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House Warden for Majuba Residence

>> House Warden/s >> House Warden for Majuba Residence Job Reference Number AK/N100815 Job Title: House Warden for Majuba Residence Job Type (Academic/Non-Academic): Non-Academic Department/Division: Student Accommodation & Residence Life Campus: Auckland Park Bunting Road Campus Peromnes Equivalent: N/A Faculty/Group: Student Affairs Number of Positions Available: 1 Application Closing Date: 1/9/2010 Post Description: 1. He/she is responsible, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor and the Executive Director: Student Affairs, for the wellbeing of the students' resident in the residence concerned, or, in the case of day houses, for the wellbeing of the students who are members of the day house concerned. 2. He/she ensures that the holistic development of the students concerned in preparation for the world of work and of responsible citizenship, is promoted, by a constant focus on academic performance and the promotion of a culture of learning: • The academic focus and culture of learning is supported by the five pillar model of holistic student development, namely: (i) Participation in cultural activities and the promotion of tolerance and appreciation of diversity in the residence or day house concerned. (ii) Participation in sporting activities. (iii) Participation in community engagement activities. (iv) The creation of opportunities for the development of leadership qualities in each student. (v) Creation of a vibrant social life and of cultural cohesion and respect for diversity. 3. He/she ensure that governance arrangements and committee structures in the residence or day house concerned function well and serve to foster healthy relationships between the students. 4. He/she enforces discipline in the residence or day house concerned, and ensures that the rules and regulations governing students' conduct and student accommodation are adhered to. 5. He/she liaises with the parents and/or guardians and/or of the students for which he/she is responsible in respect of all matters that concern the welfare of such student. 6. Attendance of house activities organized by the Student Affairs Division. 7. Application of the rules and policies of the University in the residence. 8. Control over house committee. 9. Taking interest in the academic well-being as well as the physical and spiritual welfare of house members. Requirements: • Relevant Masters degree, preferably a doctorate qualification. • Be a permanent staff member of the University. • Have proven experience of organized student life. • Have proven skills in effective communication and problem-solving, as well as dealing with conflict. • Be readily available, that is: 1. Be available after hours (at night and over weekends) to participate in residence activities; and 2. Have flexible office hours to attend meetings and to deal with emergencies. • Have a spouse who is available and prepared to be closely involved with the residence (if the person is married). • Maintain an exemplary lifestyle and principles. Recommendations: Have knowledge of the following rules and policies: - Regulations for residences. - Regulations for house committees. - Regulations for election of house committees. - Code for first-year student induction. - Financial policy and procedures of the University. Assumption of Duties: As soon as possible. Equity Statement: In addition to merit on the basis of qualifications, experience and proven achievements, the University of Johannesburg is committed to taking persons with disabilities and the potential of historically disadvantaged individuals or groups into account for appointment. The University reserves the right to make no appointment if no candidate meets the necessary requirements. Enquiries: Mr Kenneth Ntombela, tel: (011) 559-1185

South African Women in Science Awards by Trevor Manuel

Date: 13/08/2010

Source: The Presidency

Title: SA: Manuel: Address by the Minister in the Presidency responsible for National Planning, at the South African Women in Science Awards, Johannesburg

Programme Director, Dr Pamela Dube
Minister Naledi Pandor
Deputy Minister Derek Hanekom
Director General of Science & Technology
Representatives of Co-sponsors of Women in Science
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

I am indeed pleased to be here with you this evening, and to be able to address you on this auspicious occasion. I want to thank all Women in Science in South Africa and congratulate all the nominees for this evening's awards. Ahead of us are significant challenges that will demand the attention and intellect of all of us, but especially of those best equipped to read the moment and respond appropriately - and who better than our Women in Science?

In just over 700 days, the 7-billionth human being will join us on the planet. She is likely to be girl child and to be born in a developing country - probably in Asia or Africa. What shall we tell her, as soon as she's able to comprehend our words? What would be her life expectancy - would it be the 83 years that Europeans and some East Asians now enjoy - or will it be the 37 years that Zimbabweans do? What will we tell her about inequality in income distribution? For what kind of employment, if any, should she prepare herself? What shall we know of her risk to the exposure of disease? Will malaria still remain the threat that it is? We have just seen the return of polio - how much of a risk will this be in her lifetime? And has the risk of smallpox been eliminated for all time?

What about the public services that she will have access to? How much progress would her country have made towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals? How many years of schooling should she expect? What about her access to public health care? How equal or unequal will her society be as she develops?

And what shall we tell her of the state in which we have left the earth? Would we, by the time of her 10th birthday, have contained our carbon dioxide emissions at the current rate of 430 parts per million? Or if it increases, where will it peak? What would the impact thereof be on climate in her part of the world? Might she expect to be impacted upon by the extensive monsoon flooding that we are now witnessing in Pakistan, or the fire ravages such as we are seeing in Russia?

What, indeed, will we tell her of her access to resources like clean air and water? What would be her chances of ever eating a fish caught wild from sea? What about the many species of bird life that would have gone the way of the dodo? How real will biodiversity be in her part of the world?

