2020 Alumni Handbook

A LUMNI

HANDBOOK

W I T S A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S I S Y O U R L I N K T O A LIFELONG RELATIONSHIP WITH WITS. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR ALUMNI STATUS BY STAYING CONNECTED.

VISIT WITS

Don’t be a stranger! Come back to campus and visit the Wits Art Museum, the Origins Centre, the Wits Club, the Planetarium, the Wits Theatre, museums and all your favourite places and spaces. These Wits treasures will always be yours.

YOUR

LINK The Alumni Office is here to help you: • Take advantage of the benefits of an alumni card • Stay informed through alumni publications, the website and social media • Keep learning and developing your career • Get acknowledgement for your achievements • Return to campus for events, talks, reunions and campus tours • Mentor and support students • Give back to Wits as a volunteer or donor

Access and benefits

Apply for an alumni card at the Alumni Office to access campus libraries and facilities and other benefits.

See what’s on offer at www.wits.ac.za/alumni

Stay informed

• Join an alumni group on LinkedIn or other social media platforms.

• Receive the award-winning WITSReview and other publications about Wits and Witsies.

• Download the Wits Alumni Communicator app for news and events tailored to you and your device.

Attend networking events

Receive invitations to alumni networking and Wits events, and contact the Alumni Office to arrange a class reunion.

Give back

You can give others the opportunity of a university education through volunteering and donating.

ALUMNI

CARD

Graduates who hold a degree from Wits can obtain an alumni card to access campus and its facilities.

It’s time to retire that well-worn student card and upgrade to the next thing!

Graduates can apply for an alumni card at Alumni House, which is part of the Wits Club & Barns Complex on West Campus.

Alumni must apply in person for an alumni card.

The card is issued immediately on receipt of payment and proof of identity. The card costs R180 and is valid for 12 months from the date of issue. Renewals cost R120. The alumni card is activated within 48 hours of issue.

PARKING

Parking on campus can be linked to your alumni card for a fee. Enquire at the Parking Office in Solomon Mahlangu House Concourse.

LIBRARY ACCESS

The alumni card gives you access to all libraries on all Wits campuses. There is an additional fee of R250 to borrow books from the libraries. The card does not enable access to the computer labs. To use library computers and to access electronic databases, alumni must be logged in by a librarian using a guest password. These passwords are not available after 17:00.

SPORTS ACCESS

The alumni card provides access to most sports facilities on campus for a fee. Sport-specific fees are payable at Wits Sport, Sturrock Park. A sticker representing the specific sports code/s paid for will be attached to the alumni card.

Alumni can also join the Wits Fitness and Wellness Centre on West Campus for a fee. Go to wfwc@activatewellness.co.za

CAREER

DEVELOPMENT We’ll help you take your career to the next level.

Make that degree work for you now!

Alumni mentoring platform

There’s nothing like having a real person to turn to for advice. Someone who has faced similar challenges and questions that you now face, and has real life experience. Someone you can relate to and who wants to help. A mentor with experience and connections in your field. Someone who can learn from you too, because you have something valuable to contribute.

Our online programme matches mentors and mentees based on a personal profile of needs and interests.

The Alumni Career Hub offers career and professional development resources including networking, mentoring, continuing education and job advertisements.

Join the mentoring platform by completing an online registration form at www.wits.ac.za/alumni or email alumni@wits.ac.za. You will be invited to register at witsalumni.mentorcloud.com and complete your personal profile. A set of easy-to-use tools will guide you in the mentoring process and provide online support.

If you would like to mentor a student, contact Yumna Patel: yumna.patel@wits.ac.za

The Counselling and Careers Development Unit may have the advice and resources you are looking for.

T: 011 717 9140 / 32 E: info.ccdu@wits.ac.za www.wits.ac.za/ccdu

Jobs Jobs and internship opportunities are regularly posted on the Careers webpage: wits.alumnicareers.co.za/

Continuing education

Wits offers a host of opportunities to study further, from postgraduate study to diploma and short course certificate programmes. Some of them are online. For more information go to: www.wits.ac.za/alumni/careers

www.wits.ac.za/alumni/careers

WITS

CONVOCATION As a Wits graduate, you have the power to influence University policy, strategy and governance.

