“What is the purpose of my knowledge if I can’t put it to use for good?”

By guest blogger Nicky Willemse (left)

Earlier this week, I was feeling a little cross the world, a little sad about what we as people do to each other, our capacity for violence, evil.

My spirits lifted on Thursday (30 October), when I attended a breakfast celebrating five years of the university’s top scholarship. 

Initiated by the Vice-Chancellor himself, the Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship goes to top matriculants, paying out R75 600 for each year of study of an undergraduate degree, provided recipients achieve first-class passes.

So far, it’s been awarded to 80 deserving recipients.

What I liked about the breakfast was that Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz didn’t just sing their praises (for which he would have been forgiven) but instead reminded them about the difference people like them can and should make in society.

Prof Swartz reminded the students just how privileged they were, not least for being among the less than 2% of the population that actually walks through “the hallowed doors of university”.

And then he challenged them to use the knowledge they were gaining at NMMU not just to have great lives with great wealth, but to do something meaningful with it, to change the world for the better.

It was a valid challenge as not only are these students top academic achievers, but they’re also being groomed as future leaders through a mentorship and leadership programme tailor-made for them by the university, run with passion and enthusiasm by staff member Elize Naude.

Much has been invested in them – and much is expected of them.

“What are you going to use this knowledge for?” asked Prof Swartz of the VC’s Scholars. “There is more to this journey of life than ‘me and my own interests’. There is something greater about why we are living, a greater purpose. I want you to think individually about that greater purpose you want to serve.

“Knowledge is schizophrenic in a sense. It can be harnessed for the power of good or it can be put to bad use. Virtually any new discovery has contradictory effects, for example nuclear energy can be used to advance medicine or to create weapons … How will you best use your knowledge to hopefully change the world to a better place?

“We live in a society where there is violence, poverty, unemployment … There must be something wrong, which we have to fix. We need people who will fix it, people like you … We need to create a more equal, more just, more inclusive world.

“You need to ask yourself: What is the purpose of my knowledge if I can’t put it to use for good?

Prof Swartz then invited students to share what they intended to do to change the world. Commerce student Bongeka Mbonisweni said she wants to empower young black girls in rural communities to become top leaders.

Law student Chante Baatjes wants to join the United Nations to put an end to human rights violations and war crimes. Another Law student Adrian van Wyk spoke about the butterfly effect and how small changes can have great effects.

“If one wants to live the value of humility, without having the pressure to step in and lead the world, do something small or special that has great effect.”

Education student Anika Botha said: “I want to use my degree to somehow eliminate the fear learners have for maths, and build confidence in my learners the way this programme has built confidence in me.”

There were more responses, and I sat there inspired and hopeful that this crazy, mixed up, messy, sad (and yet, still beautiful) world would be a little brighter.

I hope they remember their promises – and honour them.

What greater aspiration than to be a change-maker, for good?

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE … Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz (back, middle) with Elize Naude (front, left), coordinator of the Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship mentorship and leadership programme, celebrate five years of the scholarship with a recipient from each of the past five years (back, from left) second-year LLB student Xhanti Mtulu, BCom Hons graduate Timothy Olls, one of the first recipients and now a trainee at PwC, and (front, from left) first-year BSc student Kalyn Beach, third year BCom (CA) student Bongeka Mbonisweni and fourth-year BPsych student Rachael Williams.

From cyber-challenged to cyber-aware

Cyber Sid

Jumping into a pool without help or water wings. That’s the challenge that awaits a fellow Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University employee.

She’s on the Learn to Swim programme offered by the university and somehow the idea of throwing herself into the deep end, sans help, is terrifying. She’s scared of putting her head under water and feeling claustrophobic.

I mean, it’s easy … you’ll naturally float to the surface …

But who am I to point fingers?

Or any of us for that matter, since we all have our fears.

For me, it’s all things technological. I am no astronaut in cyberspace going where few NMMU employees have gone before. I just don’t go there but rather cling to the safety of yesteryear’s typewriter (well, not quite, but you get my drift).

I am the antithesis of an early adapter when it comes to technology. I suppose I could be classified as an ancient adapter, the individual who still lurks way behind with the rest of the terrified pack. Yes, the adult who is still learning to swim.

But then along came Cyber Security Awareness Week at NMMU with its crafty campaign to entice the ancients into the land of the aware. (Note: I did not say the land of the early adapters!)

Each day they put out tips; offers of having your personal devices (your laptops, phones, tablets and the like) secured and an opportunity to take a cyber-awareness test.

I avoided the information like the plague or should I say like the proverbial plunge since words like cyber security, phishing and Trojan horses tend to trigger great anxiety.

Until today … that is.

Today, with the gentle encouragement of a friend, I jumped into the cyber pool.

I took the cyber-awareness test – all 10 mini modules – during my lunch break and surfaced educated and emboldened.

Yours truly and NMMU colleague Ros Baatjies passed the cyber security awareness test

Each of the lessons prior to the multiple choice tests helped me get my head around cyber space and things like social engineering, worms, networks, passwords and the like. It was altogether an enlightening and rewarding experience.

I even got a mug and a badge for my troubles – a physical reminder that I can do this; yes, that I can overcome my own swimming pool plunge …

I just needed an encouraging nudge.

What about you?

Go on, try it. It’s not nearly as difficult as you’re imaging, and if your pool is cyber stuff like mine, you might even win a coffee cup!

PS My colleague took the plunge and I have yet to see a bigger smile!

NMMU employees who successfully completed the test. Why don't you try?

A dedicated innings

RIP ... Dr Richard Stretch

In February next year Varsity Sport will introduce T20 cricket for South Africa’s top cricketing universities.

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University will be there but sadly the man who spearheaded the university’s inclusion in the Varsity Sport and Varsity Cup concept over so many years will not be.

NMMU Madibaz Director of Sport Dr Richard Stretch died unexpectedly this week after an operation to treat cancer. He was only 61.

How very sad.

