Philippa Garson
THE proposed closure of the central unit of Wits University’s Academic Development Programme — which offers support to educationally disadvantaged students — has met with dismay in some student and staff circles and raised questions about the direction being taken by the university on its academic development
The decision to close down the ADP’s central unit and redeploy its 14-member staff team to various faculties, which will take on academic development for disadvantaged students themselves, was made at a meeting of the 10 faculty deans last month.
But an outcry by students and staff members at the “unilateral” decision has led to the matter being referred to Senate for a final decision. Academic development — the term used to describe programmes which equip students from inferior educational backgrounds to cope with university education — has become a political hot potato in historically white universities like Wits, which have been accused of marginalising the problems experienced by disadvantaged
Comments Judith Hawarden, acting director of the ADP: “The probable closure of the ADP is a mistake.There has to be a central unit to co-ordinate activities, give coherence and play a monitoring role. Politically, it looks like academic development is being downgraded in the university.”.
Outgoing SRC president Muzi Sikhakhane, who met with vice-chancellor Robert Charlton last week in an attempt to reverse the decision, described the move as “extremely dangerous. It is not in line with transformation. We need a viable central office — we cannot leave the issue to individual deans”.
Charlton told the Mail & Guardian that more discussion would be held on the proposed move, due to resistance from certain quarters. He gave the assurance that no staff member would be retrenched, but said that “soft money” was being used to fund these posts and that there was no guarantee that such money would be available next year.
Dean of the Education Faculty David Freer said: “We’re not closing down academic development. We are seeking to refocus it within the faculties so it becomes part of mainstream academic activity.” Some of the major academic development initiatives, said Freer, had come from the faculties themselves.