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Ins ide22222 Cape Parrot CountCape Parrot CountCape Parrot CountCape Parrot CountCape Parrot Count 33333 Women’s DayWomen’s DayWomen’s DayWomen’s DayWomen’s Day 66666 UKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achievers 88888 UKZN Golf DayUKZN Golf DayUKZN Golf DayUKZN Golf DayUKZN Golf Day

US Secretary of Health visits Medical SchoolUS Secretary of Health visits Medical SchoolUS Secretary of Health visits Medical SchoolUS Secretary of Health visits Medical SchoolUS Secretary of Health visits Medical Schoolnited StatesDepartmentof Healthand HumanS e r v i c e sS e c r e t a r yM i c h a e l

Leavitt and other senior officialsfrom the United States Governmentvisited the Nelson R MandelaSchool of Medicine on 21 August.Professor Salim Abdool Karim, ProVice-Chancellor (Research) andDirector of the Centre for AIDSProgramme of Research in SouthAfrica (CAPRISA) hosted thedelegation.

The day’s programme included asite visit to US funded HIV-relatedprojects in the Vulindlela areaoutside Howick. Most of theCAPRISA initiatives at Vulindlelaare funded by US agencies.

Reporting in The Witness (27 August2007), Kerry Cullinan wrote“Secretary Leavitt describedVulindlela as ‘the epicentre ofhope’ because of the HIV/AIDS

treatment, prevention and researchthat is being conducted there...Although Vulindlela is mainly aresearch site, CAPRISA set up a

(l-r) Professor Hoosen Coovadia, Scientific Director: DDMRI; Secretary Michael Leavitt, US Secretary for Healthand Human Services; Professor Leana Uys, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Health Sciences;and Professor Willem Sturm, Dean, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine.

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THE Student Counseling Centre and the Disability Unit on the Pietermaritzburg campus held a DisabilityAwareness Drive as part of a campaign termed “Disability: Whose hurdle is it? Overcoming Obstacles,”on 22 August.

Students and staff took part in a treasure hunt moving in wheelchairs, went through a jumping castleblindfolded and later walked blindfolded using cane sticks to find their way. The cane rally was organisedby the KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society, Pietermaritzburg branch.

There was also a cricket game for visually impaired young people from Sigabangolwazi Blind School inMbali, Pietermaritzburg and KwaZulu-Natal Blind Cricket players. The players were coached by MrMookesh Parmeswar.

The Disability Awareness Drive was attended by members of the Association for the Physically Challengedand the KwaZulu-Natal Blind and Deaf Society.

“We are hoping to demonstrate that overcoming the ‘hurdle’ or ‘obstacle’ is not entirely the responsibilityof the disabled person, but a responsibility that is shared. Many such ‘obstacles’ are not just physicalbarriers but are more complex issues related to prejudices, attitudes, myths and stereotypes (that of non-disabled people) around disability and disabled people, …leading to the marginalisation of disabledpeople,” said Ms Nafisa Mayat, Co-ordinator of the Disability Unit on the Pietermaritzburg campus.

- Bhekani DlaminiPict

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Cricket players from Sigabangolwazi School for the Blind in Mbali.

Overcoming obstaclesOvercoming obstaclesOvercoming obstaclesOvercoming obstaclesOvercoming obstacles

treatment centre for local people,funded by the US President’sEmergency Plan for AIDS Relief(Pepfar), as ‘we felt it wasn’t right

to conduct research but not doanything for the community,’ saidCAPRISA’S site leader, ProfessorQuarraisha Abdool Karim.”

Other prominent members of thedelegation included Dr WilliamSteiger, Director of the Office ofGlobal Health; Dr JulieGerberding, Director, Center forDisease Control; Dr Roger Glass,Director, Fogarty InternationalCenter and Associate Director forInternational Research, NIH;Ambassador Mark Dybul, USGlobal AIDS Co-ordinator; and MsMarsha Singer, South AfricanPepfar Co-ordinator.

Secretary Leavitt, in his presen-tation, said in his portfolio asSecretary of Health and HumanServices in the US he was chargedwith the duty of providing betterhealth for all Americans. However,health issues also relate to humanservice issues and hence, “the USneeds to partner with institutionslike UKZN to find a solution to theproblem that is perplexing all of us.The future of the continent de-pends on our response.”

- MaryAnn Francis

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The ukzndaba teamThe ukzndaba teamThe ukzndaba teamThe ukzndaba teamThe ukzndaba team

Dasarath Chetty Deanne Collins Bhekani Dlamini Thembeka Dlungwane Fikisile Mabaso Vidhya Singh

Send your news to news@ukzn.ac.za

Professor Dasarath Chetty, Executive Director,Public Affairs and Corporate Communications

EditorialEditorialEditorialEditorialEditorial

AS part of its campaign to boostthe number of students registeringfor its programmes and to show-case its new and improved facili-ties, Public Affairs and CorporateCommunications and the Faculty ofScience and Agriculture hostedMathematics and Science teachersfrom the University’s top feederschools at the Westville campus.

Eighty teachers, some from as farafield as Ulundi and Eshowe,attended information sessions at thenewly-established Science andTechnology Education Centre. Theprogramme included a discussionon the new National Senior Certi-ficate (NSC) Mathematics andScience Curriculum and its influ-ence on Faculty entrance require-ments. The teachers toured thenew Computer Science, Chemis-try and Physics teaching andresearch facilities and interactedwith Heads of Schools and mem-bers of the Faculty during lunch.

