Contents Short Course...

1

Contents

2. Letter from our Senior Manager

2. Professor Delport talks about changes at DCE

3. Johan Steyn from quad house PE

3. From unem-ployed to em-ployer

4. DCE staff go corporate!

4. Consultant by day, poet by night

Gail Paulse Short Course Consultant:

ITS codes Assistance with Training where Necessary

Tel: 041 504 3531

Email: [email protected]

Jean Williams

Senior Manager (Acting):

SLP Registration

Tel: 041 504 3304

Email:

[email protected]

Short Course indaba Welcome to the first issue of our „bi annual‟ newsletter! This is not only a new venture for the

Department of Continuing Education, but it is a new “adventure” for me as well. I can‟t wait to

share some of our heartwarming stories with everyone. We at Short Courses not only provide

learners with the opportunity to study via the Short Learning Programme (SLP) but we also

assist them to grow as individuals. Our newsletter highlights success stories of our Short

Learning Programme candidates as well as our Community Development initiatives our unit

has embarked on thus far.

It is always exciting, yet scary when starting something new, and being able to share our ad-

ventures with everyone else, is such an amazing feeling. We at Short courses offer courses

for adult learning, but we also cater for the less fortunate. We believe in helping others suc-

ceed and helping them grow, not only by pursuing a short course, but by helping them realise

how broad their spectrum really is. The Department for Continuing Education‟s (DCE) motto

is, BELIEVE! We at the DCE believe in what we do and what we offer and by directing our

positive energy to our candidates.

I look forward to sharing some of our amazing success stories and community outreach pro-

grammes with you all. We hope to hear from you soon!

Warm Regards

Nicole

Public Relations Intern

Centre for Academic Engagement & Collaboration

April 2011

Edition 1

Bayekeni Thenga

Administrative Assistant:

Request for certificates

Course enquiries

Tel: 041 504 3461 Email: Bayek-

[email protected]

Nicole Baartman

Public Relations Intern:

Design & Update Bro-

chure, Website & Train-

ing Calendar

Tel: 041 504 3398

Email:[email protected]

Meet the team at Continuing Education

DCE endorses the

values & principles

of NMMU

2


What is the current state and status of SLP’s nationwide?

DCE‟s vision is aligned to that of our government. Recently the Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan in his budget speech and President Jacob Zuma in his state of the nation ad-dress, announced that funding will be made available for skills development as a priority.

What is the implication for your faculty?

We are of the opinion that this spells massive opportunity for entrepreneurs; skills develop-ers and all employed and unemployed citizens across the socio economic spectrum to achieve these national ends.

How are we going to tap in and how do we ensure that skills are available to ensure eco-nomic growth in the future?

Our peer universities are generating substantially more third stream revenue than NMMU (there are valid reasons for this). We are however well placed to contribute to this, skills development being the leading deliverer of quality skills and relevant short learning programmes in the Eastern Cape.

Our National Skills Development Strategy III emphasizes increased access to high quality skills development op-portunities. In essence we are mandated to present quality SLP‟s to allow individuals to articulate and gain educa-tion needed for advancement and delivery and ultimately economic independence. The NMMU can deliver!

Jean Williams Acting Senior Manager

Letter from DCE senior manager

The university has made

great strides with the imple-

mentation of its SLP Im-

provement Plan, a process

which started at the begin-

ning of 2009. The main

emphasis of this plan was

to align SLP administrative and quality assur-

ance procedures to those applicable to format

programme offerings. The progress made thus

far include:

The 2010 review of all SLP offerings and the

development of an updated electronic regis-

ter of NMMU SLPs.

The migration of all SLP administration onto

the ITS system, this includes delegate regis-

tration, issuing of certificates and their verifi-

cation. This process involved the training of

45 faculty SLP administrators on the new

system.

SLP policy compliance in terms of SLP qual-

ity assurance and administrative and finan-

cial procedures.

The SLP Improvement Plan implementation

process should be completed by the end of

2011.

The staff of the DCE would like to thank all

NMMU staff who have contributed towards the

successful implementation of the plan so far.

Special mention needs to be made of the faculty

and entity SLP administrators, computer ser-

vices, finance and student records.

The process of SLP registration

An Idea for a short course

Discuss with HOD/Peers

Discuss with DCE

Develop Course Material

Programme Quality Control /HOD - subject

expert to sign off

FMC - Faculty Management Committee

DCE - for submission to ECS

ECS - Executive Committee Senate for ap-

proval

DCE - for ITS and cost centre code creation

Implementation of the SLP improvement Enthusiastic about

partnership with DCE

The Faculty of Education wel-

comes the current endeavours by

the DCE to streamline NMMU

SLP activity across faculties.

The clearer guide-

lines and closer

liaison between

the faculty and

DCE will without

doubt ensure im-

proved quality

delivery.

Ms Gishma Daniels-Smith is the

faculty‟s dedicated SLP adminis-

trator. She attends to all the ad-

ministration related to our SLPs

and works closely with the DCE

colleagues. Since the entire fac-

ulty‟s current SLPs are aimed at

the continuing professional devel-

opment of educators, SLP coordi-

nation and monitoring nowadays

form part of the portfolio of Prof

Alette Delport (above), Director of

the School for Continuing Profes-

sional Development.

3

Community development Quad house PE is situated in Newton

Park and is home to four residents who

need 24 hour physical care. The residents

are all wheelchair users who are trying to

live as independently as possible.

The residents at Quad

house PE run and admin-

istrate the house on their

own and they are making

every effort possible for it

not to turn into an institu-

tion. There are six care

attendants who work in rotating day and

night shifts of two carers per shift. “Our

carers are our most precious asset but

unfortunately our biggest expense” says

Johan Steyn, a resident at Quad house.

