Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University
Universiteit Stellenbosch
Motto (Latin) Pectora roborant cultus recti
Motto in English
 A sound education strengthens the spirit
Type Public
Established 1918
Endowment R1,483.99 million[1]
Chancellor Johann Rupert
Vice-Chancellor Wim de Villiers
Academic staff
 1028 [2]
Administrative staff
 2183 [2]
Undergraduates 19,042 [3]
Postgraduates 10,051 [3]
Location Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa (SA)
Campus 2 suburban and 2 urban
Colours Maroon     
Nickname Maties
Affiliations AAU, ACU, CHEC, HESA, IAU
Mascot Pokkel[4]
Website http://www.sun.ac.za/
The Ou Hoofgebou (Former Main Administration building, now the Law Faculty) on Stellenbosch University campus

Stellenbosch University (Afrikaans: Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in South Africa. Stellenbosch is jointly the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Saharan Africa alongside the University of Cape Town which received full university status on the same day in 1918. Stellenbosch University (abbreviated as SU) designed and manufactured Africa's first microsatellite, SUNSAT, launched in 1999.[5]

Stellenbosch University was the first African university to sign the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.[6]

The students of Stellenbosch University are nicknamed "Maties". The term probably arises from the Afrikaans word "tamatie" (meaning tomato, and referring to the maroon sport uniforms and blazer colour). An alternative theory is that the term comes from the Afrikaans colloquialism maat (meaning "buddy" or "mate") originally used diminutively ("maatjie") by the students of the University of Cape Town's precursor, the South African College.

History

The origin of the university can be traced back to the Stellenbosch Gymnasium, which was founded in 1864 and opened on 1 March 1866. The first five students matriculated in 1870, but capacity did not initially exist for any tertiary education. However, in the 1870s the Cape Colony's first locally elected government took office and prioritised education. In 1873, four of the five 1870 matriculants became the institution's first graduates by attaining the "Second Class Certificate" through distance learning, and the gymnasium's student numbers rose to over a hundred.

In 1874, a series of government acts provided for colleges and universities, with generous subsidies and staff. A personal intervention by the Prime Minister in the same year ensured that Stellenbosch qualified, after initially being allocated to be purely a secondary school. Later in 1874, the institution acquired its first Professor and in the coming few years its capacity and staff grew rapidly. Its first academic senate was constituted at the beginning of 1876, when several new premises were also acquired. The first MA degree (in Stellenbosch and in South Africa) was completed in 1878, and also in that year, the Gymnasium's first four female students were enrolled.[7] [8]

The institution became the Stellenbosch College in 1881 and was located at the current Arts Department. In 1887 this college was renamed Victoria College; when it acquired university status on 2 April 1918 it was renamed once again, to Stellenbosch University. Initially only one university was planned for the Cape but after the government was visited by a delegation from the Victoria College, it was decided to allow the college to be a university if it could raise £100,000.[9]:290–1 Jannie Marais, a wealthy Stellenbosch farmer, bequeathed the money required before his death in 1915.[9]:291 There were certain conditions to his gift which included Dutch/Afrikaans having equal status to English and that the lecturers teach at least half their lectures in Dutch/Afrikaans. By 1930 very little, if any, tuition was in English.[9]:291

In December 2014, specialists at the University performed the first successful penis transplantation on a 21-year-old man.[10]

Name

Although the university was originally named the University of Stellenbosch (Afrikaans: Universiteit van Stellenbosch), it nowadays uses two forms: the English version Stellenbosch University (abbreviated SU) and the Afrikaans version Universiteit Stellenbosch (abbreviated US).[11][12]

Rankings

University rankings
Global
Times[13] 301-350 [14]
QS[15] 395 [16]
Africa
Times[17] 3
QS[18] 3

The university is one of only three public universities in the Western Cape and one of about 20 universities in the country.

There are no existing South African or African university ranking systems, but several international rankings have ranked the university:

In the latest edition of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Stellenbosch University was ranked in the 251-275 category in the world and third in Africa. Another reputable ranking system, QS World University Rankings recently ranked the university at 390 in the world and also third in Africa.[16]

The Leiden University ranked Stellenbosch 395th out of the top 500 universities worldwide on its CWTS Leiden Ranking list of 2013.[19] This list also ranked the university second in both South Africa and Africa, behind only the University of Cape Town.

