Uncategorized
EDWIN NAIDU
EMBATTLED rector and vice-chancellor of Stellenbosch University, Professor Wim de Villers, faces a vote of no confidence following damaging reports over his leadership.
De Villiers, has twice been accused of nepotism in recent weeks, in addition to Stellenbosch University being in hot water over its language policy. According to the South African Human Rights Commission, the university had violated the rights of Afrikaans-speaking students.
Council met on Monday to discuss the steps to be taken against De Villiers, who was accused for a second time of nepotism over the placement of a relative in alleged breach of the university’s admission policies.
De Villiers has maintained he had done nothing wrong, however, according to a statement by acting council chairperson Nicky Newton-King, the vice-chancellor had admitted there had been a second admission of a relative under the Rector’s Discretionary Placement (RDP).
However, she noted that there was little documentation on the principles and procedures that guided discretionary placements over the years, adding that De Villiers and the registrar had attempted to improve this by setting guidelines.
“SU also has a nepotism policy which is administered by the Human Resources Department (not Student Administration) and has been understood by the Rector to apply to the placement of staff and procurement matters and not to admissions (including the RDPs) which fall within the Registrar’s ambit,” Newton-King said.
After the first instance of nepotism had emerged, the second incident came after an applicant with better matric marks did not get accepted to the same course the vice-chancellor’s wife nephew had been accepted on.
A statement released by the university said they had followed a clearly defined admissions policy, with guidelines on discretionary placements implemented since 2018.
But this approach was currently being reviewed “to address any possible shortcomings”.
INSIDE EDUCATION