The endangered Cape Parrotis South Africa’s onlyendemic parrot. Cape Parrot

Cape PCape PCape PCape PCape Parrot Countarrot Countarrot Countarrot Countarrot CountBig Birding Day (CPBBD) is anannual national effort to monitorthe range of the Cape Parrot and

UKZN students and staff who participated in the count in the Ingeli-Weza area.

estimate the abundance of the birds.Observers also record the presenceof other rare bird and mammal

species, including the endangeredSamango Monkeys and SouthernGround Hornbills. The areascovered include forests in theEastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal andthe Limpopo province.

Professor Colleen Downs of theSchool of Biological and Conser-vation Sciences on the Pieter-maritzburg campus is a member ofthe Cape Parrot Working Groupand the overall Co-ordinator of theCPBBD.

This year marked the 10th count. Anumber of UKZN staff and stu-dents assisted with the counting.

Professor Downs reports that,while the number of Cape Parrotsobserved in the wild has increased

every year since the count started,this year saw a marked decrease,despite the involvement of a similarnumber of observers. The decreasehighlights the need for continuedstudies to ensure that any threatsto the population are identified. Sheadds that “we need to understandthe movements of Cape Parrotbetween forest sites in order tobetter understand their ecology.This should be realised in the nextfew years with the recent donationof funds from the World ParrotTrust. This new research will focuson improving our understanding ofCape Parrot distribution and demo-graphy in the northern EasternCape region.”

- Deanne Collins

Science and MathsScience and MathsScience and MathsScience and MathsScience and Mathsteachers visitteachers visitteachers visitteachers visitteachers visit

The teachers were fascinated by thedisplays in the Science and Techno-logy Education Centre whichprompted many of them to set upvisits for their high school learners.They were impressed with thestate-of-the-art laboratories, re-search facilities and modernequipment. Many said they had noidea the University was so sophisti-cated. A Science teacher who hasworked in industry said, “I nowrealise the equipment I worked withwas mickey mouse.” The LIDARResearch Centre in Physics madeanother wish he was still a student!

The event gave teachers valuableinsight into the NSC Mathematicsand Science Curriculum – a topicthat is of great concern to them –and, more importantly, illustratedthe excellence of the University asa premier site for the delivery ofScience.

- Vicky Crookes

Professor Andrew Kindness (right) engages with teachers in Chemistry’snew undergraduate laboratories.

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US and UK supportacknowledged

THE visit of Dr Michael Leavitt, USSecretary of Health, to KwaZulu-Natal and to

UKZN in particular is extremely significant. That such ahigh level US delegation chose to visit UKZN-run projects, and

then the Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, is a clear indication ofthe confidence one of the major funders of HIV/AIDS research in South Africa

has in our Institution.

Much of the credit for attracting US support from the US President’s Emergency Plan forAIDS Relief (Pepfar) must go to our internationally acclaimed cohort of researchers led bythe likes of Professor Hoosen Coovadia and Professor Salim Abdool Karim, both widelyrespected for their contributions to scientific research on HIV/AIDS.

The US delegation visit preceded, by a few days, the announcement by the Wellcome Trust thatthe Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies would receive £15 million over the next fiveyears. This much needed injection of funding will assist researchers at the joint UKZN/MedicalResearch Council initiative to better understand ways in which to manage the conditions thatcontribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS in poor communities and to provide better care forthose already infected.

Funding, especially from internationally recognised and prestigious bodies such asthe US-based Pepfar and the UK based Wellcome Trust, adds credibility and

prestige towards UKZN’s quest to be the Premier University of AfricanScholarship. The University community acknowledges and celebrates

the contributions of our researchers who make this trajectorypossible and acknowledges Pepfar and the Wellcome

Trust for their support.

3

Demonstration againstDemonstration againstDemonstration againstDemonstration againstDemonstration againstgendergendergendergendergender violenceviolenceviolenceviolenceviolenceThe UKZN Gender Based

Violence Lobby Groupstaged a demonstration

against violence against womenat the Howard College campus on8 August.

The Group is a loose coalitionwhich was formed by concernedUKZN staff and students a yearago. It arose in response to con-cerns voiced by female studentsabout the incidents of abuse onUKZN campuses.

The demonstration rememberedwomen who are victims of daterape, rape and spousal abuse inSouth African. The demonstrators,who carried placards with sloganssuch as “One man one woman”,“real men don’t rape”, and “nocondom, no sex”, included femaleand male students and staff. Demonstrating against gender based violence.

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“Women’s Day is not about gettingflowers, but making a strong pointagainst women’s abuse,” said MsLliane Loots, Organiser of thedemonstration and Lecturer inDrama and Performance Studies.She added that the campus RiskManagement Services (RMS)offers services which students don’tknow about. As a group, theywould like to see RMS being moreaccountable. Abuse of women atUKZN is not just a criminal matter,but a political issue, which needsto be tackled by Universitymanagement.

Staff and students were invited tosign a petition against the abuse ofwomen and men and the need forgender safety on all UKZN cam-puses.

- Bhekani Dlamini

UKZNUKZNUKZNUKZNUKZN W W W W Womenomenomenomenomen’s’s’s’s’sDay CelebrationsDay CelebrationsDay CelebrationsDay CelebrationsDay Celebrations

THE Equity Support Unit andPublic Affairs and Corporate

Communications held a successful2007 Women’s Day celebration atthe Westville campus on 6 August.The celebration was part of theUKZN calendar of events duringWomen’s Month. While the Uni-versity Executive took the lead withthe celebrations, other members ofthe University community alsostaged various events for staff andstudents.

The Westville celebration focusedon women as individuals, in par-ticular “Freeing the Soul of thewoman”. The key concept wasrespect for the individual combined

Professor Fikile Mazibuko presenting a bouquet of flowers to AdvocateShamila Batohi.