In 2012, Webometrics ranked Stellenbosch's web footprint 2nd largest in Africa, again behind the University of Cape Town.[20]

The University of Stellenbosch Business School's MBA program was ranked 65th out of 100 MBA programmes of the leading business schools in the world the Aspen Institute’s 2011-12 edition of its Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey. The USB is also the only business school in South Africa, as well as the rest of the continent, to be included in the Top 100 list.[21]

Location

View over the "Red Square" of Stellenbosch University with the peak,"The Twins" beyond

Stellenbosch is located about 50 kilometres from Cape Town and is situated on the banks of the Eersterivier ("First River") in the famous wine-growing region and is encircled by picturesque mountains. Teaching at Stellenbosch University is divided between the main campus in Stellenbosch, the Tygerberg campus (where the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is situated), the Bellville Park campus (where the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is situated), and the Saldanha campus (housing the Faculty of Military Science at the Military Academy of the South African National Defence Force).

Language

Stellenbosch University used to be a predominantly Afrikaans-medium university. However, as the student body became more diversified, pressure mounted for more classes in English.

Today, the university's Language Policy[22] promotes multilingualism as a means to increase equitable access for all students and staff. Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa are used in academic, administrative, professional and social contexts, and classes are offered in Afrikaans and English.

Students are allowed to write their assignments, tests and examinations in English or Afrikaans. The language of tuition also varies depending on the faculty. The Faculty of Arts for example, is 40% English, so courses are lectured bilingually and the language of most handouts or prescribed material is determined by the student.

At postgraduate level the language of tuition is determined by the composition of the class. Most advanced postgraduate courses are conducted in English. According to the 2016 language profile of the university, 40.7% of its students stated Afrikaans as their home language, 46.1% stated English, 0.9% stated English and Afrikaans, and 3.1% of students stated isiXhosa as their home language.[23]

The language policy is still an ongoing issue for the University, since it is one of the very few tertiary institutions left in South Africa still offering tuition in Afrikaans.[24] Due to this, it is held in high regard by the Afrikaner community.

The University annually hosts the SU Woordfees, a predominantly Afrikaans-language festival of the written and spoken word.[25]

Student profile

Stellenbosch University's student racial profile is as follows:[26]

Ethnic enrolment, 2016 Percentage Total
number
White 61.3% 18,907
Coloured 17.6% 5,443
Black 18.2% 5,629
Indian 2.8% 875
Total 100% 30,854

Faculties and schools

The university's Tygerberg medical campus, viewed from the air

Stellenbosch University consists of about 150 departments divided amongst 10 faculties. It also has more than 40 research (and other) institutions.

The faculties that are situated on the main campus are:

The faculties and schools that are not situated on the main campus are:

The Southern African node of the Pan-African University is based in South Africa and will concentrate on space sciences.[27] This decision was connected with South Africa's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array of radio telescopes. In September 2009 Jean-Pierre Ezin, African Union commissioner for science, said the node at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa was hoped to open in February 2010.[28] According to University World News, however, The PAU project continues in other regions although Southern Africa has been lagging behind.[29]

Facilities and services

Students gathering on the campus' "Red Square"

The JS Gericke Library has collections scattered around the campus outside of the main facility, and all of which are catalogued on a computerised database, using the university's original mainframe, a UNIVAC. There are several other satellite libraries servicing the different faculties, including the Theology Library, Law Library and Tygerberg Medical Library.

Stellenbosch University also has a Conservatory, with two concert halls. The Conservatory is the home of the internationally acclaimed[30] Stellenbosch University Choir, who, along with being the oldest South African choir have received numerous awards overseas.[31]

The University also has a 430-seat theatre, known as the HB Thom Theatre and an open-air amphitheatre. Accompanying these facilities is the University's own Drama Department, under the guidance of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The Department regularly puts on plays, dramas, productions, cabarets and musicals.

The Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa.

The Langenhoven Students' Centre (Neelsie) houses the Student Representative Council, a food court, a cinema, a post office, a shopping centre, an advice office and all the student societies' offices. Student bands and various entertainment and activity promotions usually appear in the main food court during lunch hour.

The university has its own radio station known as MFM (Matie FM), situated in the Neelsie. It broadcasts a mix of music, news, entertainment and campus news over the entire Stellenbosch area at 92.6 FM.

The university also distributes regular publications, Die Matie (appearing every fortnight) for its students and Kampusnuus (appearing monthly) for its staff. An official yearbook, Stellenbosch Student, is published annually and presented to all graduating students. Matieland[32] is the name of the official alumni magazine. It is published twice a year and distributed to some 100 000 alumni and friends of the University.

Sport

Sports facilities for the more than 30 competitive and recreational sports that are supported by the university include two sport stadiums, two large swimming pools (one under roof), the Coetzenburg Centre, a multi-purpose center for ceremonies and indoor sports, numerous playing fields, including two artificial hockey fields, a gymnasium and a new football complex. The university offers the following sports to its students:

Stellenbosch has served as a test site in 2006 for a set of proposed modifications to the rules of rugby union, commonly referred to as the Stellenbosch Laws.

