INTRODUCTION

In response to the HESA Circular 26/2013 regarding the Common Campaign Days (CCD), Nelson Mandela University has undertaken to foreground the 20 years of democracy through a critical reflection of the role of higher education, and Nelson Mandela University specifically, in contributing to and shaping democracy. This reflection will be retrospective and prospective in nature to look back over the last 20 years to critically assess progress, and to imagine possible futures over the course of the next 20 years, to examine the role of higher education in positively impacting on democracy going forward.

PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY COMMON CAMPAIGN DAYS

The programme of events compiled by Nelson Mandela University for the Common Campaign Days (CCD) is based on the following principles, namely:

  • It will be informed by multi-stakeholder consultation and involvement.
  • The planned events will not be restricted to internal university audiences, but will make provision for topical issues to be discussed in the public domain.
  • It will link into events already being planned in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (e.g. the NMB Business Chamber), the Eastern Cape Province and nationally.
  • It will make provision, where possible and feasible, for collaboration with other Eastern Cape educational institutions.
  • It will be integrated into Nelson Mandela University’s calendar of events for 2014 (e.g. Diversity Month; public lectures; CANRAD Difficult Dialogues; Academic Success week, Africa Week; etc).
  • It will be utilised as a mechanism to strategically position Nelson Mandela University specifically, and higher education more broadly, as agents of positive impact in a democratic society.
  • It will encourage critical reflections that are both retrospective and forward looking in their orientation. 

OVERARCHING THEME OF NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY COMMON CAMPAIGN DAYS

The proposed overarching theme for Nelson Mandela University’s CCD is to evaluate how Nelson Mandela University has contributed to democracy through it's impact on student access and success. Various dimensions of this include:

  • Depictions of Nelson Mandela University’s role in catering for various dimensions of student access (e.g. access assessment; RPL; adult learners; flexible modes of delivery; access and articulation routes for VCET college learners; international learners) and student success (e.g. academic; co-curricular; sporting; etc). 
  • Critical reflections on the impact of Nelson Mandela University and higher education more generally in widening access and promoting student success.
  • Evaluate the contribution of various forms of student development and support interventions in developing holistic graduates capable of success as responsible citizens in a democratic knowledge society.
  • Foreground the pioneering work being done by Nelson Mandela University research and engagement entities that would not have been conceived of prior to the advent of democracy in South Africa.