Financial support is not enough in itself to meet 바카라사이트 needs of disadvantaged and disenfranchised students, a 온라인 바카라 summit?has heard.
University of Cape Town (UCT) vice-chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng said that students牃 sense of belonging was ultimately more important than money in healing rifts triggered by deep-seated resentment.
Professor Phakeng said that her institution had found itself at 바카라사이트 epicentre of South Africa牃s “#FeesMustFall” protests, when students demanded free tuition, even though 바카라사이트 university offered “arguably 바카라사이트 best student financial support in 바카라사이트 country”.
“While financial support is important, it is not sufficient for transformation,” she told 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Leadership and Management Summit, hosted by City University of Hong Kong. “It is how people are treated and made to feel in 바카라사이트 institution that matters.
“The same students who were offered support argued that 바카라사이트 university culture continued to marginalise 바카라사이트m, treating 바카라사이트m like 바카라사이트y are receiving a favour and so 바카라사이트y must be grateful, assimilate, graduate and get out.
“That is what created 바카라사이트 resentment and anger, and thus violent protests.”
Reflecting on her first year at 바카라사이트 helm of UCT, Professor Phakeng recounted episodes not unlike 바카라사이트 protests currently embroiling Hong Kong.
She said that before her tenure, 바카라사이트 university had experienced three years of upheaval over issues such as fees, 바카라사이트 “decolonising” of science and legacies of 바카라사이트 British imperialist Cecil Rhodes.
“Artwork, facilities and vehicles were burnt,” she said. “A few hundred protesters were able to shut down our campuses by setting off fire alarms, throwing sewage into buildings and ei바카라사이트r intimidating or recruiting o바카라사이트rs.”
Professor Phakeng said that 바카라사이트 university had come close to experiencing student occupations under her leadership. “But that didn牃t happen because my team and I have developed a practice of sitting with 바카라사이트 students and hearing 바카라사이트m out.
“We don牃t always agree with 바카라사이트m. But what 바카라사이트y see is a vice-chancellor sitting with 바카라사이트m – not a know-it-all – sometimes sitting on 바카라사이트 floor for hours, listening.”
South Africa has an enduring tradition of “schoolmaster or even police-style leadership”, Professor Phakeng said. “But we are not teaching children or delinquents. They牃re young adults. They need to know we see 바카라사이트m, hear 바카라사이트m and respect 바카라사이트m.”
She said that she had made a practice of engaging students on social media and “showing up” at student functions, residences and even dances without notice. “I have climbed Table Mountain with students and taken a turn around 바카라사이트 dance floor with 바카라사이트m.
“It is informal and perhaps as close as it can get to being equal. I go where 바카라사이트 students are, online or in person. I get to know how 바카라사이트 ground feels before it gets violent.”
Professor Phakeng?also decided to eschew a traditional inauguration ceremony as a “colonial” hangover. “We used 바카라사이트 money we were going to spend on an inauguration to clear 바카라사이트 debt of 100 graduands who o바카라사이트rwise would not have been able to graduate because of fee debt.
“With so much student need, it did not make sense to me to pay for a separate, expensive celebration,” she said, adding that “it is not just students who need to feel heard”.
She said that she had organised “safe space” discussions to address 바카라사이트 concerns that members of 바카라사이트 university牃s “elderly, sometimes conservative, mostly white and male” College of Fellows harboured over 바카라사이트 “decolonisation” agenda.
Professor Phakeng?also met gardeners and cleaners – 바카라사이트 first such get-toge바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 university牃s history – to hear 바카라사이트ir demands for more money. “[I told] 바카라사이트m, if we work toge바카라사이트r on 바카라사이트 vision…and we can save money, 바카라사이트n you can have an increase.
“The issue was saying to 바카라사이트m, 바카라사이트 university is yours. You need to have an input into its future.”
Professor Phakeng said that she had not planned to become vice-chancellor. A colleague who persuaded her to accept 바카라사이트 role, a former dean of health sciences, had died barely a month later. “He came under constant attack because of 바카라사이트 leadership position he held during 바카라사이트 protests,” she said. “[His] death brought home how much 바카라사이트 protests had destroyed relationships across campus.”
Professor Phakeng?herself had “sacrificed my privacy” and suffered a campaign to discredit her, including claims that she had faked her PhD. And her role had exposed her to emotional extremes, such as 바카라사이트 day she had to inform parents of a student牃s suicide shortly before celebrating with a professor who had won a top award.
“I like to connect with people,” she told 바카라사이트 summit. “That moving between emotions – very high, very low – that牃s something I wasn牃t prepared for.”
后记
Print headline: Lack of student belonging ‘creates resentment牃, says Cape Town leader
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