University of KwaZulu-Natal

Infobox University
name=University of KwaZulu-Natalcite web
url=http://www.ukzn.ac.za/aboutus/ukznhistory.asp
title= History of the University of KwaZulu-Natal
accessdate=2007-11-18
date=
publisher=University of KwaZulu-Natal]


motto=
established=1 January 2004 as merger of UN (est. 1910) and UDW (est. 1960s)
type=
staff=
chancellor=Frene Ginwalacite web
url=http://www.ukzn.ac.za/aboutus/ukznchancellor.asp
title=The University of KwaZulu-Natal's first chancellor - Dr Frene Ginwala
accessdate=2007-11-18
last=Moodley
first=Indu
publisher=University of KwaZulu-Natal]
vice_chancellor=Prof. Malegapuru William Makgobacite web
url=http://www.ukzn.ac.za/aboutus/ukznvc.asp
title=Vice-chancellor Professor Malegapuru William Makgoba
accessdate=2007-11-18
publisher=University of KwaZulu-Natal]
students=
undergrad=
postgrad=
city=Durban and Pietermaritzburg
state=KwaZulu-Natal
country=South Africa
campus=5 campusescite web
url=http://www.ukzn.ac.za/aboutus/campusChoice.asp
title=Choice of campuses
accessdate=2007-11-18
publisher=University of KwaZulu-Natal]
colours=
endowment=
mascot=
nickname=
affiliations=
website= [http://www.ukzn.ac.za/ www.ukzn.ac.za] The University of KwaZulu-Natal or UKZN is a university with five campuses all located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.

History

University of Natal

Founded in 1910 as the Natal University College in Pietermaritzburg, the University of Natal was granted independent University status in 1949 owing to its rapid growth in numbers, its wide range of courses and its achievements in and opportunities for research. By that time, the NUC was already a multi-campus institution, having been extended to Durban after World War 1. The distinctive Howard College building was opened in 1931, following a donation by Mr T B Davis, whose son Howard Davis was killed during the Battle of the Somme in World War 1. In 1946, the government approved a Faculty of Agriculture in Pietermaritzburg and, in 1947, a Medical School for African, Indian and Coloured students in Durban.

Under apartheid, the university was known for the activism of its staff and students against government-imposed racial segregation.

University of Durban-Westville

The University of Durban-Westville was established in the 1960s as the University College for Indians on Salisbury Island in Durban Bay. Student numbers throughout the 1960s were low as a result of the Congress Alliances' policy of shunning apartheid structures. This policy gave way in the 1980s to a strategy of "education under protest" which sought to transform apartheid institutions into sites of struggle. Student numbers grew rapidly and in 1971, the College was granted University status. The following year, the newly-named University of Durban-Westville moved into its modern campus in Westville and was a site of major anti-apartheid struggle. UDW became an autonomous institution in 1984, opening up to students of all races.

Merger

The University of KwaZulu-Natal was formed on 1 January 2004 as a result of the merger between the University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal. The two KwaZulu-Natal universities were among the first batch of South African institutions to merge in 2004 in accordance with the government's higher educational restructuring plans.

Organisation

The university is governed in accordance with the Higher Education Act cite journal
author = Parliament of South Africa
year = 1997
title = Higher Education Act
journal = Government Gazette, Vol 390, No. 18515
url = http://www.info.gov.za/gazette/acts/1997/a101-97.pdf] , and the constitution of the university is specified in the Statute of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, cite journal
author = Parliament of South Africa
year = 2005
title = Statute of the University of KwaZulu-Natal
journal = Government Gazette, Vol 684, No. 29032
url = http://www.info.gov.za/gazette/notices/2006/29032.pdf] as approved by the South African Minister of Education and the Parliament of South Africa.

In terms of the statute, the university consists of:

*the chancellor (the titular head. The first chancellor of the merged university is Dr Frene Ginwala
*the vice chancellor (the executive head)
*two or more deputy vice chancellors (currently there are five full and one acting) cite web |title=Executive of the University of KwaZulu-Natal | author = University of KwaZulu-Natal |url="http://www.ukzn.ac.za//aboutus/ukznexec.asp" ]
*the registrar (responsible for registering students)
*the council (responsible for governance of the institution as a whole)
*the senate (responsible for governance of academic activities)
*the students representative council (responsible for students representation)
*the institutional forum (responsible for advising the council on matters of human rights and equality)
*the colleges (currently there are four)
*the academic and support staff
*the students
*the convocation (all the alumni and some others)

Controversies

Freedom of expression

In 2006 the International Freedom of Expression Exchange stated that "Free expression and academic freedom are in severe decline at the university."cite web
url=http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/78144
title=Lecturer faces disciplinary committee, possible dismissal, as free expression declines at university
accessdate=2007-11-18
date=2006-10-10
publisher=Freedom of Expression Institute]

In 2007 the Freedom of Expression Institute was concerned about the university's suspension of professor Evan Mantzaris for criticising management, "part of a larger process in which the space for free expression and academic freedom at that university is being narrowed".cite news
title=FXI says 'erosion' of free expression at KZN varsity
url=http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=302908&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__national/
work=Mail&Guardian
date=2007-03-24
accessdate=2007-11-20]

taff strike

:"Please help improve this page by expanding this section with material referenced to reliable sources."Staff strike in 2006.

Eviction of shack dwellers and the firing of Fazel Khan

In 2005 vice-chancellor Makgoba tried to have three families, living in shacks on Westville campus, evicted.cite news
first=Santosh
last=Beharie
title=KZN University in court to evict squatters
url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20060108090105871C109888
work=Sunday Independent
page=3
date=2006-01-08
accessdate=2007-11-18]

UKZN academics Fazel Khan and Sally Giles directed a documentary film about Abahlali base­Mjondolo, a shack-dwellers' movement. When Kahn was excised from both the photo and text in an article about the documentary in the university newsletter "UKZNdaba", he was charged with dishonest conduct because he told newspapers that he believed that he had been excised from the photograph and text by the university management due to his role in the staff strike of 2006. Khan was found guilty [ [http://fazel.shackdwellers.org/ Transcript of the hearing] ] of bringing the university into disrepute and fired.cite news
first=Niren
last=Tolsi
title=UKZN's Fazel Khan to fight back
url=http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=306667&area=/insight/insight__national/
work=Mail&Guardian
date=2007-05-05
accessdate=2007-11-18] The Mercury had previously reported that vice-chancellor Makgoba had publicly declared that, following a request from Mayor Obed Mlaba, he would charge Khan and 2 other academics working with Abahlali baseMjondolo for 'incitement'. Khan is currently suing the university for unfair dismissal.

Notable alumni

*Imani Sanga, composer and ethnomusicologist Fact|date=December 2007

As the university has only existed since 2004, very few of its graduates have had the opportunity to attain great fame. There are, however, numerous notable alumni of its founding institutions:-

University of Durban-Westville

*Malusi Gigaba, deputy Minister of Home Affairs in South Africa Fact|date=December 2007
*Radhakrishna Padayachi, deputy Minister of Communications in South Africa Fact|date=December 2007

University of Natal

*Karthy Govender, commissioner for South African Human Rights Commission Fact|date=December 2007

References

External links

* [http://www.ukzn.ac.za UKZN official site]
* [http://fazel.shackdwellers.org/ Fight for Fazel Khan - Union Leader Fired from UKZN in 2006]
* [http://www.fxi.org Freedom of Expression Institute website]