In order to accommodate the loss of academic time at the Mafikeng and Vaal Triangle campuses, and to allow students to be fully prepared for the upcoming exams, the management of the NWU has taken the following decisions:

• Classes for undergraduate modules at the Mafikeng and Vaal Triangle campuses will continue until 28 October 2016, while the undergraduate classes at the Potchefstroom Campus will end on 21 October 2016 as indicated in the official undergraduate calendar.
• Exams at the Mafikeng and Vaal Triangle campuses will commence on 29 October 2016, with the module examinations as currently scheduled on the examination timetables, and will end on 18 November 2016.
• Exams at the Potchefstroom Campus will commence on 24 October 2016, as indicated in the official examination timetable, and will end on 12 November 2016.
• Examination sessions in those modules that are part of the requirements laid down by statutory bodies and offered across the NWU, will not be moved. These exams will be written in the time slot provided for the relevant module in the official published timetables.
• The examinations missed in the first week of the scheduled examination period by the Mafikeng and Vaal Triangle campuses will be written in the week between the current first examination period and the second examination opportunity (14 to 18 November 2016).
• The second examination opportunity for all three campuses of the NWU will commence on 25 November and will run until 6 December 2016.
• The timetables for distance students are not affected and exams for this group will commence as scheduled.

Management wants to encourage all students of the NWU who were affected by the recent protest actions to use the additional time allocated fruitfully and to ensure that they are ready for the exams.

These arrangements should be seen against the background of the challenges experienced by the whole higher education sector and specifically how it affected the NWU.

I trust that all students will realise the urgency of this situation and refrain from any further disruptions. This concession was made as an attempt to salvage the 2016 academic year, and is in effect our last and only opportunity to do so.

I also realise that our staff members are inevitably affected by these changed timetables, and I count on your cooperation in this regard. Your commitment and support throughout this difficult time is highly appreciated, especially keeping in mind what you had to endure.

Kind regards

Prof Dan Kgwadi
Vice-Chancellor