Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University (Afrikaans: Universiteit Stellenbosch) is a public research university situated in Stellenbosch, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Stellenbosch is the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Saharan Africa, together with the University of Cape Town - which received full university status on the same day in 1918.[5] Stellenbosch University (abbreviated as SU) designed and manufactured Africa's first microsatellite, SUNSAT, launched in 1999.[6]

Stellenbosch University
Universiteit Stellenbosch or Stellenbosch Universiteit
MottoLatin: Pectora roborant cultus recti
Motto in English
"A sound education strengthens the spirit"
TypePublic
Established2 April 1918 (1918-04-02)
EndowmentZAR 1,483.99 million[1]
Academic staff
1028[2]
Administrative staff
2183[2]
Undergraduates25,042[3]
Postgraduates10,051[3]
Location
Stellenbosch
,
Western Cape
,
South Africa (SA)

33°55′58″S 18°51′51″E
Campus2 suburban and 2 urban
Colours  Maroon
NicknameMaties
Affiliations
MascotPokkel[4]
Websitewww.sun.ac.za

Stellenbosch University was the first African university to sign the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities.[7]

The students of Stellenbosch University are nicknamed "Maties". The term probably arises from the Afrikaans word "tamatie" (meaning tomato, and referring to the maroon sports uniforms and blazer colour). An alternative theory is that the term comes from the Afrikaans colloquialism maat (meaning "buddy" or "mate"), originally used diminutively ("maatjie") by the students of the University of Cape Town's precursor, the South African College.[8]

History
The Ou Hoofgebou (Former Main Administration building, now the Law Faculty) on Stellenbosch University campus
Stellenbosch University Museum

The origin of the university can be traced back to the Stellenbosch Gymnasium, which was founded in 1864 and opened on 1 March 1866. The first five students matriculated in 1870, but capacity did not initially exist for any tertiary education. However, in the 1870s, the Cape Colony's first locally elected government took office and prioritised education. In 1873, four of the five 1870 matriculates became the institution's first graduates by attaining the "Second Class Certificate" through distance learning, and the gymnasium's student numbers rose to over a hundred.

In 1874, a series of government acts provided for colleges and universities, with generous subsidies and staff. A personal intervention by the Prime Minister in the same year ensured that Stellenbosch qualified, after initially being allocated to be purely a secondary school. Later in 1874, the institution acquired its first Professor and, in the coming few years, its capacity and staff grew rapidly. Its first academic senate was constituted at the beginning of 1876, when several new premises were also acquired. The first MA degree (in Stellenbosch and in South Africa) was completed in 1878, and also in that year, the Gymnasium's first four female students were enrolled.[9] [10] The institution became the Stellenbosch College in 1881, and was located at the current Arts Department. In 1887, this college was renamed Victoria College; when it acquired university status on 2 April 1918 it was renamed once again, to Stellenbosch University.[11] Initially only one university was planned for the Cape but after the government was visited by a delegation from the Victoria College, it was decided to allow the college to be a university if it could raise £100,000.[12]: 290–1  Jannie Marais, a wealthy Stellenbosch farmer, bequeathed the money required before his death in 1915.[12]: 291  There were certain conditions to his gift which included Dutch/Afrikaans having equal status to English and that the lecturers teach at least half their lectures in Dutch/Afrikaans. By 1930, very little, if any, instruction was delivered in English.[12]: 291 

In December 2014, specialists at the university performed the first successful penis transplantation on a 21-year-old man.[13]

Name

Although the university was originally named the University of Stellenbosch (Afrikaans: Universiteit van Stellenbosch), it nowadays uses two forms: the English version Stellenbosch University (abbreviated SU) and the Afrikaans version Universiteit Stellenbosch (abbreviated US).[14][15] In all its official documents, such as degree certificates, as well as the university coat of arms, both the English "Stellenbosch University" and the Afrikaans "Universiteit Stellenbosch" are used.

Rankings
See also: Rankings of universities in South Africa and Rankings of business schools in South Africa
University rankings
Global – Overall
ARWU World[16]401-500
QS World[17]361
THE World[18]251-300
Regional – Overall
QS BRICS[19]51
THE Africa[20]2
Theological Faculty with the statue to founders academics John Murray and Nicalaas Jacobus Hofmeyr

The university is one of three public universities in the Western Cape and one of about 20 universities in the country.

In the latest edition of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Stellenbosch University was ranked in the 251-275 category in the world and third in Africa. Another reputable ranking system, QS World University Rankings recently ranked the university at 390 in the world and also third in Africa.[21]

The Leiden University ranked Stellenbosch 395th out of the top 500 universities worldwide on its CWTS Leiden Ranking list of 2013.[22] This list also ranked the university second in both South Africa and Africa, behind only the University of Cape Town.

Stellenbosch University consistently ranks in the top 200 worldwide in law, politics and geography.

