UKZN’s annual Parents Day was held on the University’s Howard College, Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses.

This event provides a platform for University staff to engage with parents; sharing useful information about the support that will be given to their children. Parents are also informed about the various scholarship packages and funding options available.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Humanities, Professor Nhlanhla Mkhize, welcomed parents and spoke highly of the College’s achievements and all that it offers. Mkhize reassured parents that UKZN staff and management would be there every step of the way to help ensure students realised their full potential. ‘Encourage your children to fully engage in academically enriching experiences aimed at nurturing them in the classroom and beyond,’ he said.

For Mr Tiger Moodley, the College of Humanities was the College of choice for his daughter, Illeana, who will study towards a Bachelor of Arts degree. ‘I know UKZN will provide my daughter with a rewarding experience and that she will be able to enter the workforce with confidence. As a UKZN alumnus myself, I can’t think of a better university for her,’ he said.

The College of Law and Management Studies event highlighted the role the College plays in academic and student support and also tackled student funding as well as housing and accommodation matters.

In his address, the College’s Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Brian McArthur, assured parents that their children had made the right decision in choosing the University as UKZN’s Accounting programmes are rated level 1 – the highest rating awarded by the SA Institute of Charted Accountants (SAICA). The University’s LLB programme is fully accredited by the Council on Higher Education.

The College Deans and Heads of Schools spoke about undergraduate programmes, teaching and learning as well as student support services offered in the College, while representatives from Student Funding Services discussed systems in place that take care of the students funding needs. Parents were assured that UKZN had their children’s best interests at heart in the area of their housing and accommodation needs.

Said Dean of Teaching and Learning in the College of Health Sciences, Professor Sinegugu Duma: ‘We pride ourselves for having a dedicated academic and support team that goes the extra mile to provide our students with the best learning experience.’

Meanwhile, Director of Professional Services, Professor Fanie Botha, commented: ‘To produce clinicians fit for purpose, the College of Health Sciences has taken all necessary preparations to place our clinical students on a Decentralised Training Platform and have ensured that students are both comfortable and well catered for while on these training sites.’

Among parents and eager first-year students at Parents Day in the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science on the Howard College campus were UKZN employee, Ms Nolleen Chidzawo, and her son, Chinembiri, who had travelled from Zimbabwe to register for a BSc in Mechanical Engineering.

Dean of the School of Engineering, Professor Glen Bright, assured the new cohort of parents that their children were in good hands and would receive the best education possible as UKZN’s School of Engineering is currently ranked number 1 in South Africa.

Science students on the Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses received equally warm welcomes.

Words: Ndabaonline

Photographs: Andile Ndlovu and Albert Hirasen