What Wits does today can influence the value and reputation of your qualification tomorrow. The University’s future is your future too.

Convocation is an independent statutory body that includes the University’s largest constituency – its graduates.

Around 160 000 graduates, Wits academic staff and retired academics with 10 consecutive years’ service to the University make up Convocation.

Convocation’s role is to discuss and state its opinion on any matter relating to the University.

Alumni with a degree qualification from Wits are automatically members of Convocation.

Convocation elects the University Chancellor, the President of Convocation and 10 members of the Executive Committee of Convocation (EXCO).

Please participate in Convocation.

Update your contact details by emailing: alumni@wits.ac.za.

Elect your representatives, vote in Convocation elections, or stand for election to EXCO. Elections are held every two years. Alumni can raise any issues or concerns regarding the University by emailing convocation@wits.ac.za.

YOUNG

ALUMNI We organise events, reunions, outings and talks especially for alumni who graduated in the past five years.

Please remember to update your contact details (alumni@wits.ac.za) so that you receive relevant invitations and hear about opportunities.

You can also join our social media groups for young alumni. Specific faculties have their own social media groups too.

This is also the ideal time of life to be in a mentoring relationship. You can benefit from the experience of others in your field of work, or lend a hand to a student or new graduate.

The Wits Young Alumni programme of the Alumni Relations Office aims to meet the needs of recent graduates.

Sign up for our Web Mentoring Platform. Help bridge the generation gap and be a link in the long chain of Wits excellence and caring.

If you would like to volunteer to organise a Young Alumni club, project or activity please contact yumna.patel@wits.ac.za | Tel 011 717 1091.

This is a great way to experience the rewards of volunteer work or to enjoy sports, social or cultural activities.

As a Wits alumnus, you know the difference a university education has made to your life. You can give others the same opportunity, simply by making a small regular donation to the WIts Annual Fund.

ALUMNI

GIVING Making a donation to the Wits Annual Fund is an investment in the reputation of your qualification and enables future generations to receive a world-class education at Wits.

The annual fund grows over time and regular donations of affordable amounts eventually make a big difference.

Donations to the annual fund can be used for teaching and research, scholarships and improving facilities and services for students.

Donations to the Wits Annual Fund are tax deductible.

Your donation matters.

Regular giving of just R100 a month can make a big difference. www.wits.ac.za/annualfund

UPDATE

YOUR DETAILS Please update your contact details so that the Alumni Relations Office can keep you informed and provide an efficient service.

You can do this online at: www.wits.ac.za/alumni/updateyourdetails/

facebook.com/witsalumni/

twitter.com/witsalumni

linkedin.com/in/kudoskudu/

Or email your contact details to:

alumni@wits.ac.za

flickr.com/photos/witsalumni/albums

Visit our website

www.wits.ac.za/alumni Alumni House | Wits Club & Barns Complex | Alumni Lane | West Campus | T +27 11 717 1090 | E alumni@wits.ac.za

youtube.com/user/witsalumni

instagram.com/witsie4life

PLEDGE FORM Title & full name: Mobile: Tel: Email: Signature: Date:

I would like to make a monthly donation of to the Wits Annual Fund.

I would like to make a once-off donation of to the Wits Annual Fund.

I would like you to contact me to make a donation for a particular purpose.

CONTACT DETAILS: annualfund@wits.ac.za | Teressa Paulsen +27 11 717 1094

GIVING TO THE

WITS ANNUAL FUND Donate to the Wits Annual Fund by cheque, online, or by EFT. All donations to Wits are tax deductible in accordance with Section 18A of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962.

Credit card and PayPal donations: www.wits.ac.za/annualfund

For direct deposit, stop order or EFT donations: Wits University Foundation Standard Bank of South Africa Ltd. Current Account number: 002900076 Branch code: 00 48 05 Swift code: SB-ZAZ-AJJ Reference: Wits Annual Fund

Alternatively, please complete the pledge form on the reverse side and we will contact you.