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==History==
==History==
[[File:University of Cape Town 1930.jpg|thumb|left|250px|University of Cape Town's Groote Schuur campus in 1930]]
[[File:University of Cape Town 1930.jpg|left|thumb|250px|University of Cape Town's Groote Schuur campus in 1930]]
The roots of UCT lie in the establishment of the [[South African College]] in 1829 as a school for boys. In 1874 the [[South African College Schools]], teaching up to secondary level, were separated from the College, which prepared students for the examinations of the [[University of the Cape of Good Hope]]. In 1918 the South African College was elevated to full university status with the power to award degrees, and renamed the University of Cape Town.
The roots of UCT lie in the establishment of the [[South African College]] in 1829 as a school for boys. In 1874 the [[South African College Schools]], teaching up to secondary level, were separated from the College, which prepared students for the examinations of the [[University of the Cape of Good Hope]]. In 1918 the South African College was elevated to full university status with the power to award degrees, and renamed the University of Cape Town.


UCT moved to the [[Groote Schuur]] Estate campus in 1928. During the [[apartheid]] era, roughly 1960-1990, many UCT students consistently opposed apartheid, and the university was a bastion of liberalism. However, the demographics of the university did not begin to change meaningfully until the 1980s and especially the 1990s. 1987 saw frequent clashes between protesting students and police, with reporting of police presence on the campus being censored by the government. On 24 April 1987 the police entered the campus and this marked the first time since 1972 that South Africa's police services had suppressed a demonstration at a white university.<ref name="Cape Times report">Cape Times, staff reporter, front page, Saturday, 25 April 1987. "Large parts of the University of Cape Town campus were at times uninhabitable yesterday afternoon and some lectures were disrupted as a result of actions by certain people which may not be reported in terms of state-of-emergency press censorship. South African Breweries suffered a R120 000 loss when a cab of one of their vehicles was burnt on the upper campus in the wake of a students’ protest march over the deaths of six railway workers and the dismissal of 16 000 others. The government’s Interdepartmental Press Liaison Centre, last night refused the Cape Times permission to publish the full facts concerning the day’s events at UCT. They also refused the newspaper permission to publish three photographs taken during the afternoon, including one of the burnt out vehicle. A four hour confrontation between the people who may not be identified and about 150 – 200 students followed a lunch time meeting attended by about 700 students, called to protest at the deaths and firing of SA Railway’s and Harbour’s Workers Union (SARHWU) on Wednesday."</ref>
UCT moved to the [[Groote Schuur]] Estate campus in 1928. During the [[apartheid]] era, roughly 1960-1990, many UCT students consistently opposed apartheid, and the university was a bastion of liberalism. However, the demographics of the university did not begin to change meaningfully until the 1980s and especially the 1990s. 1987 saw frequent clashes between protesting students and police, with reporting of police presence on the campus being censored by the government. On 24 April 1987 the police entered the campus and this marked the first time since 1972 that South Africa's police services had suppressed a demonstration at a white university.<ref name="Cape Times report">Cape Times, staff reporter, front page, Saturday, 25 April 1987. "Large parts of the University of Cape Town campus were at times uninhabitable yesterday afternoon and some lectures were disrupted as a result of actions by certain people which may not be reported in terms of state-of-emergency press censorship. South African Breweries suffered a R120 000 loss when a cab of one of their vehicles was burnt on the upper campus in the wake of a students’ protest march over the deaths of six railway workers and the dismissal of 16 000 others. The government’s Interdepartmental Press Liaison Centre, last night refused the Cape Times permission to publish the full facts concerning the day’s events at UCT. They also refused the newspaper permission to publish three photographs taken during the afternoon, including one of the burnt out vehicle. A four hour confrontation between the people who may not be identified and about 150 – 200 students followed a lunch time meeting attended by about 700 students, called to protest at the deaths and firing of SA Railway’s and Harbour’s Workers Union (SARHWU) on Wednesday."</ref>


The UCT crest was designed in 1859 by [[Charles Davidson Bell]], Surveyor-General of the Cape Colony at the time. Bell was an accomplished artist who also designed medals and the triangular Cape stamp.
The UCT crest was designed in 1859 by [[Charles Davidson Bell]], Surveyor-General of the [[Cape Colony]] at the time. Bell was an accomplished artist who also designed medals and the triangular Cape stamp.


