WSU CONSOLODATION PROJECT CUTS 12 FACULTIES DOWN TO SEVEN

The Walter Sisulu University Council has officially approved and given the go ahead to executive management to implement the Rationalization and Consolidation Strategy at the University.

During a Special Meeting of Council on, 26 May 2023, the University Council passed the resolution that the Rationalisation and Consolidation Strategy document was adopted as an official policy of Walter Sisulu University.

The implications of the adoption of the R&C Strategy are that the current 12 faculties of the University will be reduced to only seven (7) faculties.

The consolidation project will see the merging of several duplicated faculties across WSU's four campuses being placed on a single site.

The result will be new developments in infrastructure and teaching and learning spaces on affected campuses.

“The adoption of the R&C Strategy does not, of course, signal the end of engagements with stakeholders. The decision of Council brings clarity to the goals of the University, to be pursued by Management. Council remains available and open to resolve any areas of significant disagreement on areas of implementation. We emphasise, however, that management retains the primary role in the execution of the Strategy,” said Council Chairperson, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi.

Ngcukaitobi added that Management should advise the University Community on the plan for the implementation of the R&C Strategy and continue the engagements with affected employees.

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.

Implementing the approved R&C Strategy is interpreted as completing the unfinished 2005 merger project which comprised of Eastern Cape Technikon, Border Technikon and the University of Transkei.

The WSU Council said it sincerely aspired that the adoption of the R&C Strategy would significantly enhance the academic standing of WSU to enable it to contribute meaningfully to the developmental objectives of the country and African continent.

By: Sinawo Hermans