StrengtheningStrengtheningStrengtheningStrengtheningStrengtheningalumni relationsalumni relationsalumni relationsalumni relationsalumni relationsRELATIONSHIPS between UKZNand nearly 200 recent alumni werestrengthened through the atten-dance of these graduates at theLeadership and EntrepreneurshipWorkshops co-ordinated by theAlumni Affairs Office during Juneand August.

Six Workshops (three Leadershipand three Entrepreneurship) wererun on the Pietermaritzburg,Howard College and Westvillecampuses.

The trio of two-day LeadershipWorkshops – organised by theAlumni Affairs Office and facili-tated by Ms Marie Odendaal of theStudent Leadership DevelopmentOffice: Pietermaritzburg and MrMandla Ndaba from the WestvilleOffice were attended by 94 gradu-ates. These graduates were keen toimprove their leadership skills anduse the skills as preparation fortheir entrance into – and upwardmovement within – the work-place.

Alumni relax at the Hexagon Theatre.

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UKZN Chancellor Dr Frene Ginwala.

with respect for the choices womenmake about their own lives in theworkplace, society and the home.

In her address UKZN Chancellor,Dr Frene Ginwala asked whetherthe focus on women should bebased purely on the apartheid past;on women in upper ranks ofgovernment and the private sector.She pondered the role of men in thetransformation effort and askedhow we should respond to theabuse of women. In the finalanalysis, Dr Ginwala believes thatthe index of women’s progress inSouth Africa should be judged bythe state of our rural women.

The Director of the National Prose-cuting Agency, Advocate ShamilaBatohi focused on those barriersfaced by women through cultureand practices in the home and theworkplace. Westville SRC Pre-sident Fanle Sibisi spoke about theoverlooked reproductive rolesplayed by older women. TheUKZN Opera Singers; UKZNAmaquikiza Female Ensemble; theGordons Road Girls SchoolOrchestra and jazz maestro ChrisJenkins performed at the cele-bration.

- Jay Govender

Ninety one graduates attended theEntrepreneurship Workshopswhich were the result of a success-ful partnership between BusinessPartners and the Alumni AffairsOffice. The Workshops coveredthe essentials of starting a busi-ness – from the initial writing of abusiness plan proposal, through tosecuring finance, franchise optionsand management-related issues.

The Alumni Affairs Office also co-ordinated a supper theatre event for80 alumni and friends at The Dive,Hexagon Theatre on 18 August.The production, “Shake, Rattle andRoll” featured the music of the1950s and ’60s.

Such an event brings alumni backonto the Pietermaritzburg campus,assists in maintaining links betweenUKZN and alumni and also show-cases the amazing talent producedby – and activities of – theUniversity.

- Finn Christensen

4

The Rural Teacher Edu-cation Project (RTEP)funded by Nedbank, the

National Research Foundation, andthe three project leaders (Pro-fessors Balfour, Mitchell, andMoletsane) began in earnest in July.Twenty-two education studentsdrawn from the third and fourthyear of study of the Bachelor ofEducation at UKZN and McGillreceived a number of orientationand training workshops beforesetting off to the Vulindlela areanear Bulwer where researchersfrom the Faculty of Education’sCentre for Visual Methodologiesfor Social Change have beeninvolved with projects for over fouryears. An excellent network ofschools and health care workersalready exists, providing an infra-structure supportive of researchand community engagement.

Students selected for the RTEPproject were chosen with diversityin mind as well as commitment tothe education of children locatedin communities characterised bypoverty and isolation. The pre-paratory phase of the projectinvolved Mrs Francis O’Brien fromthe School of Adult and HigherEducation who provided studentswith workshops on research andservice learning in communities.Professor Moletsane (DeputyDean: Post-graduate Education andResearch) and Professor Balfour(Head of School: Languages,Literacies, Media and DramaEducation) then oriented studentstowards issues and contexts inwhich rurality is central, both aslived experience but also as a socialand transformative agent in whichteachers and community workersoften find themselves changed bythe context in part because they areill-equipped to deal with it both

from a personal and conceptualperspective.

The 22 South African students wereaccommodated in Bulwer for aperiod of four weeks during whichtime they observed the effects ofthe public sector strike, assistedwith the teaching of the curriculum,and participated in the daily life,administrative and extra-curricularactivities associated with teaching.They were joined by two Canadianstudents from McGill, and theCVMSC Interns Kaja Jorgensenand Caitlin Wake (from Norwayand Canada respectively). Theinterns co-ordinated the activitiesof the students in the schools overthe period of four weeks, payingspecial attention to research anddata collection activities. Each dayof work was accompanied bybriefing and debriefing sessions inwhich ideas concerning thestudents’ and teachers’ perspectivesof what is considered to be normalin rural areas, were contrasted andinterrogated to make for a rigorousprocess of self-reflection andtriangulation of data. What emerges

from such reflections is thateducation as received by studentsand teachers is a “placed resource”(Blommaert, 2002, 20) where“resources that are functional inone particular place…becomedysfunctional as soon as they aremoved into other places.” Under-standing how such resources as arereceived by student-teachers can bemade effective across a variety ofeducation contexts (urban, rural,middle class, working class) is thekey issue affecting the quality ofteaching and learning in 21st cen-tury South Africa.

To understand this key issue withinthe context of Vulindlela ProfessorsMoletsane and Balfour met with theprincipals (Mr Ngcobo, MrNkabeni, and Mrs Ngcobo) of thethree schools (KhuhleKonke High,Gobindlovu High, and MafakatiniPrimary) prior to the arrival of thestudents to determine which stu-dents could be accommodated atwhich schools depending on theirphase and subject specialisation;this to ensure that the schoolswould be able to mentor the stu-

RuralityRuralityRuralityRuralityRurality, Education, and Change, Education, and Change, Education, and Change, Education, and Change, Education, and Change

dents not only in the pedagogicstrategies needed for effectiveteaching in rural, impoverished,and isolated contexts, but also toengage the students in deepeningtheir professional practice.

