Addressing Students' Needs and Challenges: Interim SRC Progress Overview
The Interim SRC, led by Mr. W.N. Khumalo, serves as a platform for various student political formations to represent student voices in the lead-up to the 2021 SRC elections. Despite challenges due to COVID-19, the SRC engages students through virtual platforms to ensure their views are heard. Initiatives include structuring student bodies, enhancing student accommodation, improving teaching and learning during lockdown, and fostering dialogue with university management. Looking ahead, the SRC aims to elect student leaders and advocate for student interests effectively.
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INTERIM SRC MR W N KHUMALO SRC COORDINATOR
INTERIM SRC OVERVIEW THE INTERIM SRC IS A COMPOSITION OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL FORMATIONS WITH AN AIM TO REPRESENT STUDENTS AS WE PREPARE TO ELECT AN SRC IN THE YEAR 2021. THE INTERIM SRC EMBARKS ON A NUMBER OF CONSULTATIONS WITH BOTH STUDENTS POLITICAL FORMATIONS AND STUDENTS IN GENERAL WITH THE INTENTIONS TO BEST REPRESENT THEIR POSITION THIS TASK HAS NOT BEEN EASY DUE TO COVID 19. NO PHYSICAL MEETING TOOK PLACE BUT AS A STRUCTURE WE ARE ADOPTING TO THE NEW NORMAL. THE INTERIM SRC USES SOCIAL MEDIA, ZOOM AND OTHER PLATFORMS TO ENGAGE ON ROBUST DEBATE ON MATTERS OF THE INSTITUTION. AS A MULT-STUDENT PARTY FORMATION, WHICH BY VIRTUE OF OUR DESIGN OUR STRUCTURE IS TRANSPARENT AND OPEN TO THE UNIVERSITY STUDENT COMMUNITY.
STATE OF STUDENTS AFFAIRS THE INTERIM SRC HAS ENSURED THAT ALL STUDENTS STRUCTURES ARE IN PLACE FROM FACULTY LEVEL TO INCREASE THE VOICE OF STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT LEVELS. THE INTERIM SRC HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DRAFT OF SRC CONSTITUTION WITH THE AIM TO ENSURE AN SRC BY THE STUDENTS IS ELECTED THE RELATIONSHIP OF MANAGEMENT AND INTERIM SRC IS AS THAT OF A ROBUST NATURE. WHERE ISSUES ARE CANVASSED TO ENSURE THAT A COMPROMISE IS ACHIEVED. THE INTERIM SRC WILL IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS ENSURE THAT STUDENT LEADERS ACROSS FACULTIES, SPORTS CODE AND STUDENT HOUSING ARE ELECTED AND EXECUTE THEIR ROLES AND FUNCTIONS TO ENSURE THE VOICE OF STUDENT IS REPRESENTED AT OPERATIONAL LEVEL
STUDENT ACCOMMODATION THIS REMAINS A NATIONAL ISSUE AS WE DISCUSSED WITH OTHER SRCS. IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOTE THAT OUR GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN OUR OUTSOURCING STRATEGY. THE FACT THAT WE LOCATED IN KWADLANGEZWA MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO FIND LOCAL SUITABLE EXTERNAL ACCOMMODATION. THE UNIVERSITY ACCOMMODATES ABOUT 6000 STUDENTS WHILE IT HAS AN INTAKE OF ABOUT 17 000 STUDENTS. THE UNIVERSITY AND THE INTERIM SRC IS LOOKING IN THE MEAN TIME FOR MORE OUTSOURCED RESIDENCES. THE UNIVERSITY HAS STARTED WITH ONE OF ITS BIGGEST INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT OF CONSTRUCTING MORE RESIDENCES. WHICH WILL INCREASE TO ADDITIONAL 6000 BEDS. WHILE THE PROJECT IS STILL ON THE PIPELINE MANY STUDENTS ARE SUFFERING. THE OFF CAMPUS RESIDENCE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS IMIQASHO ARE IN TERRIBLE LIVING CONDITIONS PARTICULARLY AROUND SAFETY. MANY STUDENTS ARE VICTIMS OF CRIME AROUND KWADLANGEZWA. WE ARE ENGAGING WITH UMKHWANAZI TRADITIONAL AUTHORITY AS WELL AS THE CITY OF UMHLATHUZE TO COMPEL IMIQASHO TO BE MORE HOSPITABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND SAFETY CONCERNS TO BE ADDRESSED
TEACHING AND LEARNING DURING LOCK DOWN TEACHING AND LEARNING IS THE CORE FUNCTION OF AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING AND AS SUCH THIS TASK MUST BE CARRIED OUT WITH DUE DILIGENT THIS TASK HAS NOT BEEN EASY BUT THE UNIVERSITY AND THE INTERIM SRC WORKED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE LAPTOPS, DATA AND DELIVER STUDY MATERIAL. THIS PROCESS WAS NOT SMOOTH BUT WE HAVE LEARNED A LOT AS STUDENTS COME FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS WHERE NETWORK COVERAGE HAS BEEN THE ISSUE, WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO RETURN THOSE STUDENTS WHILE ALSO OBSERVING THE HEALTH PROTOCOLS. THE COMPUTER LITERACY LEVELS OF STUDENTS PLAYS A CRUCIAL ROLE IN THE PARTICIPATION OF THE E- LEARNING MATERIAL. HENCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN IT HELP DESK AND THE DELIVERING OF STUDY MATERIAL. THIS WAS PART OF OUR BROADER STRATEGY.