==Campus==
==Campus==
[[Image:UCT Upper Campus landscape view.jpg|left|thumb|A view of UCT]]
[[Image:UCT Upper Campus landscape view.jpg|thumb|A view of UCT]]
The main teaching campus, known as the Upper Campus, is located on the [[Cecil Rhodes|Rhodes]] Estate on the slopes of [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]]. This campus contains, in a relatively compact site, the faculties of [[Science]], [[Engineering]], [[Commerce]], and [[Humanities]] (except for the arts departments), as well as [[Smuts Hall]] and Fuller Hall [[Dormitory|residences]]. Upper Campus is centered on Jameson Hall, the location for graduation and other ceremonial events, as well as many examinations. The original buildings and layout of Upper Campus were designed by [[JM Solomon]] and built between 1928 and 1930. Since that time, many more buildings have been added as the university has grown. Upper Campus is also home to the main library, The Chancellor Oppenheimer library which holds the majority of the University's 1.3 million volume collection.
The main teaching campus, known as the Upper Campus, is located on the [[Cecil Rhodes|Rhodes]] Estate on the slopes of [[Devil's Peak (Cape Town)|Devil's Peak]]. This campus contains, in a relatively compact site, the faculties of [[Science]], [[Engineering]], [[Commerce]], and [[Humanities]] (except for the arts departments), as well as [[Smuts Hall]] and Fuller Hall [[Dormitory|residences]]. Upper Campus is centered on Jameson Hall, the location for graduation and other ceremonial events, as well as many examinations. The original buildings and layout of Upper Campus were designed by [[JM Solomon]] and built between 1928 and 1930. Since that time, many more buildings have been added as the university has grown. Upper Campus is also home to the main library, The Chancellor Oppenheimer library which holds the majority of the University's 1.3 million volume collection. [[Image:Uct-rag-concert-at-kirstenbosch-gardens-001.jpg|right|thumb|Hiddingh Hall Library on Hiddingh campus in Gardens Cape Town]]


Contiguous with Upper Campus, but separated from it by university sports fields and the [[M3 road (Cape Town)|M3 expressway]], are the Middle and Lower Campuses. These campuses, which are spread through the suburbs of [[Rondebosch, Cape Town|Rondebosch]], [[Rosebank, Cape Town|Rosebank]] and [[Mowbray, Cape Town|Mowbray]], contain the [[Law]] faculty, the [[South African College of Music]], most of the student residences, most of the university administrative offices, and various sporting facilities. The state of the art artificial grass [[soccer]] field has been approved by FIFA for training for [[2010 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] teams.<ref>http://www.uct.ac.za/dailynews/?id=7052</ref> The Upper, Middle and Lower Campuses together are often referred to as the "main campus".
Contiguous with Upper Campus, but separated from it by university sports fields and the [[M3 road (Cape Town)|M3 expressway]], are the Middle and Lower Campuses. These campuses, which are spread through the suburbs of [[Rondebosch, Cape Town|Rondebosch]], [[Rosebank, Cape Town|Rosebank]] and [[Mowbray, Cape Town|Mowbray]], contain the [[Law]] faculty, the [[South African College of Music]], most of the student residences, most of the university administrative offices, and various sporting facilities. The state of the art artificial grass [[soccer]] field has been approved by FIFA for training for [[2010 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] teams.<ref>http://www.uct.ac.za/dailynews/?id=7052</ref> The Upper, Middle and Lower Campuses together are often referred to as the "main campus".
⚫
[[Image:UCT Jammie Plaza.jpg|thumb|Jameson Hall and Jammie Plaza, the focal point of the upper campus]]

