Bongani Majola
Vista University’s core functions seem to have been stretched to breaking point by the exodus of staff who took voluntary severance packages last week.
On its East Rand campus the morale of the remaining staff is at an all-time low after the campus principal also left at the beginning of the month.
Two weeks ago, in a joint statement, Vista council chairperson Dr S Ngapi and Minister of Education Kader Asmal assured that “Vista University will continue operating its normal teaching and research activities, including the recruitment of new students for the 2002 academic year”.
But if the situation at the East Rand campus is anything to go by, then the institution might be failing in its contractual obligations.
In some departments all the academics left on July 31 in the massive exodus that followed voluntary severance packages. Afrikaans and Northern Sotho students have no lecturers.
Senior staff members who spoke to the Mail & Guardian on condition of anonymity as staff have been barred from communicating with the media, described the situation as “insane”.
The student representative council (SRC) said it was clear management did not do a proper assessment before the retrenchment offer to staff. “They did not care about the mess they left behind as some of them left for greener pastures,” an SRC member said.
The English department has one lecturer doing both administrative and academic duties for 133 students in different years of study.
The sociology department is left with one academic for 77 students.
The faculties of arts and education are the most adversely affected. Lectures in commerce, law and science seem to be functioning normally.
Vista’s East Rand SRC met the campus registrar last week and asked management to come up with a contingency plan.
At the East Rand campus alone Vista dispensed R3945650 in severance packages. It laid off 20 academics to the tune of R2,9-million and 14 administrative staff members got packages totalling R982000.
Director of communications and marketing Thandiwe Maimane says it was agreed between the unions and Vista management that decisions to lay off staff lay with campus management. She says central management acted on the recommendations of campus management.