Dear students and colleagues,
 
The Faculty of Health Sciences at UCT began a process of engagement between students, staff and management in 2016, which was at times tumultuous. Central to this engagement were a set of demands put forward by undergraduate students. This process was difficult and painful for many, however several important gains were made to find solutions to the demands. However, in order to ensure that the process of findings solutions to these demands is moved forward with urgency and accountability, the establishment of an Oversight Task Team was proposed and agreed. This Oversight Task Team would be guided by our shared ideals that we have adopted as Faculty, which include: respect for human rights and human dignity, intellectual rigor, excellence and innovation, commitment to high standards, relevance and accountability and will build on that vision of creating a Faculty environment in which all staff and students feel respected, a sense of belonging and feel that they can study and work optimally. It will ensure that the momentum to address the demands of undergraduate students is not lost and that firm deadlines are set, responsibilities allocated and deliverables achieved.
 
Importantly, a separate Oversight Task Team has been constituted to deal with issues relating to postgraduate students in the Faculty.
 
In order to help the process of establishing the undergraduate Oversight Task Team, a group of Faculty staff members were delegated by DAC to meet with students to get the process back on track. We met on Friday 10 February 2016 to discuss the process of setting up the Oversight Committee and the previous criteria proposed. A list of those who attended this meeting is listed at the bottom of this letter.
 
Both the terms of reference of this Oversight Task Team and its composition have previously been discussed and the last version of these discussions are attached in the accompanying document. Briefly, it is envisaged that the Oversight Task Team is a small group whose job is simply to oversee the implementation of what was agreed in the resolution of the undergraduate students’ demands in 2016. It will not be representative of all constituencies but will be diverse in its composition. The Oversight Task Team is to be selected from nominations from Faculty from different constituencies. The proposed membership of this selection committee which will finalise who will be on the Oversight Task Team is outlined in the document.
 
It is important that different constituencies give feedback on these two issues so that we can pave the way for setting up the Task Team. We therefore welcome comment on these terms of reference and composition from members of the FHS before the selection committee for the Oversight Task Team is set up.
Timeline:

• Monday 13 February 2017: Circulate current draft of the terms of reference of Oversight Committee and selection and nomination procedures to all students and staff
• Thursday 16 February 2017: Deadline for submission of comments on terms of reference of Oversight Committee and on selection and nomination procedure  

Please send your comments to Ms Mpho Mogotsi (mpho.mogotsi@uct.ac.za).
 
Yours sincerely, 
Ntobeko Ntusi

People in attendance of the first meeting of the Ad-Hoc Committee for Establishment of the Undergraduate Oversight Task Team:

• Ntobeko Ntusi, Department of Medicine, Member of DAC (Chair)
• Francois Cilliers, Education Development Unit
• Andrea Williams, Medical student, #Occupy FHS
• Leslie London, School of Public Health and Family Medicine
• Lebogang Ramma, Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Member of DAC
• Nkatheko Phakula, Health and Rehab student and class representative
• Musa Omar, Medical student and HSSC member
• Phumelele Mbambo, Medical student and HSSC member
• Peace Francis, Medical student and HSSC president
• Elelwani Ramugondo, Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Health and Rehabilitation and Co-chair, Curriculum Change Review Committee
• Muazzam Jacobs, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
• Mahlagonolo Modipane, Medical student, #Occupy FHS