Pretoria - Higher education institutions in Tshwane have enhanced their capabilities to ensure the smooth running of the registration process for first-time students.
While the debate over mandatory vaccinations within the higher education sector continues to rage on, universities have announced their preparations for and dates to accept first-time students, while adhering to the necessary Covid-19 protocols.
The Tshwane University of Technology said that its registration period for first-time entrants would commence on January 31 and close on February 25.
The university's Phaphama Tshisikhawe said they had enhanced online systems, including pre-selecting all compulsory first-year subjects and confirming registered first-year students.
Tshisikhawe added that acceptance letters were also being issued containing registration guidelines to afford students an opportunity for easier registration.
In light of the risk of infection related to crowds and queues, Tshisikhawe said the university would not be allowing any walk-in student admissions.
She said, however, the institution would avail some of its laboratories to assist students who encountered difficulty registering online.
“Limited counter services have been made available for students without the facilities to register online. This has always been the strategy towards a digitally advanced university, and Covid-19 amplifies its implementation,” she said.
Regarding classes, Tshisikhawe said the university would assess the Covid-19 levels and determine whether mask-to-mask classes could be considered.
Unisa spokesperson Victor Dlamini said the 2022 academic year was made up of two semesters.
The first-semester registration commenced on January 4 and would close on January 24.
Dlamini said students may also register their modules for the second semester during this period if they wished to do so provided that there were no prerequisite requirements for modules.
He added that the second-semester registration period would then commence on June 20 and run to July 18.
He said that ordinarily the university did not have late registration periods.
However, should there be circumstances beyond the control of the university, the relevant authorities would assess the situation and make a determination whether to extend the registration deadline or not.
Meanwhile, the University of Pretoria's Rikus Delport said the registration period for postgraduate students opened on January 3.
Delport said new students could register from January 25, with the welcome day for them scheduled for February 12 and orientation from February 14 to 18.
He added that registration for senior students would start from February 1.
Lectures would commence on February 21.
Pretoria News