CONTINUES: T& L DURING LOCK DOWN FIRST YEAR STUDENTS WHOM SOME HAVE NEVER WORKED ON A COMPUTER SUFFER GREATLY IN THE E-LEARNING DURING THE LOCK DOWN AND DIFFERENT METHODS WERE USED TO ASSIST. OUR RECOMMENDATION: WE ARE CONVINCED AS THE INTERIM SRC THAT MOST FIRST YEARS MUST BE ON CAMPUS SO AS TO GET COMPUTER LITERACY TRAINING. THIS MUST BE DONE WITH SPEED AND URGENCY AS THE COVID19 THIRD WAVE IS UPON US. THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN THE CASE WITH COUNTRIES IN AFRICA E.G KENYA
NSFAS FUNDING AND ALLOWANCES THE INTERIM SRC IS AWARE THAT FIRST YEAR STUDENTS HAVE NOT BEEN CLEARED FOR FUNDING AND THE UNIVERSITY TOOK A JOINT DECISION TO WAIVE REGISTRATION FEES FOR ALL QUALIFYING STUDENTS. THIS IS BOTH HISTORIC AND TO THE ADVANTAGE OF ALL STUDENTS. WE WOULD THEREFORE THANK MANAGEMENT FOR ALLOWING SUCH AN ACT WHICH IS PROGRESSIVE. WE ARE AWARE THAT RETURNING STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE THEIR ALLOWANCES AS PER THE NORM AND NO PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CONVEY THUS FAR. NSFAS HOWEVER NEEDS TO GET THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER AND STRETCH THEIR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY ABOUT THE APPROVED STUDENTS SO AS TO ALLOW THE UNIVERSITY TO DISTRIBUTE ALLOWANCES IN TIME. THE DELAY BY NSFAS ON ITS PROCESS WILL COMPROMISE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS AND THE UNIVERSITY.
READINESS FOR 2021 WE MUST MAKE KNOWN THAT WE HAVE STARTED IN A POSITIVE NOTE WITH MANAGEMENT IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR OF 2021. WHERE MANAGEMENT HAS AGREED TO ALLOW FIRST STUDENTS TO REGISTER IRRESPECTIVE OF BEING FUNDED OR NOT. WE ARE ALSO WORKING TOGETHER ON THE TEACHING & LEARNING STRATEGY TO ENSURE THAT NO STUDENT IS LEFT BEHIND. AS INDICATED THE INTERIM SRC WILL ENSURE STRUCTURES ARE IN PLACE TO INCREASE THE LOUD VOICE OF STUDENTS THE ACADEMICS AS WE SPEAK ARE PREPARING TO START AND THE WE ARE READY TO SERVICE OUR STUDENTS WE MUST TAKE STOCK OF THE LESSONS FROM OUR 2020 ACADEMIC YEAR TO BETTER PREPARE AND EXCEL IN 2021. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION BUT WE ARE GRATEFUL TO EVERY PILLAR OF THE UNIVERSITY THAT HAS WORKED WITH US. NOTABLY THIS WAS NOT EASY AS WE OFTEN HAD DISAGREEMENT BUT WE APPRECIATED OUR PROFESSIONAL INDIFFERENCES THE ROOT OF A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND SRC IS THE MUTUAL RESPECT AND INCLUSIVE PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING WHICH AFFECTS STUDENTS
THANK YOU MAY GOD BLESS YOU
