The University of Venda (Univen) has been awarded R380million by the department of education for extensive renovations to its run-down facilities, infrastructural developments at student residences and a shift in its programme offerings.
”The university will be completely transformed by 2010,” said acting vice-chancellor Dr Jim Leatt.
Univen received a R130million injection from the department last year after the university handed a report to Education Minister Naledi Pandor, which highlighted that the campus’s infrastructure needed urgent attention and that its ICT facilities were poor.
Leatt said R26million is being spent on ICT, with funds being allocated to provide academics with computers and students with ICT tools such as the internet, a necessity not previously available to them.
The remaining R104million will be spent by the end of this year on fixing leaking roofs, broken seats and overcrowding in residences.
Univen was built for 5 000 students but its numbers have more than doubled to 10 500, placing a huge strain on facilities.
Univen was recently informed that the department will be providing an additional R249million under its recapitalisation programme of higher education institutions over the next three years. Leatt said this money will be channelled towards two projects: R210million will be used to continue upgrading teaching and learning facilities and to improve student life.
This was after the department told Univen — when it embarked on its enrolment planning — to keep its numbers at current levels. Univen will therefore ”right size” its facilities to provide adequate resources for 10 500 students.
Tied to the size of the university is R40million that will go towards a conversion project: Univen will convert from a traditional university offering degrees to a comprehensive university offering degrees and diplomas. Plans on the conversion and revamped facilities will be submitted to Pandor by the end of July.
Leatt said the cash injection had changed the mood on campus. ”We are absolutely over the moon. Our infrastructural problems have been so overwhelming that life has been hard for students and staff. The fact that there is now a new deal between the institution and the government has meant greatly improved morale on campus and the capability to improve success rates,” he said.