​​The Senate of Stellenbosch University (SU) on Thursday 9 June 2016 adopted with a large majority the final version (as published on the University's website) of the draft Language Policy with its recommended amendments.  

At its scheduled meeting last Friday (3 June 2016) Senate requested the Language Revision Work Group to explain in more detail the interface between the South African Constitution and the draft Language Policy, and to pay further attention to language implementation. The work group discussed the recommendations on Monday 6 June and made amendments. A revised version of the draft Language Policy was circulated to members of Senate before the special meeting on 9 June.  

The final draft Language Policy published on the SU website, together with Senate's latest amendments, will be submitted for consideration at the Council meeting on 22 June 2016. Earlier this week the Institutional Forum unanimously adopted the same version of the draft Language Policy that served at Senate today (9 June 2016).

At this special meeting Senate adopted the following motion with 113 votes to 10:

• Senate adopts the proposed draft Language Policy with the amendments recommended by the Executive Committee of Senate on 1 June 2016, and the proposed changes formulated by the Language Policy Revision Task Group on 6 June 2016. In other words, that the draft Language Policy, with all the changes as circulated to members of Senate for this meeting (9 June 2016) and what Senate added today, be accepted.
• Senate recommends that the draft Language Policy with the mentioned amendments be submitted  to the University Council for approval; and
• Senate expresses its gratitude to all those who have worked hard on this proposed new Language Policy.

After the Senate meeting, Prof Wim de Villiers, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU, and Chairperson of Senate, expressed his satisfaction with Senate's decision: "We followed the prescribed process for the revision of the Language Policy. It has been completed in a very short timeframe which put tremendous pressure on the Language Policy Revision Work Group and other staff, especially since we wanted to give different stakeholder groups enough time to comment. Higher education institutions are frequently accused of having convoluted decision-making processes that take too long. With this process, we illustrated how Stellenbosch University was able to react quickly but thoroughly and with wide consultation to the changing needs of our campus community.

"We are of the view that the final draft of the language policy, together with Senate's proposed adjustments, conforms with the principles in Council's motion* of 30 November 2015 that was recently reaffirmed: 'that language must never be a barrier for any student who wants to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level at SU, and who is not proficient in either Afrikaans or English'. As is the case with Council, the Senate regards SU's multilingual offering as a strategic asset which should be developed as a competitive advantage."

Today's meeting was the culmination of an earlier motion, adopted on 3 June, when Senate with a majority of votes expressed support for the final draft Language Policy. In that  motion  Senate requested the Language Policy Revision Work Group to reconsider and re-formulate certain aspects of the draft policy, and to send a revised version of the draft policy to members of Senate before the special Senate meeting today,  9 June 2016.

The Senate of a public higher education institution is accountable to Council for the institution's academic and research functions. At Stellenbosch University the Senate has more than 300 members and consists of the Rector and his management team; two Council members; four members of the Students' Representative Council; all professors of SU; five associate professors; members elected by the academic staff (excluding  professors and associate professors) and administrative and technical staff, respectively, and additional ex officio members.

According to the Statute of SU the University Council determines the institution's Language Policy with the concurrence of Senate.

* FROM THE COUNCIL MOTION OF 30 NOVEMBER 2015:

"Council states unequivocally that language may never be an obstacle for any student who has no command of either Afrikaans or English wishing to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate study at SU. Thus Council requests Management to expand the necessary mechanisms to this end, and to monitor these continuously. If this should imply that the English academic offering exceeds the set target, it will be supported by  Council.

"Concurrently Council states that this may not be to the detriment of the agreed minimum target for the Afrikaans offering. Council requests that the Afrikaans undergraduate academic offering should also be increased. Council confirms that its multilingual academic offering is considered a strategic asset of SU that should be expanded as a competitive advantage."