Wits proposals to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into higher education funding

13 April 2016 - Wits University

Proposals on the question of financing the higher education sector and free education are now welcomed.

A number of Wits individuals and constituencies have suggested that Wits as an institution and a community engage in a process to produce proposals on the question of financing the higher education sector and free education, for submission to the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education Funding. This suggestion is one that we as a community are well placed to take up given the intellectual capital, expertise and experiences that we individually and collectively possess. 

Wits is after all the place where student protests against escalating fees started and spread to the whole country, leading to the no free increase for 2016 and the state creating a commission to address the issue.

The funding of students - the question of whether there are fees and for who - is not separate from the type of universities or higher education system that we want and in our case what kind of university Wits should be. In discussing the funding of students we will inevitably be addressing the larger and necessary question of a vision for the system and its institutions.

Process

To ensure that we produce thoughtful proposals, we have created a process that allows for all members of the University to make a contribution, if they wish to do so. We are calling on students, workers, scientists, educationists, actuaries, accountants, economists, social scientists, management and professionals from the Wits community to make written submissions or present their ideas to a panel who will evaluate the submissions, distil the contributions and develop alternative funding models for submission to the Commission.

Written submissions

Written proposals should be submitted via email to Refilwe.Mabula@wits.ac.za who will pass it on to the Chair of the Panel.

Panel

The panel will be chaired by Professor Hlonipha Mokoena from the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WISER). The panellists are:

• Professor David Hornsby,
• Doctor Nthatisi Khateli,
• Professor Roger Gibson,
• Professor Laetitia Rispel,
• Professor Cathi Albertyn,
• Professor Chris Malikane, and
• Professor Mtende Mhango.

The solutions developed by the Wits Task Team will be presented to the Commission of Inquiry into Higher Education Funding for consideration in June this year. It is envisaged that the final document will include several options for consideration by the Commission.

The panel will sit on the following days to hear presentations from those who wish to make oral submissions:

Thank you

Professor Tawana Kupe

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Advancement, Human Resources and Transformation

13 April 2016