Stellenbosch University is ranked in the top 100 worldwide in development studies, theology, agriculture and forestry.[23]

In 2012, Webometrics ranked Stellenbosch's web footprint 2nd largest in Africa, again behind the University of Cape Town.[24]

The University of Stellenbosch Business School's MBA program was ranked 65th out of 100 MBA programmes of the leading business schools in the world the Aspen Institute's 2011-12 edition of its Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey. The USB is also the only business school in South Africa, as well as the rest of the continent, to be included in the Top 100 list.[25]

The University of Stellenbosch Business School has triple accreditation (AMBA, EQUIS and AACSB accreditation) and is ranked second in Africa by Eduniversal. The University of Stellenbosch Business School is ranked in the top 100 worldwide in executive education by Financial Times.[26]

Location
View over the "Red Square" of Stellenbosch University with the peak,"The Twins" beyond

Stellenbosch is located about 50 kilometres from Cape Town and is situated on the banks of the Eersterivier ("First River") in the famous wine-growing region and is encircled by picturesque mountains. Teaching at Stellenbosch University is divided between the main campus in Stellenbosch, the Tygerberg campus (where the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is situated), the Bellville Park campus (where the University of Stellenbosch Business School (USB) is situated), and the Saldanha campus (housing the Faculty of Military Science at the Military Academy of the South African National Defence Force).

Language

Stellenbosch University has historically been a predominantly Afrikaans-medium university. However, as the student body became more diverse, pressure mounted for more classes in English.

Today, the university's language policy[27] promotes multilingualism as a means to increase equitable access for all students and staff. Afrikaans, English and Xhosa are used in academic, administrative, professional and social contexts, and classes are offered in Afrikaans and English.

Students are allowed to write their assignments, tests and examinations in English or Afrikaans. The language of tuition also varies depending on the faculty. The Faculty of Arts for example is 40% English-speaking, so courses are lectured bilingually and the language of most handouts or prescribed material is determined by the student.

At postgraduate level the language of tuition is determined by the composition of the class. Most advanced postgraduate courses are conducted in English. According to the 2016 language profile of the university, 40.7% of its students stated Afrikaans as their home language, 46.1% stated English, 0.9% stated English and Afrikaans, and 3.1% of students stated isiXhosa as their home language.[28]

The language policy is still an ongoing issue for the university, since it is one of the very few tertiary institutions in South Africa offering instruction in Afrikaans.[29] It is situated in the Western Cape province, where 67% of the population have Afrikaans as home language, and the only one of four universities in the province to offer degree courses in Afrikaans.

The university annually hosts the SU Woordfees, a predominantly Afrikaans-language festival of the written and spoken word.[30]

Student profile

Stellenbosch University's student racial profile is as follows:[31]

Ethnic enrolment, 2018 Percentage Total
number
White 58.1% 18,455
Coloured 18.1% 5,749
Black 20.1% 6,384
Indian 3.1% 984
Total 100% 31,572

Faculties and schools
Wilgenhof Residence
Theological Seminary

Stellenbosch University consists of about 150 departments divided amongst 10 faculties. It also has more than 40 research (and other) institutions.

The faculties that are situated on the main campus are:

The faculties and schools that are not situated on the main campus are:

The Southern African node of the Pan-African University is based in South Africa and will concentrate on space sciences.[32] This decision was connected with South Africa's bid to host the Square Kilometre Array of radio telescopes. In September 2009 Jean-Pierre Ezin, African Union commissioner for science, said the node at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa was hoped to open in February 2010.[33] According to University World News, however, The PAU project continues in other regions although Southern Africa has been lagging behind.[34]

Facilities and services
Rooiplein

The Stellenbosch University Library has collections scattered around the campus outside of the main facility, and all of which are catalogued on a computerised database, using the university's original mainframe, a UNIVAC. There are several other satellite libraries servicing the different faculties, including the Theology Library, Law Library and Tygerberg Medical Library.

Stellenbosch University also has a Conservatory, with two concert halls. The Conservatory is the home of the internationally acclaimed[35] Stellenbosch University Choir, who, along with being the oldest South African choir have received numerous awards overseas.[36]

The university also has a 430-seat theatre, known as the HB Thom Theatre and an open-air amphitheatre. Accompanying these facilities is the university's own Drama Department, under the guidance of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The department regularly puts on plays, dramas, productions, cabarets and musicals.

Botanical Garden – Bonsai Collection

The Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden is the oldest university botanical garden in South Africa.

The Langenhoven Students' Centre (Neelsie) houses the Student Representative Council, a food court, a cinema, a post office, a shopping centre, an advice office and all the student societies' offices. Student bands and various entertainment and activity promotions usually appear in the main food court during lunch hour.

The university has its own radio station known as MFM (Matie FM), situated in the Neelsie. It broadcasts a mix of music, news, entertainment and campus news over the entire Stellenbosch area at 92.6 FM.

The university also distributes regular publications, Die Matie (appearing every fortnight) for its students and Kampusnuus (appearing monthly) for its staff. An official yearbook, Stellenbosch Student, is published annually and presented to all graduating students. Matieland[37] is the name of the official alumni magazine. It is published twice a year and distributed to some 100 000 alumni and friends of the university.