Students trialled and developed anobservation instrument for theirfirst week, and in their second weekorganised themselves into the fivefocus areas of the project: literacy,numeracy, HIV/AIDS education,gender, and rurality. Based on theirobservation in schools, interviewsconcerning the five focus areaswere developed and then con-ducted with interested mentorteachers, children, and managerswithin the schools. One of theprimary intentions of this first yearof the project is to provide theobservation data necessary toconceptualise a theory andpedagogy of rurality. Anotherproject in the Faculty of Educationwhich is examining trends anddevelopments in postgraduateeducation research (lead by Pro-fessors Balfour, Moletsane and DrRule) has already begun to identify

UKZN and McGill students with Professors Robert Balfour and Relebohile Moletsane in Vulindlela.

issues arising from research con-ducted in rural areas.

The project leaders in RTEP, to-gether with the student researchers,are beginning to map new bound-aries for an area which we believeis key to research at UKZN, muchof which is located within ruralcommunities and locales. To framesuch work RTEP is already begin-ning to demonstrate that the verygenerative and transformativenature of rurality serves both toinform but also delimit the effec-tiveness of intervention pro-grammes designed, often with thebest of intentions in mind, foreducation, health care, job creation,and poverty alleviation.

It remains a startling and disturbingfact that some thirteen years afterour first democratic elections, verylittle has changed in rural areas,suggesting that initiatives in teachereducation and health care remainfor the most ineffective since theydo not address systemic challenges.What we believe is needed areprogrammes that specifically ad-dress ‘ruralities’ as part of theidentity core to many rural com-munity based professionals whowork in clinics and schools. RTEPseeks through its research to under-standing better the needs of pro-fessional workers in these areassince we recognise that the curric-ulum prepares educators best for anurban and largely resourced contextin which the assumptions andresources that make for effectivelearning are not easily transferable,but need to be reconceived in orderto better serve the needs of teachersand learners in such areas asVulindlela.

- Robert Balfour

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Major Boost for HIV RMajor Boost for HIV RMajor Boost for HIV RMajor Boost for HIV RMajor Boost for HIV ResearchesearchesearchesearchesearchTHE Africa Centre for Health andPopulation Studies, located inMtubatuba, where over one in five

people are HIV infected, is toreceive approximately £15 millionover five years, subject to a threeyear review, from the WellcomeTrust, the UK’s largest medicalresearch charity. The Centre willuse the funding to improve thehealth status of people in the area,with a particular focus on HIVinfection.

“The research at the Africa Centre,situated in rural northern KwaZulu-Natal is unique, cutting-edge andof profound importance to theunderstanding and interventions onthe HIV/AIDS epidemic locallyand globally,” says ProfessorMalegapuru Makgoba, UKZNVice-Chancellor. “The renewedfunding from the Wellcome Trust

is a welcome boost that serves asan inspiration to the programmeitself and the scientists researchingat the Centre. UKZN is honoured

to be associated with this Centre ofexcellence.”

“The Wellcome Trust grant willhelp us in our goal of keeping HIVnegative people negative, and HIVinfected people optimally caredfor,” says Professor Marie-LouiseNewell, Director of the Centre. “InSouth Africa, as in many areas ofsub-Saharan Africa, HIV is a majorproblem, compounded as it is bypoverty, migration and lack ofaccess to effective treatments.”

With the renewal of funding fromthe Wellcome Trust, the AfricaCentre aims to address questionsthat will inform the development ofappropriate interventions for acommunity with an HIV prevalence

in adults of over 20% and highlevels of poverty and unemploy-ment. Researchers at the Centrewill monitor the impact of HIV onindividuals, their households andthe wider community, combiningdata collected within the bi-annualhousehold survey with that from theannual individual level HIV, healthand behaviour surveillance.

The Africa Centre will also play animportant role in monitoring andevaluating the Anti-RetroviralTreatment (ART) Programme,currently being rolled out acrossAfrica, the largest public healthprogramme ever contemplated onthe continent.

- Article Supplied

Professor Malegapuru Makgoba,Chair of the Africa Centre Govern-ance Committee.

Professor Marie-Louise Newell,Director, Africa Centre for Healthand Population Studies.

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5

Alternative learningAlternative learningAlternative learningAlternative learningAlternative learningT he School of Social Science

Education has for thesecond time this year,

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received two guitars and drumsets for teacher training pro-grammes.

In addition to the guitar gifts madeto the School in June, ProfessorOkosun presented musical instru-

ments to Dr Dennis Francis, Headof the School of Social ScienceEducation, Faculty of Education,Edgewood Campus.

Professor Okosun, his wife Pamelaand their sons, Tyamo (12) andAnfani (9), made the presentationsat the Edgewood campus. Anfaniand Tyamo, are no ordinary chil-dren. They are both studying atPurdue University in Indiana.Tyamo is a third year MechanicalEngineering student and hisyounger brother, Anfani, is doinghis first year and intends to majorin Mechanical Engineering. Tyamodelivered his paper on Lift andDrag: Continuing Challenges inAerodynamics. Anfani presentedhis study on Outdoor WoodBoilers: “A Critical issue in En-vironmental Justice”.

Professor Okosun’s presentationwas on “Cognitive Stimulation andConsistent Interactivity in EarlyIntellectual Foundation: Chal-lenges for the 21st Century”. Hispresentation was on the effects thatearly stimulation could have on achild from conception to the ageof five.