The Faculty of [[Health Sciences]] is located on the [[Medical School]] campus next to the [[Groote Schuur Hospital]] in [[Observatory, Cape Town|Observatory]]. The [[Michaelis School of Fine Art|Fine Arts]] and [[Drama]] departments are located on the Hiddingh Campus in central [[Cape Town]]. The University's original building, now known as the ''Egyptian Building'', on the Hiddingh campus, was built in the [[Egyptian Revival]] style. The only other campus built in this style was the [[Medical College of Virginia]] in [[Richmond, Virginia]] in the United States. The [http://www.gsb.uct.ac.za UCT Graduate School of Business] is located on the [[Breakwater Lodge]] Campus at the [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]].
The Faculty of [[Health Sciences]] is located on the [[Medical School]] campus next to the [[Groote Schuur Hospital]] in [[Observatory, Cape Town|Observatory]]. The [[Michaelis School of Fine Art|Fine Arts]] and [[Drama]] departments are located on the Hiddingh Campus in central [[Cape Town]]. The University's original building, now known as the ''Egyptian Building'', on the Hiddingh campus, was built in the [[Egyptian Revival]] style. The only other campus built in this style was the [[Medical College of Virginia]] in [[Richmond, Virginia]] in the United States. The [http://www.gsb.uct.ac.za UCT Graduate School of Business] is located on the [[Breakwater Lodge]] Campus at the [[Victoria & Alfred Waterfront]].
⚫
[[Image:Uct-rag-concert-at-kirstenbosch-gardens-001.jpg|right|thumb|Hiddingh Hall Library on Hiddingh campus in Gardens Cape Town]]


==Organisation==
==Organisation==
⚫
[[Image:UCT Jammie Plaza.jpg|thumb|Jameson Hall and Jammie Plaza, the focal point of the upper campus]]
The organisation of the University is defined in the Statute of the University of Cape Town, in accordance with the ''[[Higher Education Act, 1997]]''. Before 2002, it was defined by a [[private act|private Act of Parliament]].
The organisation of the University is defined in the Statute of the University of Cape Town, in accordance with the ''[[Higher Education Act, 1997]]''. Before 2002, it was defined by a [[private act|private Act of Parliament]].


The titular head of the University is the [[Chancellor (education)|Chancellor]]; this is a ceremonial position without executive power. The primary role of the Chancellor is to confer degrees on behalf of the University, and to represent the University to the rest of the world. The current Chancellor is Ms [[Graça Machel]], elected for her first 10-year term in September 1999 and re-elected in May 2010.
The titular head of the University is the [[Chancellor (education)|Chancellor]]; this is a ceremonial position without executive power. The primary role of the Chancellor is to confer degrees on behalf of the University, and to represent the University to the rest of the world. The current Chancellor is Ms [[Graça Machel]], elected for her first 10-year term in September 1999 and re-elected in May 2010.
⚫
[[Image:UCT Kramer Law School.jpg|thumb|The Kramer Building, home of the Law Faculty]]

The executive head of the University is the [[Vice-Chancellor]] (or VC). The VC has the overall responsibility for the policy and administration of the University. The current VC is Dr [[Max Price]], who replaced Professor [[Njabulo Ndebele]] on 1 July 2008. The VC is assisted in his task by a number of [[Deputy Vice-Chancellor]]s (DVCs) who handle specific portfolios. The [[Registrar (academic)|Registrar]] is responsible for the academic administration of the University, as well as legal matters, and is secretary to the University Council and Senate.
The executive head of the University is the [[Vice-Chancellor]] (or VC). The VC has the overall responsibility for the policy and administration of the University. The current VC is Dr [[Max Price]], who replaced Professor [[Njabulo Ndebele]] on 1 July 2008. The VC is assisted in his task by a number of [[Deputy Vice-Chancellor]]s (DVCs) who handle specific portfolios. The [[Registrar (academic)|Registrar]] is responsible for the academic administration of the University, as well as legal matters, and is secretary to the University Council and Senate.


