Port Elizabeth - The tenure of the administrator of the Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has been extended for another six months.
Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande extended Prof Lourens van Staden's tenure until April 30, according to a notice published in the Government Gazette on Wednesday.
“This will include the strengthening of structures, systems and policies that will ensure good governance and the restoration of the culture of teaching and learning and academic integrity at the university,” Nzimande said in the notice.
The terms of reference for the position included taking over the university's management and restoring it to operational and financial sustainability.
The university shut down on July 30, a week after the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union and the National Tertiary Education Union declared a strike.
The lockout, which caused student protests, was lifted on September 8.
Higher education director general Gwebs Qonde said in August that the university was technically and commercially bankrupt.
President Jacob Zuma assigned Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane to investigate the problems that led to the closure and to ensure education continued.
Van Staden was also tasked with assessing the impact of the 2005 merger of Border Technikon, Eastern Cape Technikon, and the University of Transkei into WSU, and whether this had led to a financial shortfall.
Other responsibilities set out in the gazette were the appointment of senior executive management and the introduction of measures to reduce WSU's overdraft.
Van Staden would also be responsible for instituting a forensic audit to identify corruption.
Sapa