He described how a baby monitorwas strapped around his wife’sstomach when she was only twomonths pregnant. This allowed himto constantly stimulate his childrenwith subjects like chemistry, bio-logy and philosophy. He believesthat consistent early cognitivestimulation ensures that learningbecomes a way of life.

- Normah ZondoProfessor Fikile Mazibuko; Dr Dennis Francis; Professor TY Okosun; Anfani Okosun; Tyamo Okosun and ProfessorRenuka Vithal.

THE Centre for Science Access onthe Pietermaritzburg campushosted the Chairman of HermanOhlthaver Trust, Mr Allan Appel,on 17 August. The Trust has helpedfund the Centre’s activities for thepast ten years.

Mr Appel met the ExecutiveDirector (Access), the leadership ofthe Faculty of Science and Agri-culture, Centre staff and studentswho have received a bursary fromthe Trust. He also witnessed aChemistry class in action, attendeda Maths demonstration, and touredBiology and Physics laboratoryfacilities. He said he is proud to beassociated with UKZN and ex-pressed his appreciation to thestudents who wrote letters to theTrust thanking it for assistance.

Bursary recipient Mr LindokuhleMdletshe said that thanks to theTrust and UKZN, he now has theopportunity to realise his dream ofbecoming an optometrist. Execu-tive Director of Access Professor

Chairman ofChairman ofChairman ofChairman ofChairman ofHerman OhlthaverHerman OhlthaverHerman OhlthaverHerman OhlthaverHerman OhlthaverTTTTTrust visits UKZNrust visits UKZNrust visits UKZNrust visits UKZNrust visits UKZN

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Professor Elizabeth de Kadt, Executive Director, Access; Mr LindohleMdletshe, first year student; Mr Allan Appel, Chairman of the HermanOhlthaver Trust; Miss Rashida Matyo, first year Medical student; ProfessorJohn Cooke, Dean, Science and Agriculture; and Dr Joseph Kioko, Director,Centre for Science Access.

Elizabeth de Kadt thanked MrAppel for maintaining the long-standing, generous relationshipwith the University and assured himthat UKZN is committed to pro-mote access to learning. The Deanof Science and Agriculture Pro-fessor John Cooke confirmed theimportance of Science Access tothe Faculty. Since 2000 the Univer-sity has produced more than800 graduates who were admit-ted through Science Access. Afri-can students now comprise 50% ofthe Faculty. This figure would beabout 15% without the studentsfrom Science Access.

In his vote of thanks, CentreDirector Dr Joseph Kioko said:“There is nothing more satisfyingthan seeing students that youmentored, taught and nurturedrealise their dreams. The HermanOhlthaver Trust allows students tofollow their dreams.”

- Bhekani Dlamini

TTTTTeaching and Learningeaching and Learningeaching and Learningeaching and Learningeaching and LearningThe UKZN TThe UKZN TThe UKZN TThe UKZN TThe UKZN Teachingeachingeachingeachingeaching, Learning and, Learning and, Learning and, Learning and, Learning andAssessment PAssessment PAssessment PAssessment PAssessment PolicyolicyolicyolicyolicyAT its August meeting, Senate approved the UKZN Teaching, Learning and Assessment Policy and inthis way endorsed an important reference document for the core business of teaching and learning at theUniversity.

This Policy is the outcome of a lengthy developmental process, which was driven by a task team of theUniversity Teaching and Learning Committee and headed by the Dean of Science and Agriculture,Professor John Cooke and Deputy Dean of Humanities, Development and Social Sciences, ProfessorJenny Clarence. The intention of the Policy is to spell out, at a fairly high level of abstraction, principleswhich should underlie good practice in teaching, learning and assessment at UKZN – also bearing theUKZN vision and mission in mind. Following on approval of the policy, Faculties are now required toensure that their procedures, which are often discipline-or Programme-specific, are in proper alignmentwith the Policy.

In terms of the ten core policy principles, learning, teaching and assessment should:

support and give expression to the University’s commitment to becoming the Premier University ofAfrican Scholarship;

respond to national imperatives of redress and success;

enable students to engage in international contexts and debates;

meet the diverse educational needs of all learners;

promote a culture of intellectual excitement, inquiry-led scholarship and deep learning in students;

reflect a strong educational rationale informed by relevant current research in theory and practice;

develop key generic competences to an appropriate level to improve student employability andencourage responsible citizenship;

draw on assessment criteria that are clearly related to the purposes and outcomes of the curriculum;

demand learning environments and facilities which are of a high standard and which are excellently managed;

promote staff development which builds capacity for continuing improvement in the theory andpractice of teaching, learning and assessment.

The Policy document unpacks each of these principles in terms of several goals, and suggests a varietyof strategies to work towards these goals; at the same time, Faculties are urged to consider additionalstrategies as emerging from their range of disciplines.

Given the crucial role of assessment in teaching and learning, the Policy also includes an AssessmentImplementation Framework. This Appendix recommends approaches to assessment which will ensureprinciples of good practice and allow teaching staff to be properly accountable for the assessment theyimplement.

The Teaching Learning and Assessment Policy can be accessed in full on the UTLC webpage atwww.ukzn.ac.za/utlc.

- Elizabeth de Kadt

6

TTTTTeaching isiZulu ineaching isiZulu ineaching isiZulu ineaching isiZulu ineaching isiZulu inthe USAthe USAthe USAthe USAthe USA

Mr Zethembe Mpungose.

UKZN Masters student MrZethembe Mpungose has beenoffered a scholarship to take up ateaching position in isiZulu at theUniversity of Albany, a stateuniversity in New York. He will beplaced in the Department of Afri-cana Studies from September 2007until June 2008. The scholarshipwas facilitated by UKZN Inter-national through the School ofisiZulu Studies.

