Reality, Rhetoric, Vision and Envisioning: A Challenge to

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Reality, Rhetoric, Vision and Envisioning A
Challenge to Unisa Alumni
By Prof. RC Bodibe Vice-Principal Student
Alumni Affairs UNISA
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INTRODUCTION

• Alumni form a vital cog in the machinery of any
  University
• worth its salt. For this reason, Unisa remains
  firmly
• committed to the establishment of a lifelong
  relationship
• and partnership with its alumni.
• In order to form this relationship, Unisa will be
  engaged
• in a number of initiatives, to ensure that its
  former students
• (both its alumni and convocation) have a voice in
  crafting
• ties that bind, not bonds that will tether with
  its alumni and
• convocation.

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INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS

• Post the merger of the old Unisa, erstwhile
  Technikon
• Southern Africa (TSA) and Vista University
  (VUDEC), the
• new Unisa moved in the following direction
• Vision
• Towards the African University in the service of
  humanity
• (PRO GENTIBUS SAPIENTIA Knowledge in the
  service of
• humanity).

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INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS

• Values
• Values germane to the vision are integrity,
  social justice
• and fairness, and excellence.
• Mission
• Unisas mission encapsulates comprehensiveness,
  open
• learning and distance education, lifelong
  learning, barrier free
• learning, high quality among staff and meeting
  the needs of a
• globally competitive society.

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INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS

• Against the backdrop of all the foregoing, Unisa
  re-branded
• itself, and a new logo was unveiled on 31 March
  2005,
• where all the strands are brought together, like
  well weaved
• strands of an exquisitely beautiful tapestry.
• Ten strategic objectives were formulated, but the
  one most
• relevant to the Alumni is the following
• 6.6 Create a nurturing environment to promote
  student well-being, to foster a sense of
  belonging to Unisa, and to mobilise alumni in
  the service of the University.

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INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS

• We are not here to quote a Shakespearian
  character
• (Mark Anthony in Julius Caesare to be exact).
• To stir you to mutiny and rage. We are here to
  say, let
• us take hands, let us partner one another (alma
  mater,and
• alumni) to enable Unisa scale greater heights
  than
• heretofore achieved! Be it in
• Throughput
• 3rd Income Stream
• Research output
• Learner Support provisioning
• Financial viability and sustainability
• Service Excellence

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INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS

• Customer care
• Use of Information and Communication Technologies
  (ICT)
• Quality Assurance
• Programme mix and their relevance to what the
  flat world needs.
• Supporting government initiatives in the
  alleviation of poverty, and stemming the tide of
  the HIV and AIDS pandemic.

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• To give effect to the ten strategic objectives,
  and the
• 2015 Strategic Plan (An agenda for
  transformation) intense
• and intensive planning workshops were conducted.
• Culminating in the operational plan for 2006
  endorsed and
• approved by Council (subject to minor
  modifications) on 10
• -11 March 2006.
• At the heart of the operational plan will be
• Customer care and customer focus (Baithuti-pele
  Students first).
• Compulsory acquisition of ICT skills and use of
  ICT by all staff and students.
• A relevant programme qualification mix.

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• All Unisas efforts will be for nought, if alumni
  do not assist
• us move in this noble trajectory we have set
  ourselves.
• Also important is focus on human capital
  development.
• WHERE YOU COME IN AS ALUMNI AND
• CONVOCATION
• There are two fs I would like to draw your
  attention to the key matter is for you to be
  friends of the University. With the first f of
  friend handled, we would like you to assist Unisa
  with the second f funds and fundraising.

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• Unisa has recently constituted a Foundation,
  chaired by Bill
• Gundelfinger, a prominent lawyer in Johannesburg,
  and
• co-chaired by Millard Arnold (A US born Human
  Rights
• Activist). You as alumni are exhorted to join
  hands with the
• Unisa Foundation, to ensure that Unisa remains
  financially
• healthy.

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• SOME POSITIVE TRENDS TO SHARE WITH YOU
• In 2004 and 2005 Unisa undertook forages into a
  number of areas, and established Chapters, with
  convenors and co-convenors at the helm in the
  following areas

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• Efforts this year will target
• Kimberley
• Namibia (Windhoek)
• Lesotho (Maseru)
• Botswana (Gaborone)
• Swaziland (Mbabane)
• Mauritius
• USA (Washington DC or New York)
• Zimbabwe (Harare)

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• Lessons from convenors and setting up regional
  chapters
• In building relationships, the process should not
  be uni-directional but reciprocal. Alumni need
  to get return of Investment of their talent,
  time and treasure in the form of
• Lifelong learning opportunities at Unisa
• Networking among yourselves
• Acquisition of the convocation ring
• Purchase of Unisa memorabilia
• Interactive website
• Unisa publications (e.g. Unisa Link)
• Meetings with fellow Alumni

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• Silver, Gold or Platinum Alumni status
• Chancellors Dinner
• Special rates as special users of the Library
• Tax refunds for certain donations
• Use of Unisa access cards
• Lifelong membership number
• Member of a Chancellors club
• Joint trips and tour groups (economies of scale)
• Reunions (e.g. class of 1970)

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• College specific reunions (e.g. Lawyers,
  Chartered Accountants)
• Honouring illustrious alumni
• Information sharing session (e.g. A breakfast
  address by Scenario Planning Guru, Clem Sunter).
• Belonging to Regional Alumni
• Exchanging databases
• Accessing databases (e.g. Alumni in the Banking
  Sector)
• Interacting with communities.

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OPERATION PLAN 2006

• CHALLENGES
• Word of mouth marketing for Unisa (As Herbalife
  enthusiasts would say
• Wear the button
• Use the product
• Tell the others
• To interact with Colleges Academic Deans
• To wear the convocation ring
• To support young aspiring Unisa alumni
• To understand the business of Unisa, and being
  Unisas ambassadors.

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CONCLUSION

• There is a new Zeitgeist among Unisa Alumni we
  have thus for interacted with. Winds of change
  and transformation are blowing. May I implore
  you, to be part of that spirit of the time.
• If we do the things we have suggested, and more
  that will come from you, we can expect future
  generations to honour postera crescam laude.
  Honoured by prosperity for a job well done!