Cape Town - The convocation of Stellenbosch University has accepted a motion supporting a proposed new residence-placement policy, which some members opposed.
A statement released on the university’s website on Friday said that at a meeting on Thursday night 109 members voted in favour of the motion and 77 against it.
The convocation consists mainly of alumni.
Another motion, which asked that the proposed policy be rejected, was not accepted. The reasons for demanding that the policy be rejected were that it “discriminates unfairly on the basis of one or more factors, including - but not limited to - race, ethnic or social background, colour, age, culture and/or language” and that “it interferes with the right of persons who belong to specific language and cultural communities to use that language and culture as such”.
A total of 116 members of the convocation voted for this motion and 120 against it.
The policy’s objectives include that students should be placed “in such a way that it will contribute positively to the formation of sound, diverse communities”.
It also strives to “as far as possible allocate a place in a residence to the most vulnerable students, whose chances of success will improve if they are in a residence”.
The policy provisions also state that academic merit will be considered in the first round in order to place first-year students in residence.
Five “diversity factors” will be also be taken into account. These are whether the student is a South African citizen or international student, language preference, ethnicity, whether the student is a first-generation student, and economic class.
The policy will be tabled at a meeting of the university council on April 29. - Cape Argus