Prof. Theuns Eloff Should Resign The Higher Education Transformation Network (HETN), acting on behalf of its alumni membership, hereby notes that the term of office of the North West University Vice-Chancellor is coming to an end and its position has been advertised in the newspapers last week. It has always been our opinion and official position that the current Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Theuns Eloff should resign as he has, in our view, failed to steer the institution towards transformation. Under Pro.Eloff’s leadership there has been widespread victimization of students and workers, racial discrimination and inequalities or disparities among the three NWU campuses. It is further our opinion that the current institutional management team comprising of the three Campus Rectors who have been serving under the current Vice-Chancellor should not be considered for appointment as they will simply be perpetuating the status quo due to innate sycophancy and poor leadership. New blood and ideas are required at the institution. It is the view of the HETN that that the person who should occupy the Vice-Chancellor role should come from outside the institution because the institution needs fresh minds that will facilitate and fast-track the processes of transformation, advance the objective of the institutional merger and save the NWU from groupthink and the morass of institutional racism. The Vice-Chancellorship role needs a person who has a clear understanding of the higher education landscape and its challenges, has the ability to embrace change, will respect the autonomy of the SRC, respect worker unions, will ensure equal representation by all campuses, will not be hoodwinked by racist political entities and who will end the domination by the former Potchefstroom University. The NWU needs a Vice-Chancellor who is a true academic and has produced several internationally peer-reviewed academic papers, who will call meetings with all stakeholders every year to evaluate progress, desist from engaging in divide-and-rule games, someone who would not abuse the concept of institutional autonomy but balance it with public accountability and ensure that the university plays a critical role within the developmental agenda and nation building to build the kind of the society that is envisaged by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa..
Posted on: Tue, 27 Aug 2013 05:34:42 +0000
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