The appointment of a ”white Ameri-can male” as the new dean of humanities has underscored deep racial divisions at Wits University.
Professor Timothy Reagan will replace Professor Gerrit Olivier, whose contract ends in September. Reagan is professor of linguistics and foreign language education and dean of the school of education at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, United States.
Reagan’s appointment has been criticised by the students’ representative council (SRC) as being ”anti-transformation” and racially based.
”We need someone who understands South Africa and its transformation,” said SRC president Floyd Shivambu. ”Black people will remain in the minority [at executive level] at Wits because of the continued appointment of white people.”
But vice-chancellor Loyiso Nongxa said it was news to him that the ”appointment of white people is anti-transformation”. He pointed out that a white British male had been appointed coach of Bafana Bafana. ”So I don’t think we have reached a stage where we say white people are not going to be appointed.”
Critics claim the selection committee was ”too white” and that equity legislation has been violated. They say university management refuses to appoint black people to senior positions and has ”deemed them unfit” for such a post. Two black women were shortlisted for the position.
Reagan says the row has not dampened his enthusiasm for Wits, saying he agrees with the SRC that an understanding of South Africa is needed. ”I believe, incidentally, that I do in fact meet these criteria. My entire career … has been concerned with addressing issues of equity and social justice in educational settings.”
Wits director of transformation and equity, Dr Wendy Orr, says the SRC has misinterpreted the equity legislation. ”There is no direct compulsion in legislation to what appointment should be made. You have to develop plans and targets to achieve equity.”
Nongxa said the University Forum would meet to discuss transformation and equity, and how selection committees grappled with these issues. ”I am sure there will be a frank debate that will not pit one aspect of transformation against another,” he said. ”We are also exploring the possibility of launching a seminar series on transformation.”
According to the Wits 2004 employment equity report, the pool of black academics is small. In 2002, 1 607 white students received their PhD degrees at Wits compared to 227 black students.
The report stated ”the most significant barrier reaching targets seems to be the lack of appropriately qualified people from designated groups who wish to make academia a career”. — Vuvuzela News