Classes resume at city university

CLASSES at Sol Plaatje University resumed yesterday.

Professor Yunus Ballim, Vice-chancellor and Principal of Sol Plaatje University (SPU), confirmed late on Monday that classes would resume yesterday following a shutdown last week when students presented the university with a list of demands.

“I am pleased to inform you that we held a very positive discussion with the SRC (student representative council) this afternoon (Monday) and we were able to resolve all of the outstanding concerns raised by students. We have therefore agreed that all classes will resume as normal from tomorrow (Tuesday),” Ballim said in Monday’s statement.

Ballim added that Professor Jean Baxen and Rathnum Naidoo would be in discussion with Heads of School as necessary, to consider a plan to make up the teaching time lost over the three days.

Discuss

“Students should discuss with lecturers to find ways to minimise the effects of the class suspension on student learning. We are all keen to sustain the good academic performance that has come to characterise our students at SPU.

“I want to thank the students and the SRC for the constructive and particularly the non-violent way in which they raised their concerns with us. I also want to thank the SPU community for your tolerance and patience over the three days of class suspensions,” the statement read.

SPU senior manager: communication and marketing, Kashini Maistry, yesterday confirmed that “all is back to normal”.

Some of the students’ demands included the current “accommodation crisis”, where several students have still not been allocated accommodation; the “financial exclusion” of students, where historical debt has still not been wiped, as promised; and the “academic exclusion” of students, where first-year students who failed in 2018 were apparently not allowed to continue with their studies in 2019.