UNISA GRADUATES CALLED TO ASSIST UNDERGRADUATES

The KwaZulu-Natal Alumni Chapter has called upon all the UNISA graduates to play an active and meaningful role towards enhancing their alma mater's social and educational responsibilities.

This clarion call was pronounced by Unisa officials during the KZN Alumni Chapter Breakfast that was attended by approximately 500 graduates and was held at the Durban's beachfront hotel on the first weekend of June 2010.

From Unisa's Registrar Academic Prof Louis Molamu, Unisa Foundation Director Pat Lawrence, Unisa's Durban Campus Director GM Ntombela to the KZN Alumni Chapter convenor Steve Mkasi, they all spoke highly of the achievements, sacrifices and tribulations that the Unisa graduates had to endure in meeting and conquering the distance learning environment challenges.

Speaker after speaker implored that all Unisa graduates carry a responsibility as the custodians of the Unisa heritage to give back selflessly to their alma mater by empowering their fellow undergraduate brothers and sisters.

"On behalf of the university I want to express my gratitude at the multitude of Unisa graduates that were attending the KZN Chapter Alumni Breakfast.
As our graduates you remain central to all that we, as Unisa, strive and aim to achieve in line with our transformation agenda 2015.
Let all our alumni contribute to the development of our learning programmes by giving his or her time in assisting our undergraduates in their academic-related difficulties" said the Durban regional Director Ntombela.

The Unisa graduates can play an active and meaningful role towards the sustainance and co-ordination of the Unisa's empowerment and social investment enrichment programmes 'by becoming lifelong learners', alluded Unisa Foundation Director.

Let all Unisa graduates, she added, play a meaningful role and assist their alma mater to continue to provide human investment opportunies to the multiple sectors of the South African communities.

"The Unisa Alumni Association was established in order to mobilise alumni in the service of the university and to improve the level of engagement between South Africa's oldest institution of higher learning and its former students.
The Alumni Chapters were spread all over the nine provinces and abroad to act as a vehicle to advance the vision and mission of Unisa, as we strive to become the African University in the service of humanity" observed Lawrence.

Registrar Prof Molamu also called upon all the Unisa qualified professionals as the broader community of Alumni ( he cited people who obtained degrees, diplomas and certificates) to register on the Alumni database found on Unisa website in norder to actively participate in the 'academic-social-economic activities' of the varsity and contribute to Unisa's long-term success and sustainability.
"As Unisa graduates you will always have a pivotal role to play. We want to ensure that the quality of your qualifications meets and conforms to the international standards.
We would like to utilise your academic proficiencies to the development of a new crop of Unisa graduates.
As the academic staff we're disheartened by the high number of university drop-outs in the country.
Hence, we're calling upon our Alumni to assist Unisa by contributing to our tutorial programmes as they 'already posses first-hand experience of what it takes to study through distance learning'

The KZN Alumni Chapter convenor related an anectdote about his distance learning challenges as a Unisa Durban campus student.
Mkasi emphasised that his knowhow of difficulties associated with distance learning challenges compelled him to be the first graduate to register as a tutor in the School of Law as an LLB graduate.
"Speaking from my personal experience as an undergraduate in the Durban campus, it took nine out of ten teleconferences to get help from the professors based in Pretoria as they were normally out of office.
It is precisely for this prime reason that I am calling upon you , fellow graduates, that we selflessly contribute to the attainment of proper education and qualifications by our fellow undergraduate brothers and sisters.

{Author is a Schoolteacher, Political-Social Commentator and a Writer. He graduated with Public Relations Certificate with Unisa's Centre for Business Management in 2003}
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