CPUT has graduated its first batch of lecturers in a short course on Service Learning and Community Engagement.

The regional programme was coordinated by the Community Interaction Centre at Stellenbosch University in partnership with the Community Engagement Unit at UWC and the Service-Learning Unit at CPUT.

SL and CE have become core functions of the higher education sphere in recent years and through teaching, learning and research- universities are encouraged to engage with the communities around them to solve a variety of societal issues.

CPUT’s own SL unit won a top prize at a recent conference attended by all Universities of Technology and was commended for great strides taken in encouraging all courses to adopt the programme.

Lecturers Nicholas Pinfold, Pavla Mokeona, Fattinald Rangogo, Dr Felix Nchu and Desmond Jackson kept CPUTs flag high during the short course with three of them graduating with distinction.

All of the lecturers are already involved in highly successful projects with Pinfold’s class having redesigned the layout of an informal settlement and Jackson’s class having used innovative sandbag building techniques in the construction of low cost housing. Mokeona’s project includes a partnership with WESGROW to develop emerging enterprises and Nchu’s students train the community to establish and improve their food gardens.

The graduates were part of an inaugural class selected from the three universities and it is hoped the course will later become mandatory for all lecturers at higher education institutions who engage in Service-Learning.

Written by Lauren Kansley

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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

The CPUT HIV/Aids Unit has taken community engagement to another level by assembling a soccer team to play against prisoners at the Malmesbury Correctional Service.

The unit has been running successful community outreach programs at the centre since 2004. Following a request for a friendly soccer match by the inmates, Head of the HIV/Aids Unit, Prof Ashraf Mohammed, facilitated the formation of a team with the view of strengthening the connection between the prison and the Unit.

“At the same time, we innovatively used soccer as a medium to convey to the inmates the message of HIV/Aids/STI and TB,” says Mohammed.

The team comprised of students, Peer Educators as well as CPUT staff from different departments. The event was also used to recruit new Peer Educators for the 2013 academic year.

The match ended in a stalemate as the teams scored a goal apiece in the second half, with the host being the first ones to score. The HIV/Aids Unit’s team later drew level after it was awarded a penalty kick, which was converted successfully by Excy Mgaba much to the delight of the unit’s supporters.

Because of the overwhelming success of the day, Mohammed declared that it would now become an annual event at the prison.

By Kwanele Butana

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In a bid to strengthen CPUT’s partnerships with industry, private organisations and the community, the institution has set up the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning.

The Centre, which is based at the Bellville campus, will incorporate two units that are already functioning at the institution.

The Service Learning Unit, which drives the integration of community engagement with teaching, learning and research, and the Co-operative Education Unit, which is responsible for nurturing partnerships that result in students’ experiential training and graduate recruitment opportunities in the industry.

The Centre will serve as a link between the university and external community engagement partners. It will also be a clearing house and a central point that will provide evidence-based information for the purpose of institutional and national quality audits.

Heading up this new centre, is Dr Joyce Nduna, the former Director of Community Engagement at Rhodes University.

Dr Nduna is however no stranger to CPUT. She was the institution’s former Head of Community Engagement and Service Learning and has been instrumental in providing opportunities for students to interact with communities.

Dr Nduna said that the move to create the centre is in line with CPUT’s strategic plan which documents Community Engagement as one of its core functions.

”This new centre has been created to ensure that community engagement is implemented according to the CPUT’s community engagement policy which classifies service learning, co-operative education, volunteerism and outreach, as all forms of community engagement” said Dr Nduna.

“The creation of the Centre is also responsive to the 1991 Education White Paper on the Transformation of Higher Education which calls for all higher education institutions in South Africa to demonstrate greater responsibility and commitment to the socio-economic development of communities” she said.

In response to this call, a large number of South African higher education institutions have set up similar centres.

The national call for community engagement in higher education also corresponds with international practices which promote civic engagement in higher education. Such practices include the Talloires Network which is an international association of institutions committed to strengthening the civic roles and social responsibilities of higher education.

While Service Learning and Co-operative Education are course-based and involve credit-bearing educational programmes that provide opportunities for students to interact with communities and businesses, there is a need for the co-ordination of non-credit-bearing community projects that are initiated on a voluntary basis. Consequently, plans are in place to set up a third unit in 2010.

This third unit, which will be called the Civic Engagement Unit, will work closely with Student Development Officers and student societies and clubs.

“We would like to create a home for these community projects in order to develop a sense of civic responsibility amongst students and ensure that CPUT produces well-rounded graduates who are prepared for real life situations”, she said.