Mr Mpungose is registered for aMaster of Arts degree on theHoward College campus, re-searching “Perceived Gender In-equality as reflected in isiZuluProverbs”. He will continue withhis research while in the US andfinalise it on his return.

“(This) is an important opportunityto promote isiZulu Language…Iam very proud of my language,” hesays. He regrets that, compared toEnglish and Afrikaans, isiZulu hasbeen marginalised in South Africa.He adds that in the US he will berepresenting not only the School ofisiZulu Stuidies, but UKZN andSouth Africa as a whole. “My passionis to see isiZulu grow and flourishlike other languages,” he says.

When Mr Mpungose left his hometown of Ntumeni for UKZN hehoped to study journalism, whichis not offered at the University.

Instead, he enrolled for Com-munication and Media Studies,with isiZulu as one of his majors.Over the years, he has developedthe skill to translate and interpretdocuments, which he believes is agood way to promote the language.

Head of the School of isiZuluStudies Dr Nobuhle Hlongwa said

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EU AmbassadorEU AmbassadorEU AmbassadorEU AmbassadorEU Ambassadorvisits CEADvisits CEADvisits CEADvisits CEADvisits CEADProjectProjectProjectProjectProject

On 10 August the EUAmbassador to SouthAfrica, Mr Lodewijk Briet,

accompanied by his wife and adelegation from Gijima KZN,visited one of the Centre forEnvironment, Agriculture andDevelopment (CEAD)’s researchand outreach projects in Eshowe.Gijima KZN is a local economicdevelopment programme involv-ing the EU and the KZN Depart-ment of Economic Development.As part of this programme CEADwas allocated R 500 000 to supportthe establishment of a commercialcraft agency in Eshowe. This con-tribution was supplemented byadditional funding from the Karland Emily Fuchs Foundation andthe Ford Foundation.

The Inina Craft Agency, as it is nowknown, has successfully generatedR350 000 from sales in the pastyear and is processing orders for afurther R150 000. It is currentlynegotiating a multi-million randexport order to Canada. Thissuccess has led to further fundingof R460 000 from Gijima KZNso as to strengthen marketingsystems and to disseminate lessonslearnt from the initiative.

The project itself involves a multi-faceted approach to supportingrural business. This includes sup-porting infrastructure establish-ment, leadership development,sales and marketing, product pack-aging and distribution, productdesign and production, rawmaterial sourcing, and businessadministration and management. Ahundred and fifty rural producersbenefit directly from the initiative,

The EU Ambassador to South Africa, Mr Lodewijk Briet, and Ms ThandazileMagubane, the manager of the Inina Craft Agency, show off one of Inina’sproducts.

all of whom are women. A key tothe success of the initiative hasbeen the ability of Inina to engagedirectly with large markets in thecorporate and conference industry.This has resulted in high volumesales directly to end-users.

Linked research has indicated thatproducer income from craft pro-duction constitutes one third oftotal household income and thatthis additional income is investedprimarily in improved nutrition andeducation.

HIV and AIDS awareness raisingand training is also a key compo-nent of the initiative. Inina, underthe direction of their chairperson,Ms Aurelia Mhlongo, has engagedthis with considerable profes-sionalism an enthusiasm. MsMhlongo is a retired hospitaltheatre manager and was winner ofthe Sowetan National Woman inDevelopment of the Year award in2000. An HIV and AIDS policy andworkplace plan has been estab-lished and is being implemented.

The Ambassador expressed hisappreciation of what he en-countered during his visit toEshowe: “I am deeply satisfied tosee how these women havemanaged to get together and adaptto the business environment, pro-viding them with a sustainablelivelihood.” He was also impressedby the fact that it was the bene-ficiaries, Inina, rather than UKZNthat hosted the delegation andpresented the project – “This is realempowerment.”

- Duncan Hay

UKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achievers

DRAMA and Performance Studiesand Media student Mr Stephen deVilliers has been awarded the M-Net EDiT (Emerging Dynamics inTelevision) grant of R40 000 tomake his short film.

Mr De Villiers wrote a treatment(a proposal of how he would makethe film) as part of his Scriptwritingmodule in Drama. The short filmis tentatively titled Commando andis based on the true-life adventuresof a soldier in the Anglo-Boer War.Ms Daniella Staub, DramaHonours student, was in the top tenfinalists for the award for hertreatment, Tip-Off.

This is the second year that aUKZN Drama student has won theM-Net EDiT award to produce ashort film. Johan Hyman producedSmile in 2006, which won BestActing award in April this year.

M-Net EDiT awardM-Net EDiT awardM-Net EDiT awardM-Net EDiT awardM-Net EDiT awardMs Veronica Baxter, Academic Co-ordinator, Drama and PerformanceStudies, says that staff and studentsare “over the moon” and that creditgoes to lecturer in Scriptwriting,Ms Janet van Eeden, for preparingthe entrants so well.

“Getting this grant now is therealisation of a long held dream,”says Mr de Villiers. He has wantedto make a film about this period ofSouth African history ever since heread about a real life incidentbetween a Boer soldier and aBritish Officer. “Essentially, thefilm is a true story about a youngBoer who witnesses atrocities inthe war and, as a result, reaches aplace of existential crisis,” he says.“Then he has an encounter with awounded British soldier who showshim great kindness. Through thisact the Boer soldier regains somebelief in humanity.” He is looking

for a location which approximatesthe harsh landscape of the Karoo.“I am very grateful to the supportfrom both the Media and the Dramadepartments,” he says. “I will drawon all the expertise my departmentshave to offer.”

Mr Stephen de Villiers.

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that many staff from the Schoolhave gone to teach isiZulu atuniversities abroad. She congratu-lated Mr Mpungose, adding that heis a capable and hardworkingsenior student who has served theSchool well as a graduate assistant.

