CPUT reaches point of no return

THURSDAY OCTOBER 27 2016 CAPE Peninsula University of Technology has reached “the point of no return to save the 2016 academic year” and has announced its decision to cancel faceto-face classes for the rest of the year.

“Unfortunately we had to concede that the situation on campus has deteriorated to such an extent that it is impossible to continue with face-to-face academic engagement without compromising the safety of students and staff.

“We had several fruitful engagements with leaders from the student community and decided more than once on a date to resume classes. Unfortunately this has not realised until now, quite often due to circumstances beyond our control,” acting vice-chancellor Professor Louis Fourie wrote in a campus announcement yesterday.

The university’s spokeswoman, Lauren Kansley, said “a fire was lit” inside the Goodnow Hall on the Wellington campus, yesterday.

“At this stage an investigation is under way as to whether the incident is directly related to the current student protest action.”

Fourie said the extent of completion of the formal teaching programme varied from completed to nearly completed modules.

All departments that were ready would continue with “final integrated summative assessments” during November/December 2016.

Students would be advised of their new assessment timetable and venues and priority would be given to exit level modules.

Where significant portions of the delivery of the modules were still outstanding, the final integrated summative assessment would be in the second half of January. Deferred, outstanding and re-assessments would take place in January. – Education Writer