The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences recently resumed face-to-face orientation sessions for first-year students on the District Six Campus.
“The number of students who attended the face-to-face sessions surpassed numbers expected as well as orientation sessions pre-Covid-19, as most departments had approximately 80% of the registered students attending orientation in 2022,” said Mandie Richards, Business Information and Administration (BIA) senior lecturer. Richards added that seeing the piazza abuzz with animated students laughing and chatting was a “heart-warming moment” as students are the life and energy of the institution. “The enthusiasm and excitement exuded by students to be on campus added to the atmosphere, as students quickly connected with lecturers and their peers and [had] an exciting start to their academic journey.”
Richards said although most departments concluded the orientation sessions on Friday, 25 February, a few departments further engaged first years in face-to-face sessions during the remainder of the first term.
The departments were introduced by Faculty Dean, Prof Paul Green, utilizing a welcome video (hyperlink https://youtu.be/vXroQY20GhE)
The BIA department, as did most departments, invited various speakers from industry, alumni, and service departments to engage with students. Students were also welcomed from the outset by the BIA student assistants at the entrance of the campus Administration Building and escorted to the orientation venues. Lively discussions with an external organisation, Inclusive and Affirming Ministries (IAM), took place, and issues of gender-based violence (GBV), sexual harassment and students’ rights were discussed. The sessions provided students with contact details of various organisations that will assist and counsel them should students require such help.
“Many questions emanated from the students, and the Faculty will continue these conversations as part of the First Year Experience, as GBV is a mandatory module for first years in the Faculty and integrated into the curriculum,” said Richards. The Financial Aid Office presented relevant information about NSFAS (write in full), and shared vital information regarding financial issues, that are uppermost on many students’ minds who require financial assistance.
The Cape Town Hotel School engaged vendors and suppliers to meet with students at the Granger Bay Campus, and the Campus turned into a mini-expo with tasty treats available for students to purchase and a good introduction to cuisine offered at the Hotel School, which was recently awarded a 4-star rating.
Students in all departments were given a campus tour to familiarise themselves with the campus. They attended sessions held in the computer laboratories to allow them to log in to their emails, activate their accounts, and gain assistance in navigating Blackboard. Departments also invited the Disability Unit, Student Counselling Unit, the Library, the HIV/Aids Unit and Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development to engage with students and advise on various support structures at CPUT to assist students.
Written by Kwanele Butana
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