Let me share with you a bit about just one aspect of all of this, namely, water. There is clearly insufficient water to sustain the lifestyle that too many of us have become accustomed to. "The amount of moisture on earth has not changed. The water the dinosaurs drank millions of years ago is the same water that fall as rain today"..... (according to National Geographic). The difference is that there are now almost 7 billion of us. And, of the earth's moisture, only 0.8% is fresh, and only a percentage of that is potable. Since we have not managed the processes of industrialisation the water that does reach us tends to be too unpredictable - it reaches us as floods, hurricanes, rising sea levels, melting glaciers or it stays away, starving the earth of much needed moisture. And, when we have it, we consume it at alarming rates. I am not referring merely to the purer form for drinking. Far more scary is the hidden water consumption in everything we consume. Now, in an endeavour to have you share your dinner with me this evening, let me tell about water and beef - one kilogram of beef needs 14 982 litres of water for its production; it would have consumed 3 kg of grain for feed, plus the irrigation water for that grain; it would have needed 16.4kg of roughage or grasses for feed plus the irrigation water for the grasses and that single kilogram of beef would have needed 70.5 l of additional water for drinking and processing. Now, having convinced you to become vegetarian right here and now, let me tell you how much water a bushel of wheat or a kilogram of beans consumes in its production...... no, let's not go there.

I raise this not as a turn-off, but as a challenge. The resource challenge is the biggest of all staring at us. It is a challenge that demands that the scientists amongst us approach it with enthusiasm and vigour. We know that science is not neutral in respect of class or purpose. Too much of scientific research is paid for by corporations that seek to maximise the fruits thereof. In the consequence, the issues that matter particularly to poor people do not benefit from the same extent of scientific enquiry as the problems that confront the rich. Nowhere is this more evident than in medical research. It is for this reason that I would applaud the breakthrough by Doctors Quarraisha Abdool Karim and her husband, Prof Salim Abdool Karim for the successful tests on the microbicide gel. The gel, as developed, empowers women - it gives them control over their lives and that is the success we should applaud.

Scientific breakthroughs, ought to be understood in terms of who it empowers. There appears to be no shortage of avenues for research, and apparently no real shortage of research grants - if the scientists are happy to place the results at the benefit of the few. And so, we must continue to campaign for space for scientists whose orientation is the service of broader humanity, particularly the poor.

This is one of the strongest motivations for the development of more women in science, and an even stronger motivation for the recruitment of women from poor backgrounds into science. Women have a much better grasp of the nature of the problems to be solved. And they're frankly much more practical than us men. A few days ago, we attended the book launch of a dear comrade, Ronnie Kasrils, who wrote this book about his late wife. There he regaled us with stories about how much better a revolutionary she was because of her practical sense. He recalled this one incident when they were to rob an explosives store to steal half-a-ton of dynamite - the macho guys had all kinds of schemes for how they would break the door down. Eleanor went to the store, saw the padlock, recorded the number and promptly went to the hardware store to buy a similar one - and the key fitted. So, practical sense is an important part of discovery.

We must work to overturn the archaic notions that have kept sufficient women from the frontiers of discovery. So seldom do we even pause to question the origins of this perversity - the novelist Charlotte Perkins Gilman reminds us that, "the original necessity for the ceaseless presence of the woman to maintain the altar fire - and it was an altar fire in very truth at one period - has passed with the means of prompt ignition; the matchbox has freed the housewife from that incessant service, but the feeling that women should stay at home, is with us yet." She wrote those words in 1860.

This is now 150 years later and we still do not have nearly sufficient women in science. Somewhere in the 18th century, Johann Wolfgang van Goethe wrote, "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe that they are free." Let us accept that women are not yet free. Let us make the commitment to that liberation together. Let us measure that freedom in the enrolment of girl children in schools. Let us advance that freedom with progress in the teaching of mathematics and science. Let us commit to opening the doors of learning fully to all of our youth. And may you continue to be the role models that our young will want to emulate. Let us together understand the place of science in freedom.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to share this evening with you. My warmest congratulations go to this year's winners.

Thank you.

incunabulum (noun)

1. The earliest stages or first traces of anything.

2. Extant copies of books produced in the earliest stages (before 1501) of printing from movable type.

Incunabulum derives, in the early printing press industry, from the Latin incuna, "to place a baby in a cradle."

Unlawful protest action on DFC

CIRCULAR TO ALL STAFF AND STUDENTS

 

2010/469

 

Students at DFC participated in unlawful protest action on the Doornfontein Campus yesterday and again today. Classes have been disrupted, staff and students have been threatened and intimidated and property has been damaged.

 

About two weeks ago, the DFC SRC initiated protests over what they perceived to be unfair financial and academic exclusion of some students in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at DFC from the second semester. A meeting was held on 28 July 2010 between representatives of the SRC and the Registrar and the DVC (Finance) to discuss their concerns. A follow-up meeting between the Registrar and the SRC President took place on 3 August to further clarify matters. The Registrar analysed the concerns expressed by the students on academic exclusions and took immediate steps to address the matter. The decisions taken by the Registrar were implemented in the Faculties of Science and FEBE. Last week the SRC informed Management that they were dissatisfied with the fact that not all their demands had been met and that some students were prohibited from registering for modules in the second semester, after having failed these modules in the first semester. They informed Management that they would "strike" on Tuesday 10 August, to force Management to meet their demands. On Friday 6 August a series of discussions between various roleplayers took place, in an attempt to avert the "strike", but to no avail. Students were also informed that the proposed protest action was unlawful.

 

When the protest action took on serious proportions on Tuesday, the Pro Vice-Chancellor went to DFC to speak to the student leadership. A meeting was arranged for Thursday 12 August between SRC representatives and members of Management to again discuss the issues. Students have chosen to continue their unlawful activities, despite having been informed of the meeting that will take place on Thursday.

 

Management deplores the activities of the students and also deeply regrets that normal teaching and learning activities have been interrupted and that staff and students feel unsafe. Management is doing its best to manage the situation. The SAPS has been called in, and in collaboration with the UJ Protection Services are trying to normalize the situation.

 

 

 

PROF DEREK VAN DER MERWE

PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR

 

2010-08-11