrated video and television series
that tells the South Africa moral story,
the Movement for Good seeks to extract
practical value from the innate goodness
of human nature and the humane character
of a large number of South Africans
judging by surveys on philanthropy, of
the extensive family and community care
groups, and of much evidence of valued
and good citizenship.
While Heartlines’ punch line is “for
good”, the Movement for Good has an
exceptionally pertinent catchphrase, “It
starts with you”. Among the sponsors of
the campaign are SABC, ESKOM, City
Press, IEC, the National Youth Commission,
the International Marketing Council,
the custodians of Brand South Africa,
South Africa – the Good News, and SA
Tourism, among others. I am not aware of
any higher education institution that has
endorsed this campaign. I trust that Unisa
will be among the first to do so.
The Movement for Good is inspired by
the Setswana adage that says noka e tlatswa
ke dinokana (river swells from little
streams). In other words, from the small
but many and proliferating initiatives,
properly conserved, a river of good could
swell the South African landscape.
The intention is that we should never be
distracted by the few who characterise
inhumanity and who lack charity towards
the other. Those who are perennially negative
and have no solutions to the challenges
that society faces must not drag
the rest of us into a spider’s web of shame
and vitriol. In other words we must be
like the little boy whose finger was firmly
pressed on the dyke that would have devastated
with the powers of destruction.
On 5–9 May, the university held Unisa
Inspired Week. The event is an initiative
to promote “the good” that takes place at
Unisa: the teaching, the research and the
community citizenship that many colleagues
across the institution are devoted
to but often for which they receive little
recognition. It is an opportunity to make
the institution known to itself. And so we
did. We heard about the work being done
in the tutorial programmes, innovations
in tuition, and some amazing research
initiatives.
The organisers had undertaken to highlight
the themes identified in this year’s
Institutional Operational Plan 2008–2010.
And so themes like “institutional culture
and identity” and “academic focus”, as
well as a panel on the topical matter of
Race, Gender and Culture, were prominent.
The launch of the Institute for Open
Distance Learning/UNESCO Chair in
ODL and the SARChI NRF Chair in
Development Education provided opportunities
for colleagues to be introduced
to two of our new senior academic staff
and to get an insight into the direction
they intended to take their projects based
at Unisa. Both Professor Dele Braimoh
and Professor Catherine Odora Hoppers
caused ripples of excitement as teachers
and researchers of note.
Following that, Management undertook
a four-day meeting to review progress
with the IOP, identify loose ends and pull
these together. In particular we sought to
identify blockages in the institution and
find solutions. Two factors were identified
as representing obstacles to Unisa’s
successful implementation of its strategic
plan: a core of people determined to block
progress and the regulatory environment
for ODL.
It was observed that notwithstanding the
enormous efforts Unisa had made to alter
the workplace environment at Unisa, to
seek support and participation on the
basis of the approved Strategic Plan, that
negating sentiment has been demonstrated
by the faceless Beeldists once again complaining
about matters they have no courage
to raise openly within the university’s
platforms designed for open debate. This
university will not be swayed. Die Beeld,
thankfully, has no influence on the management
and governance of Unisa.
There is a renewed understanding of the
extent to which the absence of an ODL
policy impacts negatively on what the
university seeks to achieve as an ODL
institution. For example, the rigid and
inflexible data management and audit
reporting regime means that Unisa works
to a rigid routine that puts much pressure
on systems like registration and examinations.
The advisory issued by CHE to the
Minister has been under consideration
since April 2004. We have now resolved
to renew contact with the Ministry of
Education and offer assistance to finalise
the ODL Policy.
For all of this we need a moral compass at
Unisa that affirms the respect and human
dignity of the “other” and that invites intellectual
discourse appropriate to an academic
institution that is open, transparent
and lives without fear or inhibition; that
is prepared to take responsibility for one’s
opinions and actions; that eschews racism
and sexism and that promotes diversity as
a value to be cherished. We have passed
the hurdles of the old Unisa, and we
have a new labour relations environment
framed by the new Conditions of Service.
There is no turning back!
Please send your contributions to the editor, Sharon Farrell, at farres@unisa.ac.za or call 012 352 4159 if you have any queries or
comments.
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