Dr Stretch, who grew up in Graaff-Reinet, just loved his sport, but especially his cricket. He’d been a player himself, batting for Border and captaining the South African Country Districts team. He was also a committee man, serving on the Border Cricket Board, with a three-year as president, the EP Cricket Board, as well as the South African Cricket Medical Committee and the Research Committee (chairperson) for a number of years.

His love of cricket spawned a 25-year research career, and only last year he celebrated his half-century with his 50th peer-reviewed scientific publication as a National Research Foundation C1-rated researcher. Most of that research was aimed at the enhancement of cricket, especially sport injuries in young cricketers.

His research recommendations for improved safety for cricket helmets even saw the Sky News team come to NMMU to put together a news piece on his research. He was proud of that one and the benefits that it might yield.

In fact, he spent the bulk of his working life endeavouring to highlight the benefits of sport. NMMU’s fitness and aquatic centre was mainly his doing, as was the university’s success in the Varsity Cup and Varsity Sport competitions.

He’d happily remind us that while NMMU might now finish at the top of the various contests, “we are the only university to participate in all the sporting disciplines offered”. (Hockey for men and women, rugby sevens, volleyball, rugby, netball and football – and now T20 cricket).

He was, to quote NMMU Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz, “professional, passionate and a visionary” in serving the university.

Yes, he was. But he was also a stickler for getting things right; a firm taskmaster; a disciplinarian; a mine of sporting information; a loyal supporter and he had a wonderful dry sense of humour. He travelled extensively; hosted various conferences and workshops, including a successful one he initiated with high schools in the city, and offered workshops around the globe on injury prevention.

But as much as he loved the game of cricket and the benefits it brought (especially to NMMU whose cricket team performs exceptionally well year in and year out), his biggest love was his family.

He was so incredibly proud of his wife, Sandy, a go-getter in her own right, and his three children, Charles, Lauren and Malcolm, who are all successful young adults. I’ve not met any of them, but I feel I know them because of the stories Richard shared.

He was so proud of their achievements and couldn’t wait to spend more time with them during his 2014 sabbatical year, and later retire to the farm near Pearston that his son had bought them.

Dr Stretch your innings ended too soon.

But your game, cricket, and your legacy will live on in the lives of those you touched, but more especially in your children who have each inherited your drive, passion and commitment to serve others.

• The funeral service will be held at Walmer Methodist Church, Main Road, Walmer, on Friday 31 October at 11am. 

Engaged!

This word usually creates excitement as two people publicly commit to a future life together. It’s called an engagement.

At Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University we have engagements too – but they have nothing to do with betrothal. Partnerships, however, are still key as is excitement.

Engagement at NMMU refers to community, industry and other outreach initiatives that integrate teaching, learning and research and also have scholarly outputs.

I am thrilled to share – especially in light of the many negative media reports in recent months – that the good news far outweighs the bad.

Anyone fortunate enough to attend the university’s first engagement colloquium at NMMU will agree. The breadth and depth of NMMU’s engagement initiatives has a great feel-good factor – and in some instances, even the wow factor.

InnoVenton's Prof Ben Zeelie is leading one the university's most exciting engagement projects by cultivating algae.

Staff were buoyed to hear about:

• Human Movement Science (HMS) Students creating make-shift gymnasiums in derelict buildings by welding old desks and turning them into sporting equipment as part of their experiential learning.
• Arts and Engineering presently doing the best in terms of a new engagement measurement tool.
• The Advanced Mechatronic Training Centre’s multitude of initiatives that stemmed from their initial need to buy equipment from overseas in 2001.
• The various projects run by our Industrial Engineering go-getters – from short-course programmes to a fully-fledged support platform for women in engineering via its Women in Engineering Leadership Association (Wela) programme.
• The Govan Mbeki Maths Development Unit’s vast range of projects aimed at raising the standard of maths within in the province and beyond.
• The “white gold” cultivation of algae to produce fossil biobrick briquettes invented by InnoVenton that has the capacity to create thousands of jobs through recycling. This engagement project is one to watch and has the wow factor.
• How technology is improving and changing lives, particularly in the city’s Northern Areas, thanks to a myriad of interventions by NMMU’s Centre of Community Technologies. This is another one to watch.
• George Campus’s fundraising efforts for less privileged students via various engagement events.
• 70 student societies at NMMU each having a corporate social responsibility goal.
• Vegetable gardens by Agricultural students in assisting the university’s nutrition programme to ensure that NMMU students do not go hungry.
• The work of the Centre for Integrated Post-School Education and Training (CIPSET), of the Centre for the Advancement of Non-racialism and Demoracy (CANRAD) and the Centre for Academic Engagement and Collaboration (CAEC) to make, in the simplest of terms, the world a better a place in connecting people with one another to the benefit of all.

Oh, I could go on and on. But you have the links to their presentations to give you a better idea as to how each is engaged in making things better – and also producing the academic papers in support of their findings.

So take a bow those who have reached out beyond teaching, learning and research to become engaged and benefit others.

You inspire us.

Kudos too to Prof George de Lange and his team for bringing the many engagement projects together in this format. We’re buoyed, enthused, encouraged and proud of all the goodwill, great research and care that is happening at NMMU!

For access to all the reports go to: http://caec.nmmu.ac.za/

Recognising excellence but celebrating diversity

Excellence and diversity with the Vice-Chancellor Award winners Sendi Gandidzanwa, Sam Beynon and Alexander West

The student bounces towards the stage to the catchy refrain of Pharell Williams’ I’m so happy, while the next gracefully strides forward to the lyrical strains of a waltz …

It’s the 2014 Achievers’ Awards Dinner at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University where students are honoured for their achievements on the sports field, within societies and for their leadership.

It’s about excellence.

But at NMMU, it is also about celebrating our wonderful diversity.

