Allow me to extend my heartfelt thoughts and best wishes to you, our valued stakeholder, who has also been struck by the storm now overwhelming our world. Given that we are all in the same boat in these challenging times, you would not be surprised to know that the coronavirus pandemic has left no part of the NWU untouched. I felt that you, one of our most valued donors, deserve a peek behind the curtains at how the pandemic has affected us and how we have risen to the occasion.
Our Students
The national measures to contain the virus have a huge impact on how higher education institutions operate especially in terms of teaching and learning. The lockdown and the necessary measures to ensure the health and safety of staff and students prompted us to rapidly expand our capacity to teach through online modes of delivery. Among many other actions, we conducted a survey among students to determine their state of readiness for online learning. A large number of students indicated that they do not have the necessary devices or network connection and/or electricity. To aid them, management has bought and allocated over 3 400 laptops on loan to students. Of these, 1 364 have already landed in the laps of our students. The rest will be delivered shortly.
In addition, more than 22 000 students have already been provisioned with data bundles at the university’s expense. Apart from this, some of the external websites which students frequently use have been zero-rated, and the university will also stand in for these costs. These challenges have put enormous pressure on the finances of the university. We have launched the NWU COVID-19 Response Fund and we are appealing to our stakeholders for support.
Recently the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation announced a risk adjusted strategy in terms of which there would be a limited return of students to universities under alert levels 4 and 3. In implementing the guidelines, the following principles have be observed:
- A maximum of 33% of students will be reintegrated on our campuses;
- Students who can complete their online programme from home will be encouraged to do so;
- Our academic programmes will continue to be offered online, and in the distance mode;
- Assessments will be conducted so that a student can complete them off-campus; and
- For those students who have been unable to study online or use our printed learning materials, a Winter School has been set up to allow them to catch up.
Our Staff
Our staff, who had been toiling from home during the lockdown, are gradually returning to campus. Our phased reintegration plan includes carefully designed health and safety measures such as the sanitation of facilities, hygiene measures, mask-wearing, and prudent social distance measures. In addition, we have supported all our staff with regular reach-out and communication initiatives, training, and moral and social support services where necessary.
Our Community
Our poorest community members are feeling COVID-19’s tightening grip the most. Their plight is being heard by students and staff. Two quick examples out of many: students from the NWU Potchefstroom campus have raised a R50 000 donation and 7,5 tons of maize meal and canned
food as well as several tons of clothing for the JB Marks Disaster Relief Project. Similarly, one of our Mahikeng campus students launched a grassroots initiative to mobilise local business owners in the village of Logagane in the North West to donate emergency food parcels to struggling households.
Our Contribution
Our academic staff in virology, transdisciplinary health research, disaster management, development studies, and many other fields have leapt to our nation’s assistance with early expert guidance and awareness building around the pandemic and its health and economic impact. They are collaborating with many leading role-players locally and abroad, and play influential roles in numerous national steering bodies and advisory groups.
Our health sciences and engineering academics and students have launched multiple and accelerated initiatives to meet the shortages in diagnostics and testing capacity, ventilators, personal protection equipment, etc. We are pursuing these initiatives without regard for commercial gain or institutional boundaries. We are collaborating with numerous outside institutions and participants in the interest of delivering fast and effective solutions to the challenges presented by the crisis.
In conclusion, on behalf of the North-West University community, I thank you for sharing our epic voyage through these stormy waters, and greatly appreciate your continuing support of our university. Our door remains open should you wish to engage with us at NWU. Please continue following us on our website for updates http://news.nwu.ac.za/. For any enquiries kindly contact 13044249@nwu.ac.za.
Best wishes,
Prof Dan Kgwadi Principal and Vice-Chancellor
North-West University