- Bhekani Dlamini

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UKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achieversUKZN achievers

HIV/AIDS: The Not SoSilent Presence, edited byProfessor Madhubala

Kasiram, Ms Rubeena Partab, andMs Babalwa Dano of the Schoolof Social Work and Development,was launched on 16 August on theWestville campus.

In her address, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of theCollege of Humanities, ProfessorFikile Mazibuko said “Gender and

New book on HIV/AIDSNew book on HIV/AIDSNew book on HIV/AIDSNew book on HIV/AIDSNew book on HIV/AIDSHIV/AIDS are two specific issuesthat pose a challenge for those inhuman services disciplines.”Women and children are par-ticularly vulnerable to HIV, whichlinks with poverty, illiteracy anddomestic violence.

The book’s 14 chapters convey anumber of researched messagesabout positive living, living withinfected persons and how thevarious social support systems can

Professor Donal McCracken, Dean, Humanities, Development and Social Sciences; Ms Babalwa Dano; CouncillorLogie Naidoo, Deputy Mayor, eThekwini Municipality; Professor Fikile Mazibuko; Deputy Vice-Chancellor andHead of the College of Humanities; Ms Rubeena Partab; and Professor Madhubala Kasiram.

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Award for SchoolAward for SchoolAward for SchoolAward for SchoolAward for Schoolof Nursingof Nursingof Nursingof Nursingof Nursing

Professor Adejumo wearing thePresident’s Purple Cord.

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PPPPPassionate to serve Africaassionate to serve Africaassionate to serve Africaassionate to serve Africaassionate to serve Africa

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Ms Benina Mkhonto.

SPORT Science Honours studentMiss Benina Mkhonto has re-ceived numerous awards recog-nising her role as a student leader.

She was awarded a certificate aftertaking part in the Alternative non-Violent Project where she learnthow to deal with challenges in a

THE School of Nursing has re-ceived the President’s Purple CordAward for being the most activeand responsive sub-chapter of theSigma Theta Tau International(STTI) Tau Lambda-at-LargeChapter in Africa. The STTI awardis in recognition of various activi-ties engaged in by the School.

The STTI is the second largestinternational organisation fornursing in the world. It recogniseshigh achievers from universityprogrammes in nursing, as well ascommunity leaders. In August thePresident of STTI, Dr Carol Picard,visited UKZN to inaugurate newmembers into the organisation.

In 2006 the School of Nursinghosted the annual Tau LambdaChapter conference and the JoannaBriggs Institute Colloquium whichpromotes the STTI internationally.The School also assisted in writingthe content and training of the pilotclinical Masters programme in EastAfrica. A team from South Africais working with universities in East

Africa to develop nurse-specialistsin different clinical fields of nursingand midwifery. Professor OluyinkaAdejumo, Head of the School ofNursing, was recently elected ontothe Board of Directors of the STTIAfrica Chapter as Director ofResources.

- MaryAnn Frances

non-violent way and be able to beheard by the next person. Sheserves as a representative for theFaculty of Health Sciences on theFaculty Student Council. She wonthe Best Student Union MemberAward in 2006, while she servedas the Vice-President of this studentsociety. She also received the Best

Achiever’s Award for Mentorshipfor leading and serving Africa inthe 21st Century. Based on her leader-ship role in sport she was selectedmanager of UKZN Cross CountryAthletics and represented the Uni-versity in Bloemfontein in 2006.

Miss Mkhonto’s passion for sportled to her involvement in orga-nising the Mr UKZN Body Build-ing Contest and the Faculty ofHealth Sciences Sport Day. Sheserved as an accreditation officerfor the South African Interpro-vincial games in 2005. An athleteherself, she offers her servicesvoluntarily at KwaZulu-NatalAthletics.

Rising to the challenges of HIV andAIDS Ms Mkhonto has taken partin the HIV SA 2 Project onevidence-informed practice for theprevention, treatment and care ofHIV and AIDS. “I want to reflecton my own personal life and be ableto serve others effectively,” she says.

- Bhekani Dlamini

STATISTICS Honours student MrNishay Vithal has won First Prizein the 2006/2007 South AfricanStatistical Association (SASA)Student Project Competition. Hisproject entitled “Bootstrapping:With applications in regressionanalysis for parameter estimation,confidence intervals and precisionchecking”, outshone 15 otherHonours projects from students atfive other South African univer-sities. The competition was judgedby a panel of leading South Africanstatisticians who commented on theconsistently high standard of theprojects.

In addition to a first prize ofR4 500, Mr Vithal has been invitedto attend and present his winningproject at the annual SASA confer-ence at the University of theWitwatersrand in October.

Bootstrapping, the focus of MrVithal’s project, is a “modern,computer-intensive, general pur-pose approach to statistical infer-ence”. Mr Vithal utilised examplesto highlight and illustrate thestrengths and weaknesses of boots-

First prizeFirst prizeFirst prizeFirst prizeFirst prizefor Statisticsfor Statisticsfor Statisticsfor Statisticsfor Statisticsstudentstudentstudentstudentstudent

trapping, while providing thereader with a brief and uncompli-cated overview of its methodologyand practical application.

Mr Vithal is currently employed asa strategy analyst for African Bankbut he aspires to continue hisacademic education, drawing onhis corporate experience as avaluable stepping stone. He has hissights set on a Masters degree, anMBA or EMBA, and finally a PhD.

- Vicky Crookes

Mr Nishay Vithal.

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add value to the lives of thesepersons. The book also revealshow the pandemic destroysintimate relationships, and disruptsthe normal human developmentalcycle regardless of class, race,creed, and religion. Contributionswere received from authors inSouth Africa, Uganda andBotswana.