⚫
The academic departments of UCT are divided into six faculties: [[Commerce]], [[Engineering]] and the [[Built Environment]], [[Health Sciences]], [[Humanities]], [[Law]], and [[Science]]; each faculty is led by a Dean. The multidisciplinary Center for Higher Education Development rates on a level equal to the faculties. Although the Graduate School of Business is considered to be part of the Faculty of [[Commerce]], it is run independently and has its own Dean and Director.
⚫
[[Image:UCT Kramer Law School.jpg|left|thumb|The Kramer Building, home of the Law Faculty]]
⚫
[[Image:UCT Tugwell and Marquard.jpg|thumb|Tugwell and Marquard residence halls]]
⚫
The academic departments of UCT are divided into six faculties: [[Commerce]], [[Engineering]] and the [[Built Environment]], [[Health Sciences]], [[Humanities]], [[Law]], and [[Science]]; each faculty is led by a Dean. The multidisciplinary Center for Higher Education Development rates on a level equal to the faculties. Although the Graduate School of Business is considered to be part of the Faculty of [[Commerce]], it is run independently and has its own Dean and Director.


==Students and staff==
==Students and staff==
⚫
{{As of|2009}}, 23,500 students were enrolled, of which 6,700 (28,5%) were [[postgraduate]] students.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uct.ac.za/about/intro/statistics/ |title=Introducing UCT: Statistics |work=About the University |publisher=University of Cape Town |accessdate=8 March 2011}}</ref> The ratio between male and female students is almost exactly 50:50. White students make up 35%, while black students constitute 65% of the student body. International students account for 19% of total student enrollment at 4300, representing over 100 countries.
⚫
[[Image:UCT Tugwell and Marquard.jpg|thumb|Tugwell and Marquard residence halls]]
⚫
{{As of|2009}}, 23,500 students were enrolled, of which 6,700 (28,5%) were [[postgraduate]] students.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uct.ac.za/about/intro/statistics/ |title=Introducing UCT: Statistics |work=About the University |publisher=University of Cape Town |accessdate=8 March 2011}}</ref> The ratio between male and female students is almost exactly 50:50. White students make up 35%, while black students constitute 65% of the student body. International students account for 19% of total student enrollment at 4300, representing over 100 countries.


UCT employs approximately 4500 staff members of whom 44% are academic staff; the rest are administrative and support staff. In 2007 UCT had 866 permanent academic staff members. Between 85% and 90% of academic staff hold doctoral or masters qualifications.
UCT employs approximately 4500 staff members of whom 44% are academic staff; the rest are administrative and support staff. In 2007 UCT had 866 permanent academic staff members. Between 85% and 90% of academic staff hold doctoral or masters qualifications.
Line 68: Line 65:
==Student life==
==Student life==
UCT has 36 different sports clubs, including [[team sport]]s, [[individual sport]]s, [[extreme sport]]s and [[martial arts]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsclubs.uct.ac.za/clubs.html |title=Current Sports Clubs at UCT |accessdate=2007-06-08}}</ref> The university's sports teams, and in particular the [[rugby union]] team, are known as the "[[Ikey Tigers]]" or the "Ikeys". The "Ikey" nickname originated in the 1910s as an [[anti-semitism|anti-semitic]] epithet applied to UCT students by the students of [[Stellenbosch University]], because of the supposed large number of Jewish students at UCT.<ref>{{cite book |last=Swanson |first=Felicity |editor=Field, Sean, et al. |title=Imagining the City: Memories and Cultures in Cape Town |url=http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/full_title_info.asp?id=2193 |format=PDF |accessdate=2007-06-08 |year=2007 |publisher=HSRC Press |location=Cape Town |isbn=0-7969-2179-2 |page=210 |chapter=‘Die SACS kom terug’: intervarsity rugby, masculinity and white identity at the University of Cape Town, 1960s-1970s |chapterurl=http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/download.asp?filename=013%20-%2011_Imagining_the_City~216200731940PM.pdf}}</ref> Stellenbosch is UCT's traditional rugby opponent; an annual "Intervarsity" match is played between the two universities.
UCT has 36 different sports clubs, including [[team sport]]s, [[individual sport]]s, [[extreme sport]]s and [[martial arts]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportsclubs.uct.ac.za/clubs.html |title=Current Sports Clubs at UCT |accessdate=2007-06-08}}</ref> The university's sports teams, and in particular the [[rugby union]] team, are known as the "[[Ikey Tigers]]" or the "Ikeys". The "Ikey" nickname originated in the 1910s as an [[anti-semitism|anti-semitic]] epithet applied to UCT students by the students of [[Stellenbosch University]], because of the supposed large number of Jewish students at UCT.<ref>{{cite book |last=Swanson |first=Felicity |editor=Field, Sean, et al. |title=Imagining the City: Memories and Cultures in Cape Town |url=http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/full_title_info.asp?id=2193 |format=PDF |accessdate=2007-06-08 |year=2007 |publisher=HSRC Press |location=Cape Town |isbn=0-7969-2179-2 |page=210 |chapter=‘Die SACS kom terug’: intervarsity rugby, masculinity and white identity at the University of Cape Town, 1960s-1970s |chapterurl=http://www.hsrcpress.ac.za/download.asp?filename=013%20-%2011_Imagining_the_City~216200731940PM.pdf}}</ref> Stellenbosch is UCT's traditional rugby opponent; an annual "Intervarsity" match is played between the two universities.
⚫
[[Image:Uct-rag-concert-at-kirstenbosch-gardens-032.jpg|thumb|Walking on University Avenue north on upper campus]]