Student housing

An aerial view of the Dagbreek student residence hall at Stellenbosch University.

Stellenbosch has 34 residence halls in configurations for women only, men only and mixed gender. Each residence is supervised by a warden assisted by a House Committee of senior students. The House Committee assists students with security, maintenance, and social programs. Each residence incorporates a laundry room and a common living room. Residences for women have a communal lounge while several men's residences include a pub.

The number of available rooms in university residences is limited, which requires some students to find private boarding. Students in private lodgings can join the Private Students' Organisation (PSO), also known as Private Wards. There are 6 PSO wards, and a student is assigned to one according to the location of their lodgings in Stellenbosch. Students who commute to the university are assigned to one of two mixed-gender wards. As of 2008, four new PSO wards had been commissioned. The oldest residence is Wilgenhof men's residence, established in 1903.[33]

The PSO wards are grouped into six clusters with nearby residences to form student communities (a seventh cluster is on the Tygerberg campus)[34]. For each of these clusters, a hub facility is being built, of which two have already been completed, namely amaMaties and Wimbledon. In this way, day students can enjoy the same benefits as residence students, such as mentor support, meals and a well-appointed place to go to between classes.

Notable alumni

References

  1. ↑ Stellenbosch University Annual Report 2011 (PDF). University of Stellenbosch. p. 83. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  2. 1 2 Statistical Profile
  3. 1 2 Statistiese Profiel 2015 - Figuur 3en4.xlsx
  4. ↑ "Meet Pokkel the Maties mascot", Matie News, 18 February 2009
  5. ↑ "SUNSAT - eoPortal Directory - Satellite Missions". directory.eoportal.org. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
  6. ↑ http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/4828
  7. ↑ Smuts, Francois (1979). Stellenbosch. Three Centuries. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch Town Council & Oude Meester Group. ISBN 978-0620039215.
  8. ↑ Brümmer N.; Smith J.J.; Malherbe W.E. (1918). Gedenkboek van het Victoria-Kollege. Cape Town: Nationale Pers.
  9. 1 2 3 Pretorius, Fransjohan (2014). A History of South Africa: From the Distant Past to the Present Day. Hatsfield, Pretoria: Protea Book House. ISBN 978-1-86919-908-1.
  10. ↑ Gallagher, James (13 March 2015). "South Africans perform first 'successful' penis transplant". BBC News. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  11. ↑ SUN.ac.za
  12. ↑ "Statute of Stellenbosch University". www.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  13. ↑ "World University Rankings 2016-2017". Times Higher Education. 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Top Universities 2015-2016". Top Universities. Times Higher Education. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  15. ↑ "QS World University Rankings 2018". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2017. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  16. 1 2 "QS World University Rankings". topuniversities.com. Retrieved 2014-11-09.
  17. ↑ "Best universities in Africa 2016". The Times Higher Education. 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  18. ↑ "QS World University Rankings". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  19. ↑ "CWTS Leiding Ranking 2013". Leiden University. Retrieved 21 May 2013.
  20. ↑ Archived 21 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  21. ↑ "MBA Degrees and Business Schools in South Africa". Mba.co.za. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  22. ↑ "Language at Stellenbosch University". www.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  23. ↑ "Statistiese Profiel 2016 - Tabel 6.xlsx". www.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  24. ↑ Arthur Cerf (2013-08-20). "Afrique du Sud : Stellenbosch, bastion de l’ombre de l’apartheid". Le Journal International (in French). Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  25. ↑ "News - SU Woordfees launches its 2017 programme...". www.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 2017-02-23.
  26. ↑ "Studente-inskrywings per jaar en bevolkingsgroep". Stellenbosch University Statistical Profile (in Afrikaans). Stellenbosch University. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  27. ↑ Gilbert Nganga (4 July 2010). "Pan-African University close to starting". University World News. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  28. ↑ Linda Nordling (2 September 2009). "Pan-African University could launch early next year". SciDev. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  29. ↑ University World News, 22 November 2013, retrieved 3 May 2014
  30. ↑ "World Rankings - INTERKULTUR". interkultur.com. Retrieved 2013-03-20.
  31. ↑ Archived 7 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  32. ↑ "Home". www.sun.ac.za. Retrieved 2017-02-22.
  33. ↑ http://www0.sun.ac.za/willows/
  34. ↑ http://www0.sun.ac.za/ssg/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83&Itemid=529&lang=en
  35. ↑ Dr. Michael Ricketts at Academy for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Technologies. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

Coordinates: 33°55′48.27″S 18°51′53.01″E / 33.9300750°S 18.8647250°E / -33.9300750; 18.8647250

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