Dear colleagues
University of Cape Town (UCT) Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng will host the third of a four-part series themed “Using the science of the future to shape your present”, dedicated on Eco-regeneration and Geoengineering, on 24 July 2022. Read more about this and other updates below.
1. Virtual discussion on Eco-regeneration and Geoengineering
Professor Phakeng will host a virtual discussion on Eco-regeneration and Geoengineering with experts in the field on Sunday, 24 July at 16:00 SAST.
The planet is warming at an alarming rate, the oceans are being emptied of fish and flooded with plastic. Meanwhile, the human population is set to increase to around 10 billion by 2050, a change that will put pressure on food systems. The session will offer a critical analysis of possible solutions to these challenges and provide a thoughtful discussion on related issues.
Phakeng will be joined by Dr Adriana Marais, Dr Christopher Trisos and Dr Romaric Odoulami.
Be part of the conversation on Microsoft Teams, or on UCT’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
2. Towards being Employment Equity compliant
In May this year, UCT submitted its Employment Equity (EE) Plan and targets to the Department of Employment Equity and Labor (DOEL), and was found to be non-compliant in three broad areas: low staff participation in qualitative focus groups and quantitative surveys; lack of rigor in the management of the EE Committees and the university Forum; and review of certain targets and alignment with the DOEL reporting cycle.
The university is legally obliged to comply with DOEL’s recommended changes by the end of August 2022. In order to fulfill this obligation, there are internal processes that need to be completed by July 22nd.
Staff members are asked to complete three steps as outlined below.
Please email Glenda Kayster with questions.
3. Submission of proposals to the IT Investment Committee
UCT reconvenes the Information Technology Investment and Prioritization Committee (ITIPC). It is a sub-committee of the university’s IT governance committee – the University ICT Committee.
The ITIPC did not meet in 2020 and 2021, following a decision made by the University Finance Committee to temporarily limit capital investments due to the need to reprioritize institutional spending due to the financial impact of COVID-19.
The main objectives of ITIPC are:
- qualify and quantify IT investment requests; and
- prioritize and recommend IT investments to the university’s Resource Allocation Advisory Group (RAAG).
These goals are achieved through the assessment and evaluation of IT investment requests, in the form of completed project proposals.
The deadline for submitting project proposals is 29 July 2022.
4. UCT’s new learning platform in pilot phase
The university’s new digital learning platform, Amathuba, is currently in the pilot phase of implementation. The Center for Innovation in Learning and Teaching is excited to report that there are approximately 50 pilot courses from various faculties ready to be offered using Amathuba by July 2022.
Training for tutors and students enrolled in these courses will be offered through webinars. There is also an orientation module available for student self-teaching on the Amathuba learning platform.
6. ICTS scheduled maintenance on Sunday, 24 July
Please note that on Sunday, July 24, there will be an Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) scheduled maintenance slot from 08:00 to 17:00. All ICT services except UCT email and other Microsoft 365 services will be unavailable during the maintenance period.
Please remember to consult the scheduled ICTS maintenance slots before planning any teaching, conference, meeting, etc. that requires ICT services.
For more information, see an article on why ICTS schedules regular monthly maintenance slots.
Department of Communications and Marketing
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