There are more than 80 student societies at UCT; these fall generally into five categories:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uct.ac.za/students/societies/societies/ |title=Student Affairs: Societies |accessdate=2007-06-08 |publisher=University of Cape Town |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070603191341/http://www.uct.ac.za/students/societies/societies/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-06-03}}</ref>
There are more than 80 student societies at UCT; these fall generally into five categories:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uct.ac.za/students/societies/societies/ |title=Student Affairs: Societies |accessdate=2007-06-08 |publisher=University of Cape Town |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20070603191341/http://www.uct.ac.za/students/societies/societies/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 2007-06-03}}</ref>
* Academic societies for those interested in a particular field of study or studying a particular topic: The most prominent of these include the History and Current Affairs Society (HCA), United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) and Students for Law and Social Justice (SLSJ).
* Academic societies for those interested in a particular field of study or studying a particular topic: The most prominent of these include the History and Current Affairs Society (HCA), United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) and Students for Law and Social Justice (SLSJ).
* Political societies, including branches of the youth wings of national political parties such as the South African Students Congress (SASCO), the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO), and the African National Congress Youth League.
* Political societies, including branches of the youth wings of national political parties such as the South African Students Congress (SASCO), the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO), and the African National Congress Youth League.
Line 77: Line 74:


In addition to the plethora of student societies, there are several student organisations dedicated to the development of communities surrounding the University in the Cape Metropolitan Area. Some of the biggest include: [[SHAWCO]], Ubunye and RAG.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uct.ac.za/students/services/community/SHAWCO/ |title=Student Community Service: SHAWCO |accessdate=2010-03-01 |publisher=University of Cape Town}}</ref> Recently, several students movements have developed, such as the [[Green Campus Initiative (UCT)|Green Campus Initiative]].
In addition to the plethora of student societies, there are several student organisations dedicated to the development of communities surrounding the University in the Cape Metropolitan Area. Some of the biggest include: [[SHAWCO]], Ubunye and RAG.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uct.ac.za/students/services/community/SHAWCO/ |title=Student Community Service: SHAWCO |accessdate=2010-03-01 |publisher=University of Cape Town}}</ref> Recently, several students movements have developed, such as the [[Green Campus Initiative (UCT)|Green Campus Initiative]].

