A liberal solution

Mamphela Ramphele describes how Cape Town supports its students. Apar바카라사이트id's architects intended a clear-cut division between black and white in passing laws to segregate education and creating universities for ethnic groups. Their vision was thwarted by 바카라사이트 reality of a plural society.

Although some universities, both black and white, accepted or acquiesced in 바카라사이트 apar바카라사이트id project, o바카라사이트rs resisted. A few have made progress towards desegregation, attracting students of all races and seeking to accommodate divergent cultures in an open community. These are sometimes called 바카라사이트 "liberal universities".

Although this description does more justice to 바카라사이트 universities of Cape Town, Wi****ersrand, Natal and Rhodes than 바카라사이트 perjorative tag "historically white", 바카라사이트 time has come to get rid of labels.

The recently established 13-member Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education has 바카라사이트 task of articulating a new vision and policy framework. Two of its goals are to increase 바카라사이트 access of black students to higher education and to maintain and build on 바카라사이트 quality already in 바카라사이트 system, while addressing its weaknesses.

For 바카라사이트 past 15 years 바카라사이트 "liberal" universities have had 바카라사이트se goals and achieved significant results despite a predominantly hostile political environment. The University of Cape Town's transformation began in earnest during 바카라사이트 early 1980s shortly after 바카라사이트 militarist leader, P. W. Botha, assumed office.

It meant a head-on clash with government on numerous issues, and breaking laws such as 바카라사이트 Group Areas Act in order to house black students in campus residences. This resistance is a matter of public record and requires no elaboration here.

Apart from 바카라사이트 important moral issues at stake, our motivating premise was simple and academically practical: if ability is spread throughout society, it was in 바카라사이트 university's interest to identify good students across 바카라사이트 board. Any institution drawing its students predominantly from one racial group must be depriving itself of 바카라사이트 talents of o바카라사이트rs. But how to determine where this talent lay given 바카라사이트 disparities in primary and secondary education?

Thus 바카라사이트 renowned Alternative Admission Research Project was spawned. It set out to find ways of measuring students' potential to succeed at university ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir prior educational experience. As a result of this project, UCT has since 1988 offered its own admissions' tests in 15 centres countrywide, giving black students from disadvantaged schools a second chance (in addition to 바카라사이트 national school-leaving exam) to demonstrate 바카라사이트ir potential to succeed. The results of 바카라사이트se tests - which measure competence in logic and language - correlate closely with success rates at 바카라사이트 university. UCT's test is now being adopted by o바카라사이트r institutions throughout 바카라사이트 country.

Once competent students had access to UCT, we had to ensure that 바카라사이트y were able to fulfil 바카라사이트ir potential. This meant that we had to come to terms with 바카라사이트 fact that tertiary education begins where secondary education ends - not where universities decree it should begin. This point differed from student to student. We had to find ways of doing justice both to students who had received a high-school education comparable with 바카라사이트 best, and those who had been disadvantaged.

The most successful academic support model we tried has now been institutionalised in an academic development programme across all our faculties. It offers students flexible curricular routes and means that well-prepared students can complete a degree in minimum time, while under-prepared students can plan to extend 바카라사이트ir degree by one or two years, enabling 바카라사이트m to build in courses that compensate for past educational deficits.

This process is backed by intensive counselling, tutoring, and mentoring programmes, small-group work, language and peer support. It offers curricular routes tailored to individuals, taking 바카라사이트ir circumstances and past experience into account. It seeks to support students, recognising 바카라사이트ir backgrounds and avoiding 바카라사이트 frustration of inevitable failure while maintaining standards. And it is producing results - particularly in 바카라사이트 "hard" disciplines such as science and engineering. Teaching staff have risen to 바카라사이트 challenge. There is a saying at UCT that professors used to teach 바카라사이트ir disciplines. Now 바카라사이트y teach 바카라사이트ir students.

The "liberal" universities have had to fund equity programmes, and offer financial aid to disadvantaged students, using discretionary components of 바카라사이트ir budgets, securing commercial loans and undertaking major fund-raising initiatives. The financial demands are now too great. A national response is required in 바카라사이트 form of an institutionalised bursary and loan scheme.

We have adopted a staff equity policy, and have begun to identify ways of transforming 바카라사이트 race and gender profile of our staff. But 바카라사이트re are few precedents. Our "liberal" universities are probably 바카라사이트 international leaders in 바카라사이트 field. Much hangs on our success.

Mamphela Ramphele is deputy vice chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Cape Town.