
On Saturday, 26 August, Sol Plaatje University (SPU) had the privilege of hosting two pivotal events: the Vice-Chancellor’s Breakfast with school principals and the eagerly anticipated 2023 in-person Open Day targeting learners in grades 9 to 12. These events took place at the South and Central Campus, respectively, and were designed to showcase the university’s achievements and offerings.
The day’s events commenced with a Breakfast Meeting, hosted by the Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Andrew Crouch, and attended by principals from various Northern Cape high schools. The purpose of the Vice-Chancellor’s engagement with the principals was not only to introduce them to the University, but to foster new relationships with the secondary school sector leadership in the province as well as building on existing relationships. Prof Crouch provided a comprehensive background of SPU, highlighting our milestones, current initiatives, and future plans.
Among the exciting prospects he discussed were the expansion of the university’s state-of-the-art facilities. Soon, construction will begin on a section of the Oppenheimer Gardens to create a Great Hall and a civic square. Prof Crouch also detailed the university’s strategies to address social issues plaguing the Northern Cape youth, ranging from low economic growth and inequality to poverty, unemployment, and limited opportunities.
As the breakfast meeting wrapped up, the SPU Central Campus buzzed with excitements as learners, teachers, and parents flocked to the first in-person Open Day since the onset of COVID-19. They gathered in the SPU Library Auditorium where they were warmly welcomed by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Crouch who ushered them into a world of academic exploration.
The purpose of the event was to connect prospective students to the SPU’s Heads of Schools, academic staff, and students to help guide them towards making an educated decision about their academic future in face-to-face interactions. Each of SPU’s four schools – Education, Humanities, Natural and Applied Sciences (NAS) and Economic Management and Sciences (EMS) – had stalls spotlighting their unique offerings and giving learners a glimpse of what it means to be an SPU student. The School of NAS, for example, wowed attendees with demonstrations of advanced robotic skills and interactive coding games. The day also featured lab tours, where prospective students could engage with scientific apparatus like the microscope and skeletal models, getting a sense of becoming a scientist. Other exhibitors shared some informative advice and guidelines on what the requirements are to study some of the academic programmes their schools have to offer.
Learners took a tour around our state-the-art facilities, getting a feel of the various schools, lecture halls, the library, making it easier for them to imagine life as a student should SPU become their academic home.
Both events were highly successful, reinforcing SPU’s commitment to academic excellence and community engagements. The day gave SPU the platform to highlight how far we have come as a university in the 10 years of our existence. The Open Day served as a vivid testament to our unique academic and non-academic structures that set us apart from other universities.
Ultimately, these events offered compelling reasons for all stakeholders to choose SPU as a centre of educational excellence and community transformation.