Each of the residents works for the house

and/or the Quadriplegic Association. Al-

though they pay rent and receive a Gov-

ernment subsidy, their income is not

nearly enough to cover the salaries for

their care attendants. The residents now

have to fundraise to cover the running

costs. This however has proved to be

difficult, due to the economic climate and

the fact that they are such a small NGO.

The house has been

home to many quadriple-

gics and paraplegics for

21 years and if they don‟t

raise enough funds ur-

gently, the future of the

residents and care atten-

dants looks bleak. Johan Steyn is not

only one of our colleagues at NMMU; he

is also one of the residents at Quad

house.

The Department of Continuing Education

has sponsored a short course as one of

the prizes for the fundraiser that is taking

place in the month of May, for more information contact Johan Steyn on 041 – 504

3506.

High five… Bayekeni Thenga from DCE

shares his enthusiasm with Johan Steyn

about the May fundraising event.

Alton Sebastian Pedro, a young entrepre-

neur from Booysen Park in Port Elizabeth

overcame setbacks that could destroy an

individuals self esteem.

Alton worked for a well known company,

but in 2003, he was retrenched. This did-

n‟t stop Alton,

being the pro-

active person

that he is; he

decided to en-

roll for a short

course at

NMMU.

Alton enquired

about the short

courses at

NMMU and

decided to do

the Practical

Project Management Course. He suc-

cessfully completed the short course and

in 2007, was awarded his certificate. Al-

ton then went from job seeking to owning

his own successful business.

„I believe that the only way to the top is

through hard work, a positive mind set

and taking risks‟, says Alton. His com-

pany is a “one – stop - shop”, since not

only does he specialise in construction

but he is also registered with the electrical

board . Other initiatives of Alton are creat-

ing job oppor-

tunities for

young men.

He does this

by offering

unemployed

men in the

community

employment.

Alton depends

on people

who he can

trust and

those who are

willing to work. When asked what his fu-

ture plans are he said “I would really like

to start a mentorship programme for

smaller companies, I want to empower

smaller companies, by helping them to

put a mentorship programme in place,

and I believe that this will help the young-

sters out there to acquire the necessary

knowledge, experience and life skills”.

Today Alton has a successful construc-

tion company called “Gusheshe” and the

knowledge and practical experience he

acquired whilst completing the short

course has helped him tremendously in

running the day to day functions of his

business.

The Department of Continuing Education

(short courses) has a wide variety of

Short Learning Programmes (SLP‟s)

ranging from Accounting and Finance to

Presentation Skills. The institution has

approximately 450 SLP programmes.

For more information regarding Short

Learning Programmes contact our short

course coordinators Gail Paulse on 041

5043531 or email

[email protected] or Bayekeni

Thenga on 041 5043461 or email Bayek-

[email protected]

Hard at work… DCE acting Senior Manager Jean Wil-

liams with Alton Pedro and DCE PR Intern Nicole Baart-

man, at the construction site in Motherwell

From unemployed to employer

Our carers are our

most precious asset


mailto:[email protected]



4

The Centre for Academic Engagement & Collaboration has taken

yet another step forward in bringing uniformity into the Depart-

ment.

Despite the changes our unit has gone through in the past seven

months, we decided to implement another change and the

change was to bring about uniformity!

The ladies look and feel great in their Corporate wear and we

hope other departments will follow suit. We haven‟t left our male

counterparts out either; the gentleman will be looking very smart,

dressed in tailored black pants and formal shirts.

On behalf of all the ladies at CAEC, we would like to extend our

warm appreciation to Professor George de Lange, the CAEC

Director for making this possible and not forgetting SMAT Cloth-

ing for their generous and speedy service . CAEC gone corporate… DCE represented by (L-R) Jean Williams,

Nicole Baartman, Gail Paulse and Bayekeni Thenga (front) are all

ecstatic about the corporate wear from SMAT clothing in Central

Bayekeni Thenga, administrative assistant in the

DCE has hidden talents. We asked him more...

When did you start writing poetry?

When I was in high School, but it became serious when I

started university.

Why poetry? Why not dance or music?

Poetry connects me with words, poetry is an open ended art,

and it is diverse within itself. You can also find many meanings

within one poem.

Where did your love for poetry originate?

My love for poetry originated when I started listening to Tracy

Chapman, her music was poetry in itself.

Who has been your biggest influence thus

far?

Timothy Sabwelera one of my friends, who

always motivates me to do something even if I

am not sure I can do it. He always encourages

me.

Many poets write about different aspects in

life, would you put yourself in the same category? What do

you enjoy writing about?

I write about identity, almost all my poems run around Identity.

How were you exposed to the art of poetry?

I was in primary school. We had a cultural day at school and I

was forced to participate, but at the practice session I fell in love

with the art of poet

How often do you recite your

work to the public?

I don’t recite that much, but

people request my poems on a

daily basis via emails and

Facebook for their daily inspira-

tion.

Who is your favourite poet?

I love Kate Tempest (London

born poet) Tracy Chapman and

Nhlanhla Buthelezi (Kwazulu

Natal)

Where can one find your work (poems?) do

you have a website, Facebook page?

I have a group on Facebook called “These

Words” it has approximately 470 members and

growing daily.

Would you recommend others to start writ-

ing poetry?

Yes, simply because poetry motivates people to read, and

many people are lazy to read, so it can develop a reading habit

in an individual.

“Intellect builds beauty, but beauty without intellect is ugli-

ness”

Consultant by day, poet by night

poetry is an open

ended art, and it is

diverse within itself


Staff go corporate

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