The Walter Sisulu University Council held a stakeholder Indaba at the institution’s Mthatha Campus recently to discuss the implementation of the Council-approved 2030 strategic objectives on Campus Consolidation and Faculty Rationalisation.

The widely engaged strategic plan, among its objectives, decrees that the university shall undertake Campus Consolidation and Faculty Rationalisation. Implementing the approved Vision 2030 strategic objective of Campus Consolidation and Faculty Consolidation is interpreted as completing the unfinished 2005 merger project.

Council Chairperson, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, said, “ the latter is essential if WSU is to reposition itself in the higher education sector of the African continent and compete effectively in the global scale.”

The purpose of the Council Stakeholder Indaba was to address the divergent viewpoints on the council-approved vision 2030 strategic objective of Campus Consolidation and Faculty Renationalisation.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Rushiella Songca, said, “By rationalisation we mean that we want to put the skills that we have in a way that will ensure that we are in fact effective in pushing our teaching and learning, and research.”

She further added that one of the aims of the Rationalisation and Consolidation is to build niche areas besides the research niche areas. The university has four niche areas in teaching and learning that the institution needs to strengthen on such as Education, Accounting, Engineering and Health.

Engaging stakeholders sought amongst other issues that the concept document of the Campus Consolidation and Faculty Rationalisation be drafted by all stakeholders and not be presented with a document to make changes on.

They further questioned the model of appointing the steering committee for this Vision 2030 objective and the campus consultation process that took place. They also requested the concept document that outlines a Human resource model.

“We will run this university together, of course on the way we will have some clashes but we will continue running it together,” said Ngcukaitobi.

Stakeholders present included the Council, Institutional Management Committee, Institution Forum, Institutional Student Representative Council, Convocation Executive Committee and WSU labour unions.

He further said that as the council the have noted the inputs put on the table and that they will take these issues and discuss them on the council meeting that will take place in October.

By Anita Roji