I mean, from a:

• 2013 pop hit to a wedding dance classic (the students chose their own music)
• Tiny female cricket scorer to a three majors BSc academic achiever from Zimbabwe
• National sports representative with grey hair to another who is one of only two students in the South African hockey tea and
• White girl who speaks fluent isiXhosa

Such diversity is worth celebrating when you know how far we have come from those dark days of Apartheid when you were prejudiced simply because of the colour of your skin.

The 2014 winners are of all colours and of both sexes and their taste in clothing and music is as diverse as their achievements in sport, leadership, societies and residences.

But each one of them – through “competition and collaboration”, to pinch Vice-Chancellor Prof Derrick Swartz’s phrase – is deserving of recognition

His Vice-Chancellor’s Award for leadership coupled with academic excellence went to two male students and determined political science student Sam Beynon.

The first male student Sendi Gandidzanwe is a Zimbabwean BSc student who completed three majors cum laude in 2014, and has been shortlisted for the Mandela Rhodes Foundation Scholarship Fund.

He has served on the SRC since 2013 and won the ALICE award for going above and beyond in community outreach in the university’s successful voluntary leadership programme called Beyond the Classroom.

Sendi has supported many societies and is the outgoing president of the Golden Key International Honour Society. (As an aside, he’s also a dapper dresser and the nicest of young men.)

His co-winner is Alexander West, a Pharmacy student, whose name is synonymous with academic achievement and great dancing. He’s the man behind NMMU Ballroom and Latin Dancing Society whose team did so well at the 2014 Intervarsity Social Ballroom and Latin Dancing Nationals in Cape Town, winning six bronze, four silver and three gold medals.

Like Sendi, he is involved in innumerable societies and obtained a 76.7% aggregate for his academic results in 2013. He’s also from Zimbabwe.

Then there’s Sam Beynon, most recently known for her success as runner-up in SABC 1’s One Day Leader competition. She is completing her honours in political science as part of her journey towards full-time politics. Oh, she’s the white girl who speaks like a black person and lives in Melodi Residence which, co-incidentally, won the Residence of the Year Award.

2014 winners’ list

• Art and Culture Committee member of the Year: Siboniso Dlamini 
• Arts and Culture Administrator of the Year: Alexander James West 
• Arts and Culture Society of the Year: Ballroom Society 
• Arts and Culture Performing Society of the Year: Le Strada choir 
• Sportsman of the Year: Ignatius Malgraff 
• Sportswoman of the Year: Zanela Vimbela 
• Sport Team of the Year: Spar Madibaz Netball A Team 
• Sport Club of the Year: Spar Madibaz Netball Club 
• Residence of the Year: Melodi 
• SGD Developmental Society of the Year: NMMU Toastmasters International 
• SGD Society Administrator of the Year: Sarah Lynn Everett 
• SGD Academic Society of the Year: Law Students Society 
• Sport Administrator of the Year: Lisa Benjamin 
• Sport Coach of the Year: Baakier Abrahams from the Mecer NMMU Cricket Club 
• Sport Technical Official of the Year: Laiken Abrahams 
• House Committee Member of the Year: Thuso Silepe 
• SGD Society Person of the Year: Reynold Solomons 
• Residence All Rounder of the Year Lunga Mfeketo 
• SGD Society of the Year: Law Students Society 

Well done to all our students!

Enjoy more photographs  on Facebook! They were  all taken by our NMMU photographer Leonette Bower. Thanks Leonette!

Ashley Nel accepts the Academic Society of  Year trophy on behalf of the Law Society. It is the fifth consecutive year the Law Society has won this award. They also won a second award.

Melodi represented by Sam Beynon, Wendy Reeves and Qaphela Ngcobo took the Residence of the Year trophy

NMMU Sportswoman of the Year Zanele Vimbela

Zanela Vimbela and coach Dumisani Chauke accept the Sports Team of the Year trophy for Madibaz Netball. The team has won the local league for nine consecutive years, never losing a match in all that time.

First impressions count … NMMU’s contact centre

Happy birthday to NMMU's contact centre team who create a great first impression

There’s nothing like a trip to foreign lands to underline the importance of first impressions … cleanliness, efficiency, beauty, friendliness or whatever confronts you first.

And so it is with Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) too.

For many, the first impression of our university is often not a visual one, but an auditory one.

Calls are made to the university via our contact centre, which recently celebrated its third birthday.

The tone, efficiency, professionalism, compassion, understanding, service and enthusiasm offered by NMMU is all conveyed in that initial interaction with a caller.

A judgment is made – good, bad or indifferent - and there’s no second chance to make it a good first impression.

How important then is the role played by those who “man” (though this is an all-women team) the telephones and other contact lines at NMMU. They are tasked with ensuring that those who contact NMMU are impressed with the university’s knowledge, level of service, understanding, professionalism and the like.

They are the rock face of a person’s first auditory experience with NMMU. It is imperative that they not only supply all the right information, but send all the right messages in terms of tone, enthusiasm, care and willingness to serve.

It’s no mean task especially when there are only six of you and about 1 800 calls coming in on peak days (during January and February). But the contact centre, whose team members all have degrees, is more than up to this Herculean task as is evidenced by the following:

• 89% of all admission calls are resolved in the contact centre (ie the calls did not need to be transferred elsewhere). The manager says the success rate would improve further still if his team were increased.
• 61% of all calls are resolved in the contact centre (ie there is no need to transfer these calls elsewhere)
• Since 2012 the contact centre has received 352 995 calls of which 85% were successfully answered
• Some 114 933 e-mails have been processed by the contact centre on the info@nmmu.ac.za address
• Complaints about the contact centre are non-existent
• The contact centre takes responsibility for issues not necessarily related to their work, simply because they care

For me, however, the biggest indication that ours is a high-functioning, professional and caring contact centre is that in the three years of its existence, the staff turnover has been ZIP, ZILCH, ZERO.

This flies in the face of the norm when it comes to those who work in call and contact centres. These employees quickly tire of the routine and their environment, and move on. International research puts the annual attrition rate of contact centres at between 28% and 82% a year.