- Bhekani Dlamini

8

Recycle your ukzndabaPlease don’t litter ... when you’ve finished with your ukzndaba,why not pass it on to someone else, or place it in a bin forrecycling with other paper-waste.

Produced by PuProduced by PuProduced by PuProduced by PuProduced by Pubbbbblic Affairs and Corporate Communiclic Affairs and Corporate Communiclic Affairs and Corporate Communiclic Affairs and Corporate Communiclic Affairs and Corporate Communications ations ations ations ations www.ukwww.ukwww.ukwww.ukwww.ukzn.ac.za zn.ac.za zn.ac.za zn.ac.za zn.ac.za Tel: 031 Tel: 031 Tel: 031 Tel: 031 Tel: 031 260 124 260 124 260 124 260 124 260 1245/2027/2957/7115 5/2027/2957/7115 5/2027/2957/7115 5/2027/2957/7115 5/2027/2957/7115 Fax: 031 260 2813 Fax: 031 260 2813 Fax: 031 260 2813 Fax: 031 260 2813 Fax: 031 260 2813

Sport CornerSport CornerSport CornerSport CornerSport Corner

The third UKZN Golf Daywas once again a highlysuccessful event. A hundred

and fifty two golf players teed offat the Mount Edgecombe CountryClub on 30 August.

The annual golf tournament is anopportunity for staff, students,alumni and friends of the Univer-sity to relax together. It also has amore serious side – the proceedsgo towards a bursary for threeacademically promising students

from previously disadvantagedbackgrounds.

This day was made a success by thegenerosity of many sponsors.Thembelani Facilities Consultants,together with WSP Group, Nation-wide Electical, JRH Painting,Singatha Projects, Combined Airand Pricewaterhouse Coopers gavea to ta l of R85 000, KPMGR10 000, First National BankR10 000, Welile Caterers R5 000,Vumani Computer Solutions

2007 UKZN Golf Day2007 UKZN Golf Day2007 UKZN Golf Day2007 UKZN Golf Day2007 UKZN Golf Day

Left - Right Professor Dasarath Chetty, Executive Director: Public Affairs& Corporate Communications; Mr Donovan Thaver, Overall Winner ofthe 2007 UKZN Golf Tournament; and Mr Jay Ramchander, CEO ofThembelani Facilities Consultants.

R3 000, Deloitte R3 000, andToyota Forklifts R3 000. ImperialVehicle Rentals donated prizes andT&E Office Solutions sponsored aprinter as the first prize in thestudent category.

The person of the day was MrDonovan Thaver who won in boththe guest category and as overallwinner. In the ladies’ category staffmembers Mrs Dawn Pillay and MrsNoleen Turner walked off with firstand second prize respectively. Thestudent category was won by MrKieron Moodley and Dr ThavanPadayachee walked away with theprize for staff and Convocation.

“The key objective of the event isto forge relationships between theUniversity and the corporate sector,build alumni relations and fund-raise. I would like to thank thesponsors and golfers who made thisevent the success it was. Thesupport exceeded my expectations.We had a large field and everybodyhad a fabulous time,” said MsShakila Thakurpersad of PublicAffairs and Corporate Communi-cations, tournament organiser.

- Thembeka Dlungwane

THE Pietermaritzburg campusMen’s A crew has returned from theUnited Kingdom where theyparticipated in the Royal HenleyRegatta. This is one the mostprestigious rowing events in theworld, in which all the top rowing

RRRRRowers in prestige eventowers in prestige eventowers in prestige eventowers in prestige eventowers in prestige event

The Men’s A crew that toured the United Kingdom.

clubs in the world participate. ThePietermaritzburg Rowing Club didUKZN proud by performing verywell in all the events they entered.The men’s A crew finished 36 outof 85 crews. Their achievement isall the more noteworthy because

they raised the money themselvesto participate.

- Article and picture supplied byPietermaritzburg campus SportsAdministration

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PreparingPreparingPreparingPreparingPreparingglobal citizensglobal citizensglobal citizensglobal citizensglobal citizensDR Prem Ramlachan of UKZN International represented theUniversity abroad from 26 May to 7 June, firstly, at the Associationof International Educators (NAFSA) Conference in Minneapolisand then at UKZN partner Michigan State University.

The theme of the NAFSA conference was “Preparing GlobalCitizens.” Dr Ramlachan was the co-presenter of a paper on“Health, Safety and Security of our students” which is presentlyon the Michigan State University website. More than 7 600professionals from 90 countries attended the conference.

At Michigan State University (MSU) he was attached to the DeliaKoo International Academic Centre. He was able to study howMSU provides services and support to its international communityand to build between MSU internal service providers and UKZN.

- Article supplied

Doing Good is GoodDoing Good is GoodDoing Good is GoodDoing Good is GoodDoing Good is GoodBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessBusinessTHE Chairman of Pick ‘n PayStores Limited, Mr RaymondAckerman, addressed businessexecutives at a luncheon hosted bythe Graduate School of Business on17 August.

He outlined the core values thatdrive his business philosophy:“All businesses should havesound administration, excellentmerchandising, great sales pro-motions, a social responsibilityplan, as well as look after theirpeople.” Social responsibility, hesaid, brings people closer to one’sbusiness.

Mr Ackerman stressed the import-ance of listening to others anddefending one’s customers: “Theconsumer is powerless against bigbusiness and the government… itis our duty as the business com-munity to make everything right forthe customer.”

The Graduate School of Businesshosts regular business present-ations and seminars. For infor-mation on upcoming events, con-tact Ms Debbie Main on 031-2601627 or visit www.gsb.ukzn.ac.za

- Hazel Dlamini

Mr Raymond Ackerman.

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