[[Image:Uct-rag-concert-at-kirstenbosch-gardens-032.jpg|left|thumb|Walking on University Avenue north on upper campus]]


==Rankings==
==Rankings==

Revision as of 00:08, 5 February 2012

"UCT" redirects here. UCT may also be a misabbreviation for Coordinated Universal Time.
University of Cape Town
Coat of arms of the University of Cape Town
Former names
South African College
MottoSpes Bona
Motto in English
Good Hope
TypePublic
Established1st October 1829
EndowmentR2,173.4 million[1] (US$300 million as of 2010)
ChancellorGraça Machel
Vice-ChancellorDr Max Price
Academic staff
1,980
Administrative staff
2,520
Students23,500
Undergraduates15,800
Postgraduates6,700
Location
Cape Town
,
Western Cape
,
South Africa

33°57′27″S 18°27′38″E / 33.95750°S 18.46056°E / -33.95750; 18.46056
Campus4 suburban and 2 urban campuses
ColoursLight blue, Dark blue and White      
NicknameIkeys
AffiliationsAAU, ACU, CHEC, HESA, IAU, WUN
MascotTiger
Websitewww.uct.ac.za
University of Cape Town logo

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, and is the oldest university in South Africa and the second oldest extant university in Africa.

History

File:University of Cape Town 1930.jpg
University of Cape Town's Groote Schuur campus in 1930

The roots of UCT lie in the establishment of the South African College in 1829 as a school for boys. In 1874 the South African College Schools, teaching up to secondary level, were separated from the College, which prepared students for the examinations of the University of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1918 the South African College was elevated to full university status with the power to award degrees, and renamed the University of Cape Town.

UCT moved to the Groote Schuur Estate campus in 1928. During the apartheid era, roughly 1960-1990, many UCT students consistently opposed apartheid, and the university was a bastion of liberalism. However, the demographics of the university did not begin to change meaningfully until the 1980s and especially the 1990s. 1987 saw frequent clashes between protesting students and police, with reporting of police presence on the campus being censored by the government. On 24 April 1987 the police entered the campus and this marked the first time since 1972 that South Africa's police services had suppressed a demonstration at a white university.[2]

The UCT crest was designed in 1859 by Charles Davidson Bell, Surveyor-General of the Cape Colony at the time. Bell was an accomplished artist who also designed medals and the triangular Cape stamp.

Campus

A view of UCT

The main teaching campus, known as the Upper Campus, is located on the Rhodes Estate on the slopes of Devil's Peak. This campus contains, in a relatively compact site, the faculties of Science, Engineering, Commerce, and Humanities (except for the arts departments), as well as Smuts Hall and Fuller Hall residences. Upper Campus is centered on Jameson Hall, the location for graduation and other ceremonial events, as well as many examinations. The original buildings and layout of Upper Campus were designed by JM Solomon and built between 1928 and 1930. Since that time, many more buildings have been added as the university has grown. Upper Campus is also home to the main library, The Chancellor Oppenheimer library which holds the majority of the University's 1.3 million volume collection.

Hiddingh Hall Library on Hiddingh campus in Gardens Cape Town

Contiguous with Upper Campus, but separated from it by university sports fields and the M3 expressway, are the Middle and Lower Campuses. These campuses, which are spread through the suburbs of Rondebosch, Rosebank and Mowbray, contain the Law faculty, the South African College of Music, most of the student residences, most of the university administrative offices, and various sporting facilities. The state of the art artificial grass soccer field has been approved by FIFA for training for World Cup teams.[3] The Upper, Middle and Lower Campuses together are often referred to as the "main campus".

Jameson Hall and Jammie Plaza, the focal point of the upper campus

The Faculty of Health Sciences is located on the Medical School campus next to the Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory. The Fine Arts and Drama departments are located on the Hiddingh Campus in central Cape Town. The University's original building, now known as the Egyptian Building, on the Hiddingh campus, was built in the Egyptian Revival style. The only other campus built in this style was the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia in the United States. The UCT Graduate School of Business is located on the Breakwater Lodge Campus at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.

Organisation

The organisation of the University is defined in the Statute of the University of Cape Town, in accordance with the Higher Education Act, 1997. Before 2002, it was defined by a private Act of Parliament.

The titular head of the University is the Chancellor; this is a ceremonial position without executive power. The primary role of the Chancellor is to confer degrees on behalf of the University, and to represent the University to the rest of the world. The current Chancellor is Ms Graça Machel, elected for her first 10-year term in September 1999 and re-elected in May 2010.