Sport

Sports facilities for the more than 30 competitive and recreational sports that are supported by the university include Danie Craven Stadium, two large swimming pools (one under roof), the Coetzenburg Centre, a multi-purpose center for ceremonies and indoor sports, playing fields, including two artificial hockey fields, a gymnasium, and a new football complex. The university offers several sports to its students. Some of them are athletics, bouldering, badminton, basketball, canoeing, cricket, cross country running, cycling, fencing, golf, gymnastics, field hockey, judo, kendo, netball, rowing, rugby union, soccer, squash, surfing, swimming, taekwondo, tennis, underwater hockey, volleyball, water polo, and yachting.

Stellenbosch has served as a test site in 2006 for a set of proposed modifications to the rules of rugby union, commonly referred to as the Stellenbosch Laws.

Student housing

Stellenbosch has 34 residence halls in configurations for women only, men only and mixed gender. Each residence is supervised by a resident head assisted by a House Committee of senior students. The House Committee assists students with security, maintenance, and social programs.} Each first year student on campus gets access to a be-well mentor who assist them with their social-emotional transition from school to university. Each residence for undergrads incorporates a laundry room, a common living room and a dining hall where meals are provided for which students book beforehand on their student account.

The number of available rooms in university residences is limited, which requires some students to find private boarding.[38] Students in private lodgings are assigned to one of 6 Commuter Student Organisations (CSO), also known as Private Wards. These CSOs give private students exposure to the same campus experience as students residing in residences. The oldest residence is Wilgenhof men's residence, established in 1903.[39]

The CSO wards along with the Residence Halls are grouped into six clusters with nearby residences to form student communities (a seventh cluster is on the Tygerberg campus).[40] For each of these clusters, a hub facility is being built, of which three have already been completed, namely amaMaties, Wimbledon and Victoria.[41] In this way, commuter students can enjoy the same benefits as residence students, such as mentor support, meals and a well-appointed place to go to between classes.

Controversies

In October 2022, an incident of alleged racism occurred where a white student urinated onto the study material of a black student.[42]

Leaders

[43]

Rector
Period Surname Name(s) Date of Birth Date of Death
1 1919-1925 Cillié Gabriël Gideon 10 September 1870 1 April 1958
1925-1934 VACANT
2 1934-1955 Wilcocks Raymond William 23 January 1892 16 March 1967
3 1955-1970 Thom Hendrik Bernardus 31 December 1905 4 November 1983
4 1970-1979 de Villiers Jan Naude 17 August 1923
5 1979-1993 de Vries Michiel Josias 5 May 1933 5 July 2002
6 1993-2002 van Wyk Andreas Hercules 17 September 1941
7 2002-2007 Brink Chris 31 January 1951
8 2007-2014 Botman Hayman Russel 18 October 1953 28 June 2014
9 2014- de Villiers Willem Johan Simon 26 September 1959
Chancellor
Period Surname Name(s) Date of Birth Date of Death
1 1918-1919 Marais Johannes Izak 23 August 1848 27 August 1919
2 1919-1931 Vos Pieter Jacobus Gerhard 29 October 1842 31 October 1931
3 1931-1932 de Villiers Jacob Abraham Jeremias 14 December 1868 16 September 1937
4 1932-1939 Moorrees Adriaan 18 August 1855 17 November 1938
5 1939-1941 Kestell John Daniel 15 December 1854 9 February 1941
6 1941-1959 Malan Daniel Francois 22 May 1874 7 February 1959
7 1959-1968 Dönges Theophilus Ebenhaezer 8 March 1898 10 January 1968
8 1968-1983 Vorster Balthazar Johannes 13 December 1915 10 September 1983
9 1983-1983 Thom Hendrik Bernardus 31 December 1905 4 November 1983
10 1984-1988 Botha Pieter Willem 12 January 1916 31 October 2006
11 1988-1998 van der Horst Johannes Gerhardus 19 September 1919 23 April 2003
12 1998-2008 Botha Elizabeth 19 November 1930 16 November 2007
13 2008-2009 Slabbert Frederik Van Zyl 2 March 1940 14 May 2010
14 2009-2019 Rupert Johann Peter 1 June 1950
15 2019- Cameron Edwin 15 February 1953
Edwin Cameron, chancellor (2019-present)

Notable alumni

Science

Law

Politics

Business

Sport

Arts and music

Academia

Other

See also

References
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  2. "Statistical Profile". www.sun.ac.za. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  3. "Error". www.sun.ac.za. Archived from the original on 29 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  4. "Meet Pokkel the Maties mascot" Archived 13 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Matie News, 18 February 2009
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  24. Archived 21 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
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  33. Linda Nordling (2 September 2009). "Pan-African University could launch early next year". SciDev. Archived from the original on 15 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
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  36. Archived 7 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine
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  38. Ministerial Committee for the Review of the Provision of Student Housing at South African Universities (2011). Report on the Ministerial Committee for the Review of the Provision of Student Housing at South African universities. Ihron Lester Rensburg, South Africa. Department of Higher Education and Training. Pretoria. ISBN 978-0-621-40731-0. OCLC 795184064.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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  40. Smorenburg, Mathew. "Clusters". www0.sun.ac.za. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  41. "A sense of belonging for Victoria Cluster". 10 May 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
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  44. Stellenbosch University at the Mathematics Genealogy Project
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