​25 May 2020Dear StudentOver the past eight weeks we as Stellenbosch University community have experienced first-hand how our daily activities have been transferred to the virtual world, a reality that will invariably become a feature of the higher education landscape of tomorrow. As an institution, we have had to display some grit and innovation to ensure that our students are not tripped up by circumstances. Our students have, by and large, been able to migrate successfully to online learning.With President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement last night of the adjusted risk assessment to level 3 coming into effect on 1 June 2020, we will put our scenario planning into action for the next phase. In anticipation of this announcement Dr Blade Nzimande, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, on Saturday provided the higher education sector with important guidelines for the respective risk assessment levels (read his full statement here).As part of the controlled resumption of campus activities, institutions may allow a maximum of 33% of the student body to return to campuses under level 3 subject to strict compliance with national regulations. This will apply to very specific groups of students, mostly those in their final year of undergraduate study or postgraduate students who require clinical training, laboratory practical sessions and specialised equipment to complete the academic year successfully.Like all universities, we will have to meet health and hygiene requirements such as provision of sanitisers and face masks, temperature checks, screening and testing of staff, students and visitors, preparation of isolation and quarantine facilities in case of infections and personal protection equipment for medical staff at campus health services.Please take note of the following important guidelines:

• No students should return to our campuses, including residences, before being specifically informed to do so. Based on the regulations provided by government students who may return will be informed by their respective faculties.
• With level 3 commencing on 1 June our campuses will need time to prepare to ensure that staff and students can return safely.
• Under level 3 the University has to issue returning students with travel permits.
• The first and second examination opportunities as scheduled for June and July will all remain online assessments as per our prior communication.
• Some students may want to collect books and academic materials from their residences. Once-off access will be allowed by prior arrangement only with the residence head. For social distancing and health reasons access to residences will have to be managed responsibly.

We value social contact as learning opportunities. Not being able to offer our students the full experience under current conditions, is but one of the many unfortunate consequences of this global pandemic which has brought major unforeseen challenges to our institution and wide-spread financial hardship, also to our students and parents. Therefore, the following payment relief measures have been implemented:

• For those unable to meet the May and September payment dates, a payment arrangement can be made for monthly instalments for the rest of 2020. This alternative payment arrangement will be applicable to 2020 only and all fees will be payable before 2020 graduation for final-year students or before further registration for 2021.
• Whereas interest at prime rate is normally levied on arrear accounts, no interest will be payable for the four-month period from 01 April until 31 July 2020.
• No levies will be charged currently for parking, societies, sport clubs, and residence and PSO activities as this will be determined and billed according to actual usage when there is more certainty about this.
• Given the situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the evacuation of students from campus, as well as the financial pressures on students and their sponsors, SU has determined an appropriate smaller payment for residence fees payable at the end of May 2020. The reduced second instalment together with the final instalment due in September will ensure that SU students pay only for the weeks that they were actually in residence this year.

Neither the higher education sector, nor individual institutions can predict how the situation will unfold for the rest of this academic year: whether all students eventually will be able to return; whether we would have to offer summer schools and add additional assessment opportunities; whether we may have to go into stricter forms of lockdown again, depending on the national circumstances and regulations; or whether we may even have to extend the academic year into early 2021. In the interest of our students we are considering various scenarios and their possible practical and financial impact. The stark reality is that against the background of government’s overall COVID-19 financial commitments, universities may receive limited additional financial support.Our focus is on what we do best: providing you with high-quality education. As we are fully cognisant of the challenges of online learning, the socio-economic situation and the possible impact on our students’ wellbeing, we are putting our expertise and resources towards extending our variety of support services to our student body to give them the best possible chance to complete the academic year successfully. Please consult the dedicated COVID-19-webpage regularly for updates and information on the various student support services.As we now start preparing our institution for the phased return and reintegration of staff and students, we realise that life beyond lockdown will not be as before. A guide and toolkit to help safeguard the health of all our people has been compiled. All returning students and staff will be expected to adhere to the principles of personal hygiene and the prescribed safety practices without exception. In this way we will ensure the health and safety of all.Wishing you the best for the upcoming assessments.Prof Wim de VilliersRector and Vice-Chancellor