The Kramer Building, home of the Law Faculty

The executive head of the University is the Vice-Chancellor (or VC). The VC has the overall responsibility for the policy and administration of the University. The current VC is Dr Max Price, who replaced Professor Njabulo Ndebele on 1 July 2008. The VC is assisted in his task by a number of Deputy Vice-Chancellors (DVCs) who handle specific portfolios. The Registrar is responsible for the academic administration of the University, as well as legal matters, and is secretary to the University Council and Senate.

The academic departments of UCT are divided into six faculties: Commerce, Engineering and the Built Environment, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, and Science; each faculty is led by a Dean. The multidisciplinary Center for Higher Education Development rates on a level equal to the faculties. Although the Graduate School of Business is considered to be part of the Faculty of Commerce, it is run independently and has its own Dean and Director.

Tugwell and Marquard residence halls

Students and staff

As of 2009, 23,500 students were enrolled, of which 6,700 (28,5%) were postgraduate students.[4] The ratio between male and female students is almost exactly 50:50. White students make up 35%, while black students constitute 65% of the student body. International students account for 19% of total student enrollment at 4300, representing over 100 countries.

UCT employs approximately 4500 staff members of whom 44% are academic staff; the rest are administrative and support staff. In 2007 UCT had 866 permanent academic staff members. Between 85% and 90% of academic staff hold doctoral or masters qualifications.

Student life

UCT has 36 different sports clubs, including team sports, individual sports, extreme sports and martial arts.[5] The university's sports teams, and in particular the rugby union team, are known as the "Ikey Tigers" or the "Ikeys". The "Ikey" nickname originated in the 1910s as an anti-semitic epithet applied to UCT students by the students of Stellenbosch University, because of the supposed large number of Jewish students at UCT.[6] Stellenbosch is UCT's traditional rugby opponent; an annual "Intervarsity" match is played between the two universities.

Walking on University Avenue north on upper campus

There are more than 80 student societies at UCT; these fall generally into five categories:[7]

  • Academic societies for those interested in a particular field of study or studying a particular topic: The most prominent of these include the History and Current Affairs Society (HCA), United Nations Association of South Africa (UNASA) and Students for Law and Social Justice (SLSJ).
  • Political societies, including branches of the youth wings of national political parties such as the South African Students Congress (SASCO), the Democratic Alliance Students Organisation (DASO), and the African National Congress Youth League.
  • Religious societies, some of which are associated with religious denominations or local places of worship.
  • National/cultural societies for students from particular countries or particular ethnic backgrounds.
  • Special interest societies (such as RainbowUCT, the universities LGBTI society) for those interested in various activities or issues.

In addition to the plethora of student societies, there are several student organisations dedicated to the development of communities surrounding the University in the Cape Metropolitan Area. Some of the biggest include: SHAWCO, Ubunye and RAG.[8] Recently, several students movements have developed, such as the Green Campus Initiative.

Rankings

See also: Rankings of universities in South Africa and Rankings of business schools in South Africa

The University of Cape Town is the highest ranked African university in the QS World University Rankings, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and the Academic Ranking of World Universities. It achieved a rank of 156 in the 2011 QS World University Rankings[9] and a rank of 103 in the 2011 Times Higher Education World University Rankings,[10] making it the only African university in the top 200. Within this same ranking UCT was placed in the top 50 in the categories of life sciences and social sciences.[11][12] UCT's MBA programme was globally ranked at 60 in 2011 by the Financial Times, and was ranked first in the "value for money" category.[13] In addition to this, The University of Cape Town was placed as the second best business school in Africa and the Middle East in the 2010 QS Global 200 Business Schools Report.[14] The University also achieved a rank of 141 - 145 in the Russian based Global Universities Ranking[15]

Affiliations

UCT is a member of the Worldwide Universities Network, the Association of African Universities, the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Cape Higher Education Consortium, Higher Education South Africa, and the International Association of Universities.

