PDBY spoke to the newly elected Chairpersons of the various Faculty Houses for 2022 to hear about their visions for their terms and their advice for first year students.
Onderstepoort Veterinary and Paraveterinary Committee (OPVSC)
“Life at Onderstepoort is unique and not truly understood until one has experienced it”, Thulani Saizi, OPVSC Chairperson, said. OPVSC hopes to make OP student life bearable, exciting, worth living, and at the same time empowering students to become the best Vet/Vet nurses possible. Saizi added that their main objective is to improve OPVSC’s presence as a holistic student life environment that imparts self-efficacy, a sense of direction, meaning, and belonging at OP campus. Saizi further explained that they plan on being more approachable to students through engaging with them so that they feel comfortable talking to the committee – “we are already working on this by changing the style of our social media approach”.
Here are a few tips from OPVSC to first years:
- Keep your BME and MTL textbooks
- Don’t be intimidated by the workload in 2nd year
- Enjoy your stay on the main campus because that’s the only chance you have
- The journey is long, but it feels so short in the end. Remember to take time to smell the fresh air, and your future patients need you!
House Humanities
Michelle Mukome, the House Humanities Chairperson shared the Faculty House’s vision and mission. Mukome said that their vision is Addese et curare, which means to be supportive and present. Mukome explained that House Humanities aims to achieve this vision by walking consistently in excellence for the service of students. House Humanities aims to aid first years in the transition into their university journey as smoothly as possible by engaging, sharing information, and providing a safe space for students to reach out for help. The Faculty House also plans on bridging a gap between the Humanities faculty and students by being transparent, having consistent communication, and through showing that the faculty supports students the best they can. “We hope to achieve this by engaging with various lecturers in events or initiatives. Allowing their experience and voices to be heard as much as we hear students. It’s easier to find common ground when all parties are actively trying and participating”, Mukome said.
Engineering, Built Environment, and IT (EBIT)
Nadya Meherjina, the EBIT Chairperson, shared EBIT’s vision and mission for 2022. Their vision is ‘Revolutionising Student Life Together’. “The uncertainty faced over the last two years has blurred what student life in the EBIT faculty and University of Pretoria as a whole look[s] like”, Meherjina said. As a result, the EBIT Executive Committee (EC) decided on this vision together as they are committed in reimagining and implementing a balanced student life for students in EBIT. The first objective of EBIT is to provide a holistic experience for students as they have the opportunity to provide academic, social, and professional platforms. EBIT’s second objective is to expose and encourage collaborations between various schools in EBIT. Meherjina said that they “have a unique blend of degrees in our faculty that enables [us] to learn and grow together from our individual experiences. We aim to emphasise the benefit students can gain from these experiences and to provide opportunities where this is achievable”.
Commerci – Economic and Management Sciences Faculty (EMS)
Chairperson of Commerci, Kopano Legote, said that their vision is to establish a well-rounded support structure for all EMS students, to increase inclusivity and unity within the structure and to promote transformation and empower each student. The main objectives of Commerci are to transform the EMS faculty through awareness and inclusion, to provide opportunities and platforms to ensure the development and growth of students, and to improve communication, consistency, and knowledge. Legote further said that they will interact with students more by expanding their accessibility and maximising their platforms. Commerci also plans on bridging the gap between the students and the faculty by being more active and attentive to students and their academics. They believe in starting at the very basics to combat the larger problem, basics such as communication. Commerci will issue out an annual magazine, try out a podcast that will allow them to fully address any student matters and have EMS stall pop-ups around residences and areas populated by students.
House Theology and Religion
“My vision for the 2021/22 EC is to focus on supporting our student population in terms of Academics and Student Wellness”, said House Theology and Religion Chairperson, Jacques Heymans. “It will form the basis of all our interventions and events. I envision that it will work on the basis of interaction, student class representatives, with members of the EC and also fellow students”, Heymans added. The long term objective is to form a basis to assist future students with the integration from home and high school to university. House Theology and Religion aims to achieve this by hosting workshops and study sessions and to work closely with the lecturers on this approach to avoid the possible lack of integration the students might face. The Faculty House also aims to bridge the gap between students and the Faculty through transparency. The advice that Heymans left for first years is that if they have eyes on the prize, they should keep it there.
Law House
Asanda Lembede, the Law House Chairperson, shared their 2022 vision and mission. “As an executive committee we decided that our vision is to constantly and consistently ensure that through all the activities we offer, our constituency is one step closer to the finish line” – Lembede. She explained that Law House wants to ensure that they gradually facilitate change in the way that law students view their degrees by readapting the current career trajectory so that students are aware of the infinite potential that they can harvest from their degrees. Law House wants to ensure that they expand their allyship with the students by optimising accessibility to all their events to ensure a larger portion of the student constituency.
Health House
Tasha Erasmus, the Health House Chairperson, said that their vision is to be a more inclusive EC by ensuring access to all students and taking different perspectives into account. Their main objective is to increase student participation in events. Health House also plans on interacting with students through their social media platforms to give students the chance to comment and express their views and their concerns. The Faculty House aims to be transparent about what is going on and address student concerns by taking it up with the correct people until the matter is resolved. Erasmus’s advice to first years is to make time for the little things, “time goes by so fast, do not miss a chance to grow and do what makes you happy”.
Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAT) House
Zeenat Patel, the NAT House Chairperson, shared their 2022 vision and mission. The broad vision of NAT House for this term can be defined by inclusivity, support, and excellence. NAT House will achieve this by ensuring that every student in the faculty feels comfortable to participate in events and interact with the faculty house. They aim at providing necessary information to students to make their time at university less confusing. “This vision will guide us in a way that will allow both the events and activities we host as well as the ones we participate in to be successful”, Patel said. NAT House’s hope is that they will have the opportunity to interact with students both in person and online. Students can reach out to NAT House on Instagram @nathouse_tuks, on Facebook @TuksNatHouse and ClickUP. The platform that they are excited about is Discord server that was established in the previous year. “It’s a place where we can interact in a casual and personal way and so I could encourage all NAS students to join it”, Patel added. For more formal matters, NAT House uses a NAT House email address which can be found here: https://www.up.ac.za/nathouse/article/254847/contact-us
House Education
“I envision an Executive Committee that serves its people, putting the needs of the electorate constituency before their own needs, prioritising their responsibilities, and ensuring that they fulfill the promises that they made”, said Jameo Calvert, House Education Chairperson. This will be achieved with an “atmosphere for collaboration, teamwork, and dedication – in order to ensure that members of the EC do not [lose] their work ethic and morale”. House Education would like to see a transformed faculty house, and a functional Executive Committee. They dream of a House Education that serves the entire student population and not just first-year and residence students. House Education aims for a faculty house where house members feel included, and where all house members are involved in the activities of the faculty house.
Political Science II
Transformation officer
House Humanities (Faculty House)
Executive Committee 2020/2021
PDBY University of Pretoria News Journalist
Sisterhood Society Chairperson
Aspiring eNCA CEO😂