THE GOVERNANCE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND

In the course of this book there are numerous references to the structures known as the Council and the Senate and to officers of the University known as Vice-Chancellor and Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellors. These structures and individuals and the authority that they carry are similar throughout the university system in South Africa in the post-apartheid era. In the period about which I write they were similar for the English-medium so-called ‘open universities’ but were under much greater state control in those institutions established by the National Party government for the development of apartheid tertiary education.

The Council

In terms of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, (Private) Act and the statutes that fall under it, the government and the executive authority of the University is vested in the Council. The Council elects the chairperson from amongst its members. The Council has statutory authority to administer all the property of the University and has general control (including financial) of the University and of all its affairs, purposes and functions, except as otherwise provided in the Act. Council appoints all persons considered necessary for the efficient conduct of the University and determines the title, status, powers, privileges, functions and duties of the people appointed. The Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellors are appointed by the Council after it has consulted with various constituencies of the University. It also determines the fees to be paid by students, but only after consultation with the Senate.

During the 1980s the Act provided for the following composition of Council: Vice-Chancellor, Vice-Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellors, the Mayor of Johannesburg, eight members appointed by the State President, four members elected by the Convocation (graduates, academic staff, professors emeriti and retired academic staff who have had ten years continuous full-time service), five members elected by the Senate, three members appointed by the Council of Education of the Witwatersrand, two members elected by past students and donors, two members appointed by the City Council of Johannesburg, one member appointed by the Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce, one member appointed by the Transvaal Chamber of Industries and two members appointed by the Chamber of Mines of South Africa.