BUFFALO CITY AND MTHATHA CAMPUSES WELCOME NEW RECTORS

WSU’s relentless efforts to formulate a new growth trajectory in research, teaching and learning as well as community engagement saw the institution appointing two new campus rectors recently.

As of July this year, Komani-born Professor, Nosisi Feza, officially took her seat at the helm as Buffalo City Campus (BCC) rector following a three-year tenure as the Faculty of Humanities dean at the Central University of Technology. Chief to Prof Feza’s mandate and aspirations during her five-year tenure which runs until 2024 will be a concept very dear to her heart – human development through intensive and innovative research.

“Human development is at the precipice of what we all do. BCC is situated properly within communities with low socio-economics status. We therefore need to be part of the municipality in solving energy fluency challenges, then transfer that knowledge to the whole province, and ultimately disseminating it globally.”

“We need to be part of the business community finding solutions on how to fuel the economy of our city as well the province. We are surrounded by rural communities so we need to identify the hidden treasures of those communities and influence them into making them economic projects that will sustain the lives of our people,” said Prof Feza.

She said her affinity and love for the Eastern Cape and its people, and the opportunity that exists to make a fundamental and tangible change in the province is the main reason she accepted the position.

Prof Feza obtained her doctor of philosophy degree in Mathematics Education from the State University of New York (2009). Her dissertation was titled: Being a sheep in a “cattle’s kraal” does not make you a cow: Black students’ thought processes in measurement activity.

Just over 230kms away on the other side of the Kei Bridge the Mthatha Campus officially welcomed professor Mashudu Dhavana-Maselesele as its rector as of May 2020.

For Prof Maselesele, who possesses an extensive background in the area of nursing, this will be her second stint as rector following her three-year tenure as the University of North West’s Mahikeng Campus rector from 2014 to 2017.

She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in International Research Ethics in Southern Africa (IRENSA) from UCT (2008); UCLA (Los Angeles) a Post Doctoral Fellowship in Trauma Research UCLA (Los Angeles) (2006-2007); and a Doctor Philosophiae in Psycho Educational Programme Development (DPhiL) from UJ (2003) under the Thesis titled: A Psycho-educational programme of support to Couples experiencing Domestic Violence in Rural Communities of Limpopo Province.

WSU Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Rob Midgley outlined the invaluable role played by campus rectors in advancing the mandate of the university.

“WSU warmly welcomes these skilled and experienced managers to its executive. I trust that they will be able to facilitate an improvement in the University’s academic stature and reputation, and administrative processes. Above all, they have to promote a favourable, safe work place for staff and a conducive living and learning environment for students,” said Prof Midgley.

By Thando Cezula