Stellenbosch University (SU) students were informed on 16 March that all physical lectures will be suspended, with the recess period starting from 17 March as opposed to 20 March.
The announcement followed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation where he declared a national state of disaster in terms of the Disaster Management Act amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, on Sunday night.
SU’s second term is scheduled to start on 30 March now via online instruction, said Wim de Villiers, rector and vice-chancellor of SU, in an official statement sent out to SU students.
According to the statement, although SU has not had any confirmed cases of Covid-19 on campus, the university is carrying out the two most important public health measures: social distancing and the containment of the disease in order to limit the infection.
The state of affairs will be continuously monitored and the SU official website will be used as the platform for communication as the situation develops, said De Villiers in the statement.
The Neelsie Student Centre food court appeared empty after the SU’s announcement on 16 March that all physical lectures were suspended, effective 17 March. PHOTO: Wilne van Rooyen
SU students living in residences also received official communication from Pieter Kloppers, director for Student Communities, requesting all students to vacate their residences and return home for the recess period.
In the statement, Kloppers said that students who could not return home would be accommodated in other SU residences.
“Measures will be taken to reduce the risk of contamination and provision will be made for isolation. Students who remain in residence would be expected to follow the indicated hygiene and other protocols,” said Kloppers.
Prim committee chairperson, Ingrid Heÿdenrych, supports the decision made by SU.
“I think it is the best decision the university could have made in light of the recommendations made by the President. I fully trust that the university will carry students’ best interests at heart, especially when it comes to their health,” said Heÿdenrych.
More on the official statement can be found here.
This is a developing story. MatieMedia will update readers as it unfolds.
The JS Gericke library steps are usually a hive of activity during the day at SU. This picture was taken on 17 March, a day after the university’s announcement that all physical lectures would be suspended. PHOTO: Wilne van Rooyen.