Perhaps the incentive programme introduced by contact centre manager Deon Barnardo to motivate the team is the reason for their commitment, or perhaps it’s because these women are simply a rare, but dedicated bunch, all deserving of gold stars.

Whatever the reason, those who recognise the importance of first impressions are grateful that we have such a committed, professional team.

Happy birthday contact centre team! You’re our auditory rock face ambassadors. You make us proud …

And it’s not just me who thinks so. Check out the following compliments by those who have been aided by our contact centre team:

To Miss Zwelibanzi

It is so amazing to know that there are people like you, who are prepared to go an extra mile to assist others. I have received the copy of the certificate so I want to thank you. Please enjoy what is left of the day

God Bless

Khusta
-----------------------

Hi Yolande

It is great to deal with people who are so helpful as you.

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Leon van Tonder

Dublin, Republic of Ireland

-----------------

Mrs Odendaal called in for a status on her daughter’s application.

Student number 214085929

Number: 011 305 8900

She said that it is such a pleasure to deal with us, and she deals with a lot of Universities. She is not impressed with Wits at all.

----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Thoko,

I just spoke to the above customer and she expressed her gratitude for the excellent service she received from you. She said that you are kind and helpful and she was very happy with the service rendered by the university.

Well done and keep up the good work.

----------------------------------------------------------

Good day

Thank you very much for your quick response, excellent service.

Regards,

Kumbula

----------------------------------------------------------

To Whom It May Concern

Thank you, I appreciate the quick and thorough response.

Kind regards
Nadia Roberts

----------------------------------------------------------

Thank you so much Yolande for your kind assistance. We’ll complete and send back as soon as possible.

Regards

Nicolette Chetty

----------------------------------------------------------

Good morning Nomsa,

Thank you so much for your quick and professional assistance, people like you makes it possible to send ones child to NMMU. Me and my family stays in the Eastern Cape and we are proud of it.

Thank you again.

Fernando Scharnick

----------------------------------------------------------

Dear Deon

Thank you very much for your professionalism and your kind assistance with the important task that has been assigned to your section – of assisting all departments and our section, and thus alleviating our workload.

It is greatly appreciated. A very special thank you to all your staff also, for doing a fabulous job!

God Bless, to one and all!

Best regards

Nafeesa

STUDENT RECORDS OFFICE

----------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

I am very pleased to say that I received excellent service from 1 of your agents (Sinovuyo). She is very professional and polite and manages to be friendly as the same time.

The information she offered me was very helpful. The effort you put in training show’s that you are serious about service excellence and I hope you keep it at the same level so that other people may enjoy this great excellence in the future.

Kind regards,

Motsoari

----------------------------------------------------------

To the Awesome person at Info who responded to this query

Many many thanks!!!!!

Enjoy your day

J

Lynette Roodt

----------------------------------------------------------

Thank you very much for your kind and speedy assistance

Kind regards

Rochelle Swartz
----------------------------------------------------------

Hallo Deon

Broer! Ek gaan vir jou mis. Dit is ‘n professionele kompliment vir jou, want ek besef nou eers hoe professioneel jy die NMMU kontaksentrum aanmekaar gesit het en bestuur. Hoop ek kan nog steeds raad by jou vra oor die dynamics van so ‘n centre.

Mooi dag en groete vir die girls.

Christelle

----------------------------------------------------------

Good evening

I am so pleased with your quick response to my mail. It seems like i have found a very good place to study. NMMU is indeed a bright light to my future.

Yours faithfully

Nosive Bavuma

----------------------------------------------------------

To whom it may concern,

I would like to say thank you for the efficient and very friendly service that I have received from NMMU, every department and every person that I came into contact with was extremely professional, helpful and provided a fantastic service. This is something we rarely experience from service providers in SA, other Universities can certainly learn from NMMU!

I received my certificate delivered to my offices this morning. You certainly gave me hope that somewhere there is still people who take huge pride in their jobs in South Africa!

A very big thank you to everyone involved!

Lynn Gunning
Senior Manager | Winning Business

Clients & Industries
Deloitte & Touche

Those teachers who change our lives …

By Nicky Willemse

Guest blogger

We all have one of them – a teacher or lecturer who made a big impression on us, someone who changed our lives in one way or another, and whom we’ll never forget. A “Morrie”*, for those of you who’ve read the book.

Mine was Mrs Carol Scheepers, my Standard three teacher at Clarendon Park. I had just moved to Port Elizabeth from Polokwane (then Pietersburg) and somehow, with her as my teacher, I went from a diligent pupil to an inspired one. I can’t remember exactly what she did, but I remember she was warm, really spoke to us as individuals and expected the best. Somehow she reached the 10-year-old me – and I was the better for it, for life.

I’m not a staff member at NMMU, but I write a lot of stories for the university. One of them was about Dr Kathija Adam, lecturer and director of NMMU’s School for Continuing Professional Development in the Faculty of Education.

She received an accolade for excellent teaching from the university last month. While interviewing her about this, I soon recognized the “Morrie” in her. She doesn’t just teach. She leaves her students changed for life.

For instance, when she had to teach “Curriculum Design and Development” to NMMU students completing the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) last year, she could have followed the typical talk and chalk approach, giving her students all the theory they needed to pass. And that would have been fine. It would have been enough.

But instead, she chose a different mode of delivery, shifting them from the comfortable corridors of NMMU’s South Campus in Summerstrand to the university’s Missionvale Campus in the heart of Missionvale township.

Then she took it a step further and partnered with nearby Khwezi Lomso High School so that the teacher candidates could get first-hand experience of where and how 80% of the country’s learners study, and gain insights about whether the current national curriculum is truly meeting the needs of most South African learners.

It was a perspective-changer for the PGCE students – many of whom matriculated at former Model C schools in suburban areas, and had never set foot in a township. They found themselves visiting pupils’ homes, talking to their families and caregivers, and even getting a glimpse of township life after dark.

