Eight years ago academic Dr Derrick Swartz was pondering a change in workplace scenery.
The University of Fort Hare was on the verge of economic collapse: it had a R90-million student debt, while cash flow problems meant late staff salary payments. The 1999 Saunders Commission of Inquiry, authorised by then education minister Sibusiso Bengu, disclosed that management was not strong enough to steer the university on to a sustainable path.
Consequently the vice-chancellor, Professor Mbulelo Mzamane, was asked to step down. Staff morale hit rock bottom and the university’s public image was in tatters, with some sceptics wishing “someone would just bomb the place”.
Swartz, who was asked by the Âuniversity council to act as vice-chancellor, was appointed to the position in 1999 and, at 38 years, became the new kid on the block.
On taking up the position, he says he indicated to the Fort Hare community two options: “We could either do a kamikaze or reverse the misfortunes of our own history.”
There was, however, a realisation among the Fort Hare community that this university, steeped in history as the birthplace of African intellectuals, could not just disappear off the map. Nor should it lose its identity. After extensive consultations with students, parents, staff, industry and banks, Swartz drew up strategic plans for the university. “We had to take collective responsibility for solutions,” he says.
A vigorous communications campaign with students ensued. “We had to get them to understand the relationship and importance of fee payment to the quality of learning. We also had robust debt collecting abilities, but allowed flexibility in debt payment,” he says.
In 2000 the university embarked on a marketing campaign to schools and the community. Student numbers grew from 2 900 to the current 8 800 (this includes students inherited from the East London campus of Rhodes University). The cumulative effective of debt repayment and an increase in student numbers meant greater fee and government subsidy income for the university. Furthermore, financial assistance from the education department resulted in the university shedding its remaining debt.
According to Swartz, the institution moved into the black three years before former education minister Kader Asmal took a decision on which universities to merge.
While Swartz says he “never had a moment where I felt I wanted to give up”, he experienced frustration and concern in the build-up to Asmal’s announcement on which universities would merge. “There were people who were prophets of doom — who wanted Fort Hare to close down or have it subsumed.”
Furthermore, uncertainty from the investor community for 18 months over a merger possibility meant a delay in project implementation at the institution. But Swartz says the inheritance of the East London campus of Rhodes University was “fortuitous” as it enables the university to “serve town and countryÂside”. A new relationship is being forged between Alice and Buffalo City, as the faculty of agriculture assists local farmers with organic farming methods, while their produce is sold to a major supermarket group.
“The vision is to make Fort Hare a focused and competitive African university with a strong rural footing,” says Swartz, who concedes that curriculum transformation should have started earlier. “It’s all well to restructure the physical and the balance sheet — if you don’t change the learning pedagogy, it’s like pouring old wine into new bottles,” he says.
He explains that the university needs to reconceptualise its curriculum to respond to the 21st century. “Old programmes need to be reversioned — this has happened only partially. There have been debates on what a Fort Hare curriculum should look like. A Fort Hare curriculum must produce a humanising pedagogy — education must have a humanising effect — it must set you free. Knowledge must set you free from historical bondage,” he says.
Fort Hare’s challenge then would be to turn its emphasis on sustainability to academic and social quality — “it should make sure its programmes are cutting edge and it must connect itself to its habitat”.
Another regret of Swartz is that he has not been able to “find a complete answer to the issue of student support”. The National Student Financial Aid Scheme’s allocation to the university is R31-million, but he believes this should be R56-million.
“Students are very poor. I have not been able to resolve structural funding that could cover 80% [of students].” He explains that there are varying levels of poverty among students and they need top-up loans.
Still youthful-looking at 46, Swartz’s vice-chancellorship does not appear to have taken a toll on him. He is one of the longest-serving vice-chancellors and could teach newÂcomers a thing or two about the sector. Actually, he will. Swartz intends writing a book on his experiences. “My innings is done,” he says, explaining that his anti-apartheid background helped him negotiate Fort Hare “through transitions of the mind”.