Notable alumni

J. M. Coetzee, twice awarded the Booker Prize and awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature, did his undergraduate studies in Mathematics and got a Master of Arts degree from the University of Cape Town.
Main article: List of Notable Alumni of the University of Cape Town

Five of the University's graduates have become Nobel Laureates:

Notable staff

Notable research

  • Africa Earth Observatory Network [(AEON)] http://www.aeon.uct.ac.za, an Earth Science initiative aiming to promote Earth Stewardship through science, with partners in Germany and France.
  • The Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics is an international centre for research in the fields of cosmology and topology.
  • The Centre for Rhetoric Studies, the only one of its kind on the African Continent (director: Philippe-Joseph Salazar).
  • The Department of Physics is home to the UCT-CERN research centre, which is partially responsible for the software design of the High Level Trigger component of the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider, as well as other activities related to ALICE.
  • The Department of Electrical Engineering is involved in the development of technology for the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT). KAT is a precursor to the Square Kilometer Array, a proposed International project to build the world's largest radio telescope by 2020. Research groups in RF design and digital design contribute to the RF front-end and digital back-end of the KAT project.
  • The Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine [(IIDMM)] http://www.uct.ac.za/depts/iidmm is engaged in research on candidate tuberculosis vaccines, and is developing candidate HIV vaccines matched to the South African epidemic.
  • The MRC/UCT Medical Imaging Research Unit [(MIRU)] http://www.miru.uct.ac.za, inspired by the work of alumnus Allan McLeod Cormack who won a Nobel Prize for the CAT-scanner, studies brain and cardiac function and develops diagnostic imaging tools, one of which has led to the spinout of CapeRay.

See also

References

  1. ^ Annual Report for the year ended 31 December 2009 (PDF). University of Cape Town. p. 33. Retrieved 17 September 2010.
  2. ^ Cape Times, staff reporter, front page, Saturday, 25 April 1987. "Large parts of the University of Cape Town campus were at times uninhabitable yesterday afternoon and some lectures were disrupted as a result of actions by certain people which may not be reported in terms of state-of-emergency press censorship. South African Breweries suffered a R120 000 loss when a cab of one of their vehicles was burnt on the upper campus in the wake of a students’ protest march over the deaths of six railway workers and the dismissal of 16 000 others. The government’s Interdepartmental Press Liaison Centre, last night refused the Cape Times permission to publish the full facts concerning the day’s events at UCT. They also refused the newspaper permission to publish three photographs taken during the afternoon, including one of the burnt out vehicle. A four hour confrontation between the people who may not be identified and about 150 – 200 students followed a lunch time meeting attended by about 700 students, called to protest at the deaths and firing of SA Railway’s and Harbour’s Workers Union (SARHWU) on Wednesday."
  3. ^ http://www.uct.ac.za/dailynews/?id=7052
  4. ^ "Introducing UCT: Statistics". About the University. University of Cape Town. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  5. ^ "Current Sports Clubs at UCT". Retrieved 2007-06-08.
  6. ^ Swanson, Felicity (2007). "'Die SACS kom terug': intervarsity rugby, masculinity and white identity at the University of Cape Town, 1960s-1970s". In Field, Sean; et al. (eds.). Imagining the City: Memories and Cultures in Cape Town (PDF). Cape Town: HSRC Press. p. 210. ISBN 0-7969-2179-2. Retrieved 2007-06-08. {{cite book}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |editor= (help); External link in |chapterurl= (help); Unknown parameter |chapterurl= ignored (|chapter-url= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Student Affairs: Societies". University of Cape Town. Archived from the original on 2007-06-03. Retrieved 2007-06-08.
  8. ^ "Student Community Service: SHAWCO". University of Cape Town. Retrieved 2010-03-01.
  9. ^ http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2011?page=3
  10. ^ "Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2011–2012". Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  11. ^ http://www.topuniversities.com/university/98/university-of-cape-town
  12. ^ http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2009/results/101-200
  13. ^ http://rankings.ft.com/businessschoolrankings/university-of-cape-town/global-mba-rankings-2011#global-mba-rankings-2011
  14. ^ http://www.topmba.com/mba-rankings/top-business-schools-report-2010/regions/top-business-schools-in-africa-and-middle-east
  15. ^ "Global Universities Ranking 2009".
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