“I have a living systems approach to module design. It allows me to teach in ways that tap into my student’s learning beyond the content being taught,” explained Kathija. “The biggest gift is when students have a paradigm shift in their thinking. It’s an authentic process – they do their own learning and make up their own minds.”

Perhaps that’s the crunch when it comes to these great teachers, I thought. Those that inspire their students to think for themselves, using creative means that in turn inspire creativity. Mrs Scheepers used to get us to write poetry and compile entire newspapers. Creative fodder for the journalist I would one day become?

And in Kathija’s case, she is no doubt building future change-makers. And don’t we need them, desperately, in education in this country?

By the end of the Missionvale project, the students had produced eight short films, which were collated into a 60-minute documentary called “Heart of the Who” which was screened at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival this year.

But more than that, the project inspired the awakening of a social consciousness in the students – and a desire among many of them to teach in the country’s more challenging schools, where they can make the most difference.  “If we can make a student excited about those contexts, and equip them so they believe they can make a difference, that they will be different – it is a transformative experience.”

Sixty-five per cent of her past students teach in schools like Khwezi Lomso.

And she stays in touch with them, providing advice and insights – especially as many of them find themselves working against the system when trying to implement positive change in schools that are more used to surviving than thriving.

“One of my students is teaching in Bizana. He sent photographs of the learners writing exams without proper furniture … The students keep in touch with me about the wider issues. We’re in this together. This drives me, this continued communication with students in the field. I continue to engage with them.”

As her students graduate and become teachers, I can only wish that they are as bold as Kathija, with the courage to teach in a way that truly makes a difference, that they share even just a fraction of her passion and that they rub off on their learners, as she has rubbed off on them.

What a difference it would make.

As Henry Adams so aptly said: “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

*Refers to the teacher in the book “Tuesdays with Morrie”, by Mitch Albom

Kathija Adam recently won a prestigious “NMMU Excellent Teacher” award.

PGCE student Lee Abrahams surrounded by kids in Missionvale township.

Kathija with Khwezi Lomso High pupils (from left) Apalele Makanda, Yolanda Meleni and Lungilwa Fanti. They appeared in the film “Heart of the Who”, made by Kathija’s PGCE students.

Cheating - is it worth it?

By: Roslyn Baatjies

Guest blogger

An afternoon conversation with my niece (6) and her twelve-year old brother revealed that they know that cheating is gaining reward by dishonest means or finding an easy way out of an unpleasant situation and that it is generally used for the breaking of rules to gain unfair advantage in a competitive situation. The example Amber cites is when a runner stands a little way ahead of others in a race before they set off.

But Shawn immediately thinks of cheating in the classroom test setting. What he tells me confirms that he knows what cheating is. He says that children go to the bathroom during tests and tell each other what the answers are to the questions. He also mentions a few other ways of cheating in tests and I ask them what happens if you are caught out. Shawn says that it means that you get zero for the test and that you have to go to detention. I ask the two of them if it’s right to cheat and they answer that it is not.

Cheating is rife at schools and universities. A recent Sunday Times article revealed that crib notes have been found on the inside of a T-shirt, on rulers or the back of calculators — university students are brazenly cheating in tests and exams.

A discussion about cheating at a recent faculty meeting revealed that lecturers are well aware of the dishonest practice in tests. In many instances it is difficult to deny bathroom breaks, because the infringing on human rights argument surfaces.

Exams are a few weeks away and I am hopeful that the NMMU Port Elizabeth campuses will equal the George Campus June exam achievement of no cheating.

Integrity is one of our six values. It is commonly described as doing the right thing even when no-one is watching.

Integrity at NMMU extends to academic integrity. To give expression to our value of excellence, the University is committed to preserving and promoting a culture of professionalism characterised by the highest standards of personal honesty and the integrity of academic work.  Since the advent of the internet, the opportunity for and actual  incidence of plagiarism have increased, and accordingly it has become necessary to promote the development of good academic behaviour, including ethical writing practices,  and to put measures in place to assist in the prevention of plagiarism.

Academic dishonesty in general and plagiarism in particular, constitute a disregard of our values and could seriously undermine the academic standing of NMMU and its qualifications.

The university launched its Academic Integrity campaign last year and put in place a policy - Policy for the promotion of academic integrity and prevention of plagiarism –as a framework through which all staff and students are empowered to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity.

I laud the university for doing this, but how strange is it that you need a policy to encourage people to be honest. I am sure that there are those who believe that it is only cheating when you are found out. I am also sure that those who have never cheated and try doing it one day, will be the ones who are caught out.

Don Galer wrote: ‘Integrity is what we say, is what we do, is what we say we do.

Good luck with the preparation for the exams and the exams themselves. And remember that the reward is so much sweeter when the result is achieved honesty. 

Pay it forward

By: Bev Erickson (guest blogger)

“One person can’t change the world, but you can change the world for one person”. Yes , I know it sounds like a cliché, but if you had attended the presentations that I attended last week, you would know why I’m quoting it.

For the past six years, the second year National Diploma Human Resource Management students embark on an outreach project which they call “Pay it Forward”. Initiated by their passionate lecturer, Bridget de Villiers, this project encourages students to form groups and to go out into the community to look for a need which they can assist with. This year was the fourth time that I have attended the presentations by the student groups and once again, I was blown away by the sense of ubuntu that our students have.

“Our world is very good at generating wealth, but not very good at sharing it” were the words of the Dean, Prof Niekie Dorfling who addressed the students before their presentations. “Use this project as a laboratory to practice what you are being taught” he advised.

The six groups who were chosen to present their projects shared their stories of getting stuck in to helping their various charities and the incredible personal journeys they all took.

The Luthanda Luvuyo Special School was on the receiving end of assistance from one of the groups, with students making the children “feel valued” and in turn, learning skills from the children. Another beneficiary of this project was the Soqaqamba Educare Centre, a crèche for impoverished children. The group who took on this needy organisation were unable to achieve their goal of finding sponsors for mattresses, blankets and toys for the children, so they buckled down and planted a veggie garden for them so that they can reap the benefits of food in the future.

