Sol Plaatje University

The 2020 academic year began with major disruptions, which persisted throughout the year. This seventh academic year since the inception of the University in 2013 was plagued by the disruptions caused nationally and internationally by the coronavirus pandemic, which spread to South Africa in early March 2020.The activities of Sol Plaatje University were overshadowed by the COVID-19 outbreak and the effect it had on the country. The circumstances in which we found ourselves at the beginning of April 2020, when I took up the position of Vice-Chancellor and Principal, necessitated that we operated in crisis mode. This crisis transcended the national educational landscape and placed immense pressure on the resolve of the national government to cope with the crisis. A key development during this period has been the swift response to the call by the Minister ofHigher Education, Science and Innovation for universities to be ready to deliver teaching and learning in a mixed mode (e-learning primarily) context. This report therefore presents the institutional, academic and operational development and performance of the University over the year. It covers the four broad areas outlined below:1. Governance and institutional capacity development;2. Academic performance in enrolments, academic programme development and student development;3. Infrastructure development and facilities to support the growing University; and4. Financial management, performance and reliability.

In this Annual Report of Sol Plaatje University, we report on the institutional, academic and operational development and performance over the second academic year in our University’s existence. The report covers four broad areas of the operation of the University: governance and institutional capacity development; academic performance in enrolments, academic programme implementation andstudent development and performance; development of infrastructure and facilities to support growth of the University; and financial management, performance and sustainability.

In this Annual Report of the Sol Plaatje University, we report on the institutional, academic and operational development and performance during the 2016academic year – the third year of the University’s existence. The report covers four broad areas of the operation of the University, namely:• governance and institutional capacity development;• academic performance, enrolments, academic programme implementation and student development and performance;• development of infrastructure and facilities to support growth of the University; and•     financial management, performance and sustainability.The year under review saw a significant leap in the development of Sol Plaatje University. Enrolments almost doubled, formative academic programmes were introduced, the University assumed full responsibility for the infrastructure development programmes, the staff complement grew to 65academic and 54 administrative members, and the institutional administrative systems were increasingly consolidated.

Sol Plaatje University completed its fourth academic year in 2017 and this report presents the institutional, academic and operational development and performance of our University over the year. The report covers four broad areas of the operation of the University: governance and institutional capacity development; academic performance in enrolments, academic programme implementation and student development and performance; development of infrastructure and facilities to support growth of the University; and financial management, performance and sustainability. The Council of the University was strengthened by the appointment of new external members and functioned well during 2017. Importantly, Council received approval for the first Sol Plaatje University Institutional Statute which was gazetted inMarch 2017. This allowed the University to transition from the generic Standard Institutional Statute, developed by the DHET as a basis for establishing new universities, to a new statute that better represents the institutional and structuralarrangements that our University sees for itself.

Sol Plaatje University was formally established in August 2013 and completed its fifth academic year in 2018. This report presents the institutional, academic and operational development and performance of our University over the year. The report covers four broad areas of the operation of the University, as follows:• governance and institutional capacity development;• academic performance in enrolments, academic programme implementation and student development and performance;• development of infrastructure and facilities to support the growth of the University; and• financial management, performance and sustainability

2019 saw Sol Plaatje University complete its sixth academic year since it was formally established in August 2013. In this relatively short period, the University has consolidated itself well as an important institution that positively impacts on the intellectual, cultural and social life in the city of Kimberley. 2019 also saw two important markers in this maturing phase of the University: the introduction of the first postgraduate programmes and total student enrolments growing close to the 2 000 mark. This report presents the institutional, academic and operational development and performance of our University over the year. The report covers four broad areas of the operation of the University, which are as follows:● Governance and institutional capacity development;● Academic performance in enrolments, academic programme implementation and student development and performance;● Development of infrastructure and facilities to support the growth of the University; and● Financial management, performance and sustainability