Andrea Visser: What are your strategies for the coming year?
Rudi Buys: The student environment must be vibrant, diverse, and critically thinking. So you want student programs, residences, societies, faculty programs, and faculty societies where people are alive and have ideas. That means different people from different backgrounds with different ideas engaging in different programs and so forth. A big part of this is to create more opportunities for student involvement. But for this to happen, we need structures and support for students. Student societies need proper support, proper guidance etcetera. Student societies offer the opportunity for people to get involved in something they are interested in. A major strategic imperative is diversifying the residence life environment, and that is what the 50:50 placing is all about. Another thing we were looking at is creating learning communities. In the past we as Student Affairs had a very strong administrative approach. That is shifting now to where students lead the program and make decisions. The staff’s role is to give you guidance, support and a sense of continuity. And that is what you call student engagement. Some environments already function like that, for instance Kovsgem, Kovsie FM and the IRAWA, but not the majority of environments. Our strategy is to get to a point where you have student agency, where students create the continuity themselves.
AV: Hoe het dit gekom dat u nou in hierdie posisie is?
RB: Ek het gedien in studente leierskap van skooldae of. So, vandat ek kon dink was ek betrokke by opvoeding en studente leierskap. Maar die laaste paar jaar was ek veral betrokke by opvoeding, deur te werk in studente ontwikkeling, studente ontwikkeling en berading en koshuise. Dit is dus die areas wat my voorberei het vir hierdie posisie. Om in hierdie veld te werk, moet mens ‘n passie en ‘n visie hê. Nie net vir die instituut nie, maar vir ‘n hele generasie.
AV: What is going to happen to iGubu?
RB: I resigned from iGubu last year when I was notified at the council meeting at the beginning of December. iGubu as a business continues at various institutions. They are a very good team, and of course I still offer them advice, but my mandate is to be Dean of Student Affairs here, and that is what I’m doing.
AV: Is there going to be a shuttle service for off-campus students?
RB: It is a great concept. The question with things like this is always feasibility, affordability, sustainability and balancing your needs within the environment. In the beginning of the year, where hundreds if not thousands of students do not have money to register, even provisionally, then you must consider which is more important: a shuttle service, or actually giving students access.
AV: Wat het by registrasie verkeerd gegaan?
RB: Die probleem van moeilike registrasie is op vele vlakke gelig. Registrasie is verleng tot in hierdie week, as gevolg van ‘n paar probleme wat ‘n klomp studente het. Daar sal ‘n behoorlike hersiening wees van al die logistieke probleme. Laasjaar was daar baie probleme oor koshuise en die 50:50 plasings, maar hierdie jaar is daar amper geen probleme daarmee nie, en daaroor is ek baie bly. Die 50:50 plasings werk! Studente maak dit werk.
AV: What is your role in the university?
RB: Previously we had a vice-rector position responsible for student affairs. That has changed. Now we have a dean responsible for student affairs and a senior vice-rector. So you have the rector, the senior vice-rector second in command, and then the vice rectors. The Dean of Student Affairs reports to the Senior Vice-Rector. The reason for these changes is that the portfolio of Student Affairs needs the structural position and authority of a dean, which is much more of an executive power. The role of the Dean of Student Affairs is to take care of the student environment in all respects beyond the classroom, towards the classroom. So I organise everything outside of the classroom to support the learning experience of the students.
AV: How can students benefit from it?
RB: Everything outside of the classroom, for example accommodation, RAG, cultural events, leadership development, and counseling services report to me. So everything students benefit from outside the classroom, is what they get from this position. What they also get, is an open door and someone who comes from the same generation. It is an amazing privilege to be in a position to really guide and help people become more than they think they can be.
AV: Het jy enige kommentaar oor die kontroversie rondom jou aanstelling in die nasionale media?
RB: Ek is mal daaroor as mense hulle opinies vrylik kan lig. Wat ek bied, en terug verwag, is dat mense bereid is om oortuig te word. Jy kan ‘n sterk opinie hê, maar steeds oop wees vir ander se idees, want dit is hoe mens groei. Leierskap beteken dat ‘n mens besluite moet neem, en mense sal altyd daarop reageer.
By Andrea Visser |