​Dear students and colleagues The impact of the past week plays heavily on our minds and Stellenbosch University’s (SU) student leadership led our students through an extremely traumatic time on many levels. Earlier today our Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning met with the Deans and Vice-Deans: Teaching and Learning to consider a proposal from student leadership to delay the commencement of the mid-year exams by one week. The Student Representative Council (SRC) and the Academic Affairs Committee Chairpersons, together with Dr Choice Makhetha, SU’s Senior Director: Division Student Affairs, addressed us. As the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) leadership, we remain committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive and transformative environment aligned with our values and will continue to support students and staff in all circumstances. We acknowledge the collective decision made by SU’s management and student leadership (click here to view). The decision to delay assessments was not an easy one and we appreciate the far-reaching impact that this will have on our systems within the faculty. The Tygerberg Student Representative Council (TSRC) at the FMHS proposed a differentiated approach which was also supported at the institutional level:

1. A three-day postponement of assessments that would have occurred on 23-25 May 2022.2. A seven-day postponement of assignments due from 21 -27 May 2022.3. Second assessment opportunities for students who had assessments during the week of     16-20 May 2022 and may have performed sub-optimally. 

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS FOR MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES STUDENTS

The FMHS undergraduate and postgraduate students doing assessments at the Stellenbosch campus will be aligned to the Stellenbosch exam schedule. The postgraduate assessments at Tygerberg campus are discipline-specific and we take cognisance of any assessments that fall in the above-mentioned period. For the undergraduate programmes at Tygerberg campus, the following new arrangements must be noted:

• No assessments for 23, 24 and 25 May 2022 with rescheduling of the assessments (see point 1).

• Assignment submission dates will be adjusted by seven days (see point 2).

• Students can apply for a second opportunity for assessments that took place during the week of 16-20 May 2022 in cases where their performance was deemed sub-optimal (see point 3).

We recognise that these decisions will impact all of us during the coming weeks, and request patience, tolerance and respectful consideration in our engagements with one another. Regards, Dr Therese FishActing Dean: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences​