Unisa KZN engages frankly with student structures regarding challenges

During a student mass meeting held on 21 January 2025 at Unisa’s Durban campus, KwaZulu-Natal Regional Director Dr Joyce Myeza engaged frankly with the Regional Student Representative Council (RSRC), other student structures, and ordinary students who came to discuss the challenges they experience regarding academic and financial support.

Dr Joyce Myeza, KZN Regional Director, and Andile Ndlela, RSRC chairperson

At the end of this meeting, the RSRC chairperson, Andile Ndlela, handed over a memorandum of student’s concerns, which contains a list of issues that students are escalating to the Regional Director so that she can further escalate them to Unisa’s head office.

The objective of this meeting and memorandum was to take further action on the challenges that are believed to be hindering the students’ academic progress and to request the Regional Director to listen and then escalate this matter to the relevant colleges or individuals.

Among the hurdles described by many students were a number of modules, the invigilator app and the phasing out of specific curricula.

The Regional Director explained her role in this matter. “It is not easy to resolve the matter when there is no one is there to account. The best way we can resolve this matter is to direct all these issues to me so that I escalate them to the relevant lecturers and colleges so that there is someone to hold accountable should you not receive the responses you need,” she said.

Myeza said she understands the students’ grievances, not only in her capacity as a regional director but also as a parent to a child who experienced a similar situation. Consequently, she promised to do all she could to assist the students.

* By Amanda Mthengi, Communication and Marketing Intern: Unisa KwaZulu-Natal