The Ubomi Obutsha Centre – a community ministry centre – saw students running a soup kitchen, paying home visits to the elderly, and assisting with the Centre’s homework club. The students have also committed themselves to ongoing support of this organisation. Go students!

“We wanted to do something different!” said one group who took on the Carehaven Home for people living with psychiatric illnesses. “We were a little apprehensive at first, but gained so much from the experience” they said. They helped with cooking, cleaning and laundry. They played games with the residents and had a lot of fun whilst doing good for others.

One of the groups decided that one charity was not enough, so they helped out at two! Astra Primary School – where they encouraged learners to steer away from gangsterism (a real problem in the area) and introduced the sport of basketball to them, taking the role of leaders. At their other project, Cheshire Homes in Cleary Park, they assisted with basic things like cleaning and cooking, taking the role of servants. So many lessons learnt for these young people!

The most emotionally touching project was by the group that took on the Thamsanqa Cluster Home. This home is an orphanage for abused children and the students assisted with feeding, cleaning, helping the youngsters with homework and playing games. These children have only the most basic of food – a lunch for instance, which consists of bread and butter. To bring some happiness, on one particular day, the students baked muffins so that the children could have a treat! Listening to this group share what each member gained from their experience required a tissue which I didn’t have! Next time I’ll be more prepared.

Hats off to the Department of Human Resources Management staff and the incredible second year students.  You rock!!!

 (Left to right) Amanda, Nombuso, Anele, Lorna and Zezethu definitely live the value of ubuntu!

And the winners of Mr & Miss NMMU are ...

From examinations to international netball; from graduation to pop concerts; from award dinners to exhibitions … Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Vodacom Indoor Sports Centre has hosted them all.

But none is as loud or entertaining as the Mr & Miss NMMU pageant.

The University hosted the 2014 annual event starring 12 male and 12 female students before a packed and appreciative audience on Saturday 11 October. The contestants were joined by other stars, talented NMMU students who sang, danced and performed, along with South African poster boy for good looks and great brains, Maps Mapayane, as the MC.

And then there was Naak MusiQ, aka Anga Makubalo, who has taken the house music scene by storm – as was evident when students rushed the stage to get closer to the multi-talented singer and Generations actor.

(That I had never heard of Naak MusiQ, who was actually born in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth, is beside the point. As a 50-something white woman, I am not the target audience. Our students, the majority of whom are black, loved him).

The build-up to the event was well marketed via Madibaz Radio and social media, and involved professional photo shoots, and the show itself was slick, professional and worthy of the support it received. Word has it that the contestants rehearsed until 4am before the show, returning at 1pm for the big event.

Almost all 4000 seats were filled towards the end of the event as students gathered in preparation for the after-party.

But the show ran very late.

Though the posters advertised the event as starting at 5.30pm, and we were advised to come before 6pm, the show only started at 7.45pm, and had not finished by midnight.

“It’s called African time,” whispered an NMMU student who’d seen us arrive on time.

I may not have heard of Naak MusiQ, but I know something of “African time” since I live here. It’s just that my punctual Western upbringing can’t easily embrace it. But hey, this is the students’ show, not mine, and none seemed perturbed about the late hour or choice of candidates. See video link for the 2014 line-up http://ow.ly/CEzjI to view the contestants. These young ambassadors did the university proud.

Winner’s list:

Mr NMMU: Odwa Masiza, a first-year Economics student

Miss NMMU: Siphosethu Mdodana, a third-year Management student

Lusanda Msebi took the title of first princess and Sibulule Peter Second princess.

Kgosietsile Foko was first prince and Tando Mabija,second prince.

Viewer’s choice awards went to Matamela Livhoyi and Kelly Lewis (jointly) and Odwa Masiza.

Mr & Miss Personality were Sibusiso Nqini and Matamela Livhoyi

Guest bloggers

Next week (October 13 to 17) the life@nmmu blog will feature a number of guest bloggers to give you other insights into life at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

The new bloggers are all NMMU staff members or have close ties with the university and will give you – the reader – a better idea of what makes our new generation university tick. I know you’ll be educated, entertained and encouraged.

Yours truly is off to Spain for a communication workshop until 21 October.

Law Faculty’s Town and Gown gala dinner

Mr Z Ngqeza of the Black Lawyers Association, the Deputy Minister of Justice and Correctional Services John Jeffery MP and Executive Dean of Law of NMMU,  Prof Vivienne Lawack, the driving force behind the faculty's first social Town and Gown initiative 

It’s an antiquated term – “town and gown”, but it’s one that perfectly captures Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s Law Faculty great new social initiative.

The coming together of law academics and legal practitioners at a Town and Gown gala dinner is a wonderful idea for so many reasons.

(As an aside, “town and gown”, which dates back to the Middle Ages, identifies two distinct communities within a university town or city – “town” being the non-academic population and “gown” being the academics from the university.)

Last night’s initiative by our go-getting Dean of Law Prof Vivienne Lawack was to bring these two communities together in a less formal environment for the benefit of all involved.

It’s a first for the Law Faculty.

But, from the response, it certainly isn’t going to be the last.

And it may even set a trend for other faculties to follow. Yes, it was that successful.

It was successful because it:

• Met a need
• Brought like-minded, committed individuals together in a relaxed environment
• Had an ideal guest speaker (Deputy Minister of Justice John Jeffery)
• Was well organised
• Was professional and sophisticated
• Was focused on specific objectives
• Was sponsored, thereby removing the usual financial headache
• Is a pro-active initiative to make things better

Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Prof Denise Zinn opened the evening at the Radisson Blu Hotel and set a warm and engaging tone for the evening. She highlighted the university’s values and objectives of the event to “serve, build and regenerate the value of the legal sector” and kick-start “a long collegial engagement” between town and gown.

