Rhodes holds Colloquium on Institutional Culture

Rhodes University will hold a Colloquium on Institutional Culture on the weekend of 2 – 4 October 2009. The purpose of the colloquium will be to interrogate a wide range of explicit and implicit practices and traditions that have shaped (and continue to shape) what could be referred to as Rhodes University ‘institutional culture’.

“The idea for the colloquium came up because there were important decisions to be made,” said Dr Sizwe Mabizela, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic and Student Affairs. These decisions include the positioning of the University in the 21st Century in both the national and the global context. It is also necessary that Rhodes identifies its strategic priorities in terms of size and shape as it reaffirms it African identity.

“The colloquium is intended to create a broad framework that will help the University to make these decisions in positioning itself as a place of choice for our students and academic and support staff,” said Dr Mabizela.

Practices and traditions that have historically shaped the institutional culture at Rhodes University must necessarily come under scrutiny. These include:

• Heraldry
• Rhodes Crest
• The University’s African identity
• Race and nomenclature
• Gender
• Language
• Curriculum, teaching and learning
• University ceremonies – graduation, academic freedom lectures, inaugural lectures, etc.
• Academic regalia

Further it is important that these practices and traditions, as they continue to shape the identity of the University, become reflective of an institution that is transforming in line with identified South African educational and social imperatives.

For example, when Drs Mabizela and Clayton took their positions as DVCs in 2008, the question of their academic regalia was raised. However, it was decided that it would be premature to significantly alter their academic dress until such time as the University had engaged with the question of academic regalia as a whole, and to use the exercise as an opportunity to begin to reflect a different institution.

The colloquium is the start of such processes and is intended to invite discussion that will provide a frame of reference as to how the University will begin to make such changes in future.

“Another example is that of the portraits in the Council Chamber, which could have been moved surrepticiously,” said Dr Mabizela. “However, let us engage differing perspectives on where and how these portraits should be preserved.”

Further, the Symbol of Energy is regarded by many as a symbol of colonisation. The issue of Heraldry also raises questions of relevance and what the University is trying to convey about its identity. Also, what does the process of naming and renaming signify? Here again are opportunites to create a framework for making decisions as to which symbols are relevant to transforming the Rhodes identity going forward and, very importantly, for dealing with sensitive issues surrounding institutional culture in a manner that embraces rather than alienates members of the University community.

“While we are not able to discuss all issues exhaustively, the colloquium will allow us to build a framework that will signal to us how to make these decisions,” said Dr Mabizela.

The colloquium is open to staff and students and provides an opportunity for interested members of the University community to engage on important issues of institutional culture. All discussions will be held in the Eden Grove lecture venues.

For more information, please download the full programme here