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As it happened: Wits curfew shifted to midnight - student leader

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19 Oct 2016

We're going to wrap these updates up now (unless something major breaks). In summary: Nothing has been finalised yet at Wits University where students are still meeting at Solomon Mahlangu House. Meanwhile, at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville, Cape Town, classes have been suspended for the rest of the  year. Students still have the option of writing their exams in November this year or in January 2017.

19 Oct 2016

Students at the Wits Peace Accord are taking a break and will reconvene at 22:00, says City Press reporter Shandukani Mulaudzi.
Follow Shandukani's updates here

19 Oct 2016

The meeting continues at Wits. At the moment, a UJ student is addressing the audience.

19 Oct 2016

UWC students are tweeting that police are on campus chasing students out of residences and that shots have been fired in the residence block.

19 Oct 2016

Statement from Wits University:

The Executive Management Team of Wits University was invited to attend a meeting of peace hosted by the Academic Staff Association of Wits University, church leaders and others at the Holy Trinity Church today.

We were asked to attend the meeting and through our presence to indicate our support for peaceful resolution and constructive negotiation. We have always said that we are open to engaging with students. We have repeatedly been accused of not wanting to meet students.

We have reached out on several occasions and today is an example of where we were once again willing to engage, to no avail. We have met with several students and student leaders directly and we will continue to do so in the hope of finding a peaceful, negotiated settlement.

“We are disappointed that people felt that we should exit the peace meeting even after we had been invited to attend it,” says Professor Adam Habib, Wits Vice-Chancellor and Principal. “We remain committed to working with students and student leaders in trying to find solutions to these issues, many of which can only be resolved at the national level.

We recognise that passions are inflamed and that we should not take the reactions of some student leaders personally.”

We remain committed to completing the 2016 academic year while at the same time trying to address issues related to the funding and transformation of the higher education sector.

We will continue to protect the University community to ensure that staff, students and our infrastructure are safe and that the academic programme continues.

19 Oct 2016

Statement from UWC on the academic plan:

At its meeting today, the Senate Executive Committee took the following decisions regarding the completion of the 2016 academic year:

1.       All face-to-face classes are suspended.

2.       The exact mode of the completion of the academic programme, where needed, will be faculty and discipline-specific and managed by Deans and Heads of Departments.

3.       Students are given a choice of writing their main examinations either in November 2016 or in January 2017.

4.       The first session of examinations is scheduled to begin on 7 November 2016 and a time-table will be circulated within the next few days. We will continue to monitor the situation and if conditions on campus remain unstable, alternate venues will be communicated.

5.       The second session is likely to begin on 10 January 2017. Confirmation of dates and the time-table will be circulated in due course.

6.       Students who qualify for Supplementary Examinations will be given the opportunity to write those in January 2017.

7.       The Senate Discretionary Assessment (SDA) period will follow the Supplementary Examination period in January 2017.

8.       Options for postgraduate student assessment and completion are being considered by the Senate Higher Degrees Committee and will be communicated to students via their respective Faculties.

Whilst we recognise that this is not ideal, we need to appreciate that this is the only viable option to complete the academic year. We therefore ask for the understanding and support of students, parents and staff.

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