Paul Geswindt, Quinton Johnson, Wilmon Steyn
 from sponsors Nedbank and Shuaib Rahim attended the function

Guests were strategically placed at tables to ensure that the law academics, law students, sponsor representatives from Nedbank and practicing members of the legal profession mingled, all for each other’s benefit.

After all, reminded Prof Lawack, there’s no such thing as a “free supper”.

After thanking legal practitioners and others who are already supporting NMMU’s Law Faculty in various ventures, she urged the rest to get involved in ensuring the future success of the profession.

Her words echoed those of the minister who, as the keynote speaker, gave his legal eagle audience an overview of recent legal changes and some sobering statistics on the present status of the profession.

These included:

• The majority of law graduates are African women
• Of the 22 476 practicing attorneys in South Africa today, 14 385 are male (the majority of whom are white) and 8 102 females
• Grave concerns about the quality of law graduates by the present profession
• The high dropout rate of law students (only 25% of all students complete their degree in the minimum time, despite various interventions to change this over the past decade)
• That changing the LLB to a five-year programme from the present four-year qualification needs to be seriously debated
• That the legal profession should never be “just another business” but a calling, a vocation.

While there are many negatives, initiatives like the “Town and Gown” gala dinner will go a long way to adding value to our legal fraternity and the future of the profession.

So kudos all round!

The organising committee (from left) Leander Kruger, Anneli van Heerden, Andrea Buchanan, Marc Welgemoed, Adv Shuaib Rahim and David Abrahams

Joining the Deputy Minster of Justice John Jeffery and Executive Dean of Law Prof Vivienne Lawack were Hlomela Bucwa, NMMU's new SRC president and a third-year law student and Nathi Dwayi, Black Lawyer's Association SC Chairperson and the Law Faculty Rep for 2015 

Soapbox … let them vent

Once upon a time (and still today in Hyde Park, London) people would stand in the middle of the village square and have their say amid those willing to listen.

It’s this concept of “having your say” that Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University has adapted to the needs of the 21st century, but with one small change.

NMMU’s SOAPBOX is anonymous.

Whereas yesteryear when you literally stood on a box to be seen by anyone who might be interested and possibly face their abuse too, NMMU’s version allows you to have your say without anyone ever knowing who you are!

Yes, it’s a safe, anonymous online platform for sharing by our staff and students.

You can say what you need to say without fear of prejudice.

Today, far too few people are prepared to publicly blurt out what angers or ails them, and so all their angst, irritations and hurts get swopped in the hushed gossip in office corridors, rarely reaching those who might be able to amend the negatives.

And so enter SOAPBOX, an electronic system that forwards the moans, groans, ideas and praises of staff and students to those who need to hear to them without the individual’s name ever being known. Not even the administrator of our SOAPBOX knows who the sender is.

SOAPBOX is an internal tool that gives people the opportunity to offload, and while we occasional receive a note of praise or suggestion for improving something on our six campuses or for our 27 000 students, the bulk of the contributions are complaints.

Here’s an insight to some of the latest offerings on SOAPBOX (because it’s on view for all to see – just like the individual in the village square of yesteryear).

anon | 07/10/2014 07:31:33
re "What's wrong with the Mr and Ms NMMU 2014/15 communique photo??"

Seriously?! Very "representative" group of students!!
REPLY:
I'm afraid the finalists can only be chosen from among those who enter.

EditDeleteRejectReport abuse


NO TOILET PAPER IN THE LIBRARY.
There was no toilet paper in the gents toilet in the basement in the library. Does the university expect students to use their hands?? This is really bad. Please fix it. We as students expect nothing but superior service our counter parts are receiving

REPLY:
Not sure what you mean. It looks fine to us?

EditDeleteRejectReport abuse


anon | 06/10/2014 11:34:49
Just want to say thanks for replying on the marine drive being closed for entrance in the evenings. Will the gate be available for access in afternoon after the upgrades?

EditDeleteRejectReport abuse


anon | 03/10/2014 09:14:55
Our "new democracy" is perpetuating a "culture" of misplaced self-importance!


We don’t mind that most of the feedback is complaints - about toilets, potholes, lack of packing, slack lecturers, lack of transformation, rude treatment etc – because we have the know-how and ability to channel them to the relevant parties to try to make good.

After all, if someone does not alert you to an issue, how are you supposed to fix it?

Isn't it better to take those moans, groans and rumblings to those responsible and aim for constructive improvement than to see them constantly circulate at the water foundation, tea table or office corridors without possibility of resolution?

And besides, it is also important to give people a place to offload … it makes us feel better just to share something with someone who is listening.

So yes, let’s vent … (but let’s also fix those complaints).

NMMU TV ad a success

A shot from the NMMU TV advert

It’s official. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s national brand building campaign has been a success.

The campaign launched in April to create awareness of the University on a national level included a television commercial – the first by our nine-year-old institution. View here http://ow.ly/Cq3zr

A great deal of money, time, thought and effort was ploughed into the production and distribution of the “Dreamers to doers” campaign for the university using television, magazine, radio, social media and airport billboard advertising to get the good name of NMMU out into the public domain. All our marketing materials were accompanied by the www.nmmu.ac.za as a means of driving listeners, viewers, airport passengers and readers to our website.

The following chart says it all …

Increased interest in the NMMU website correlates with the launch of the NMMU advert

We went from receiving a maximum of 30 000 visitors to the website daily (in December 2013 as students scurried to find place at university) through to almost 80 000 visitors soon as the TV commercial was launched early in April.

