Confident insider predictions about who the University of Cape Town would appoint as its next vice-chancellor have proven to be wide of the mark. The UCT council will announce today that Max Price takes over the reins when current vice-chancellor Njabulo Ndebele’s second term comes to an end in June next year.
A selection committee consisting of council members, academic and administrative staff, and students met in June to consider applications from 27 candidates — of whom 12 were local and 15 overseas. Last month, the council announced that the committee had settled on a shortlist of three. They were Price, dean of health sciences at Wits University from 1996 till last year, and two UCT deputy vice-chancellors, Cheryl de la Rey, a psychologist, and Martin Hall, an archaeologist.
At that point, widespread UCT speculation was that De la Rey was the likeliest candidate. Price was thought to have little chance, partly because he was an outsider.
But the Mail & Guardian understands that Price hugely impressed the different sectors of the UCT community to whom the three candidates had to make presentations. One academic who was present at Price’s address to the senate said he highlighted an ‘impeccable record regarding transformation, and so stressed substance rather than epidermisâ€.
On Wednesday night, the council — which makes the final decision — endorsed Price.