Dr Nduna said that other plans for this year include the establishment of a Community Engagement Committee of Senate. She is positive that all the programmes driven by the centre will have a positive impact on students as well as the community.

More information Talloires Network can be obtained from http://www.tufts.edu/talloiresnetwork.

By Candes Keating

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The profile of Community Engagement in Higher Education as a scholarly activity was lifted at a recent symposium which was held at the Bellville Campus.

The SAHECEF comprises of 23 representatives from all South African universities.

The presenters reported on a variety of topics including analysis of multi-stakeholder partnerships and student experiences in diverse fields of study through participatory research processes.

NRF’s Dr Andrew Kaniki said the foundation’s funding of community engagement activities is a competitive instrument which provides space for research that contributes to knowledge production and processes.

Kaniki discussed various grants offered by the foundation to community engagement projects.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY: Delegates to the Talloires Leaders’ Conference listen to Fareed Ismail, Mechanical Engineering lecturer, explain the various aspects of the aquaponics project

The symposium was part of a series of daily events hosted by the Centre for Community Engagement and WIL.

The centre also hosted the Talloires Leaders’ Conference and delegates visited the Service-Learning Multidisciplinary projects.  

They gained in-depth knowledge from the leaders of the following projects;

Aquaponics project and the River Cleaning Model, Sustainable Housing project, Informal Trader Project,  Flamingo Crescent and Brink projects, Training of fish sellers and fish processing project and Environmental awareness campaign: Upcycling project.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

The Department of Nursing Science recently participated in a community engagement event at the Bishop Lavis Community Health Centre.

The aim was to facilitate staff development and to identify the needs of the community – an initiative driven by the Head of Department, Prof Karien Jooste, for the past six years.

“To assist in the patients’ nutritional needs, the staff members provided sandwiches and tea to the patients in the waiting area. This allowed the patients to have breakfast and safely consume their chronic medication, as many of the patients wake up early to attend the clinic and do not have time to eat.,” said Bridgette Lockett, Programme Coordinator for Primary Care Nursing.

Health education was provided by the lecturers and clinical mentors throughout the four areas of the clinic, as identified by the Facility Manager, Sr Rachel Carelse.

“Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus are two of the chronic disorders identified within this community. The health education specifically focused on Diabetes Mellitus. The patients were educated on how to monitor their blood glucose levels, how to take their prescribed medication and the importance of maintaining their health and well-being,” added clinical coordinator, Ursula Mafaro.

Carelse also discussed the initiatives in place to support the community in maintaining their health, e.g. community walks in the morning and healthcare workers delivering chronic medication to patients, thus ensuring their compliance.

The Bishop Lavis Community Health Centre has worked alongside the Department of Nursing Science in accommodating students for their placements during work-integrated learning. This includes both the undergraduate as well as the postgraduate programme, providing services to the community.

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In an effort to promote sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation, the STEM Club offered students a platform to exhibit their best research projects to the CPUT community.

This year's category winners are Mzameli Mashiyi, who is developing an African language speech recognition AI (Technology) and Nomava Mgidi, who is addressing unemployment through fashion design (Social Science).

This was part of the annual STEM Expo Competition at SARETEC as part of the National Science Week, where students were given opportunities to upscale their research projects via the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) for possible commercialisation. During this year's Expo Competition, the STEM Club worked closely with the Community Engagement (CE) and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. The neighbouring high school learners were also invited to be part of the programme and to view the exhibitions. CE and WIL also conducted a workshop with the learners.

The guest speakers included Jacqueline Scheepers: Manager: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit, Dr Xena Cupido: Fundani CHED director, Dr Mark Jacobs: Maths lecturer, Dr Gillian Arendse: Nuclear Physicist for iThemba Labs), and Ntokozo Mashaba: last year's winner. Dr Frikkie George, who is also CPUT STEM Support Lead, said the lively and animated talk of Dr Arendse “gapped the interest of the attendees”.

George, who also coordinated the event, said they witnessed fewer exhibitors this year but “the quality of the projects was impressive”.

However, the STEM Expo Competition was well attended. “We explore the possibility of accessing funding for the winners to up-scale their projects for commercialisation. This event showcases the CPUT STEM Club's members' research projects, and it may contribute to their academic performance.”

George, who is also the acting Head of Department: Fundani STARS Unit, continued: “This STEM Expo competition will advance the STEM awareness at CPUT and showcase students' research projects in the different departments.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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