But here are so more statistics to confirm that investing in marketing is a worthwhile financial venture:

• NMMU’s internal newsletter, talk@nmmu, on the website saw its visits goes from 12 128 in October 2013 right up to 77 083 for May this year. 
• Up to 19.5m viewers were exposed to the television advert on the DSTV and SABC 1 and 2 channels
• 2m readers were exposed to the adverts in various inflight and other national magazines
• 15m listened to the dulcet tones of NMMU honorary doctorate John Kani on various national and regional radio stations
• 3.6m passengers may have seen the billboards at airports in Johannesburg, Cape Town, George and Port Elizabeth
• 955 000 impressions were received from our online placements

So while we know that our brand building campaign did create a flurry of interest as measured in the increased foot traffic to our website, the real test will come with an increase in applications from students from outside of our province (as an aside, 70% of NMMU’s 27 000 students come from the Eastern Cape, and the majority of those are from the metro).

That we will only be able to ascertain once Admission have input all the data.

What we can share at this stage, however, is that there has been a sizeable increase in the number of applications to NMMU for 2015.

Hot-off-the-desk of our marketing colleagues comes the news that there is …

• A 7.1% increase in applications as at 1 October to study at NMMU in 2015.

So yes, even at a glance, the university’s brand building campaign has been successful.

From the opening scene of the 30-second advert

Mr and Miss NMMU coming up

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University is something of a microcosm of South Africa – a mini version of our Rainbow nation (which reminds me, it’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s birthday today – he’s the man who coined the phrase of South Africa being a Rainbow nation. Happy birthday Arch!)

We have staff and students of all colours (almost 60% of our students are black, 14% are coloured, 2% are Indian and 24% are white); we have a wonderful mix of cultures, including the 8% of students who come from outside our borders; we run the university like a mini town with our own rules, clinics, sports facilities, shops and traffic officers and have a sizeable budget to ensure that everything runs effectively).

In fact, we like to brag that the diversity of our Rainbow campuses (we have six of them, five in Port Elizabeth and one in George) is one of our strengths.

Why then is the annual pageant in search of Mr and Miss NMMU not reflective of this mix?

The competition is happening with much fanfare on Saturday 11 October in our Indoor Sports Centre but is lacking in white entrants (well, that’s if the promotional poster is anything to go by).

• Is it because white students perceive the contest to be for black and coloured students only?
• Is it because white students do not take such contests seriously?
• Is it because it is poorly marketed?
• Is it because of the timing of the competition, less than a month before final examinations? 

I don’t know the answer but am sad that this aspect of university life does not adequately reflect the real picture of the mix of our students.

Even the rugby – once the traditional domain for white students – has attracted large numbers of students from other race groups.

But there again, the support for soccer at NMMU is mainly by black students.

I suppose this is all part of our transforming university. Change is rarely embraced overnight but given the right marketing, the right institutional culture and the right leadership, we’ll soon be able to celebrate the transformation of “Rainbowness” to all areas of university life.

We’ve much to celebrate already …

And let’s not take anything away from the time, effort and talent in this year’s Mr and Miss NMMU contest. You might want to check it all out in the pre-judging video http://ow.ly/CmEEc

All the best for a great show on Saturday hosted by actress and TV presenter Boitumelo Thulo. Tickets at R30 include entry to the after-party.

One of Saturday night's hopefuls. 

Mr and Miss NMMU 2013 Lunathi Bongco and Pache Oranje

Hangout4ubuntu ... thanks Team NMMU!

Hangout4ubuntu was a great team effort

650 metres of clothing, hundreds of contributors, 60 bags for charity, 30 "peggers", seven thrilled recipients and one great value in action – Ubuntu.

That, in short, is the sum total of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s clothing charity drive, Hangout4ubuntu, during which clothing was pegged along the fencing from North to South campuses in a visible show of what happens when people come together to support a worthy venture. Watch a four-minute video to get a better idea...:


It’s called teamwork.

It’s also called Ubuntu.

The project was hugely successful for so many reasons:

• It benefitted seven charities with clothing

• It highlighted what happens when you work together for a cause

• It showcased NMMU’s value of Ubuntu to about 12 000 motorists who visit North and South campuses

• It had great teambuilding benefits (within departments, across departments and between staff and students)

• It’s ability to spread good cheer

All round, Hangout4ubuntu is a winner – and likely to become an annual project for NMMU.

Personally, it was the team aspect that won the day, the coming together of so many individuals to benefit others.

It started with Carmen, a mature BPsych student, who arrived at my office with four black bags of shoes and clothing prior to the actual event. She’d had a clean out and wanted to contribute.

The same sentiment – that of wanting to contribute to something bigger – pervaded NMMU’s airwaves too, as the newly-launched Madibaz Radio mobilized students to spring clean their wardrobes and donate clothing to the initiative.

The team from Madibaz Radio walked their talk delivering a car-full of goodies and “peggers”, as did all NMMU’s student residences, whose contributions filled the back of a bakkie (the transport was provided by NMMU’s Technical Services for free that day).

Then there were the student societies like Golden Key, galvanized into action by NMMU’s Student Governance team, and all the individuals, like Carmen, who took heed of the call to action and donated clothing. Miss NMMU was there too!

It was a joint outpouring of kindness that will benefit the following seven charities:

• Oosterland Child and Youth Care Centre

• Algoa Frail Care Centre

• Cheshire Homes Cleary Park

• Enkuselweni Secure Youth Centre

• Angel Network

• Healing Hands

• Love Story

Originally, there had been five charities, but in a further expression of Ubuntu, we invited Queen V, of Veritas residence, to join the party instead of flying solo in her mission as a PR student to support the charity Healing Hands. Similarly, as the team sorted the clothing contributions, they opted to add Love Story to the mix because of the large number of baby clothing items donated.

So to those who donated, those who pegged, those who rallied others to spring clean, those who collected, those who hooted in support, those who committed to getting involved next time, those who put up posters, those who got involved … we say THANK YOU!

Thank you TEAM NMMU!

Thank you for living out the value of Ubuntu.

Madibaz Radio staff get pegging

Miss NMMU Pache Oranje

MCR's Nicky Willemse (centre) with Maggie and Iqbal of Healing Hands

NMMU's Marketing and Corporate Relations team hand over clothing to Oosterland