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LIVE, BECOME AND THRIVE: DVC’S CORNER BY PROF PAMELA DUBE
PROF PAMELA DUBE, DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR: STUDENT DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT, UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE
EVERY TIME I am asked to write my thoughts for this magazine I feel strangely elated, as if it is the first time. I’m still searching for the answer as to why this is. Perhaps it is simply the anticipation of capturing the imagination of the readers with another edition showcasing the story of Student Development and Support and UWC Sport, and our determined effort to perform among the best.
AS THE DVC RESPONSIBLE for students and executive oversight over sport administration, I wish to acknowledge the contributions and dedication of our staff who do everything possible to provide the assistance and support required by students, and who understand the importance of co-creating an environment that enables students to thrive. These colleagues are focused on the difference we need to make to the lives of our athletes and their future prospects.
We have seen what is possible demonstrated by the large number of national team players in many sporting codes who started their careers on the sports fields at UWC and played their away matches in front of a handful of passionate spectators who understood the value of grassroot support.
These athletes never internalise giving up because they know that the cost is too great. They are role models to kids who play soccer or rugby without boots and who may doubt their own talents and capability given their backgrounds or circumstances, especially when they compare their experiences to the privileged few who are able to get all the support they need. Our work transcends nurturing talent and serves to uplift and restore such diminished dreams.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE as mentors and motivational speakers because we live in an imperfect society that requires us to ask – what time is it now? When are we going to have a clear roadmap that takes us from where we are to a situation where equity of opportunities has become a universally established norm?
Many women and men who donned our jerseys were a force to be reckoned with and became international stars because they believed in and backed their talents, complemented by the support they needed to succeed. They never forgot where they come from. The nurturing environment UWC provided them is a platform that must be sustained for many more athletes to come. We must have an enduring commitment to using the spaces we create to foster an inclusive environment and a culture of ensuring that every person feels welcome and has a true sense of belonging.
WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE to watch our matches live at the stadium amid the restrictions imposed on national associations regarding spectators. We should not take the opportunity lightly to cheer our teams on and keep them motivated.
OUR HIGH-PERFORMANCE ASPIRATIONS remain our firm focus and we are committed to supporting many codes to sustainably compete with the best in the university sports fraternity. Our continued investments in facilities, despite many challenges, ensure that our facilities are top quality and attract key tournaments across the board. The renovations at the stadium have gone well and the work on the computer lab that commenced in 2021 is being finalised. Equipped with 10 workstations and a printer, the lab’s main purpose will be to provide efficient academic support to athletes who need to be at the gym, field or track or attending lectures. Academic and sport performance are not mutually exclusive, as evidenced by the many sportsmen and women who are outstanding academic achievers.
We celebrate these positive developments, with which UWC continues to demonstrate its commitment to excellence and to always putting its students and athletes first.
WE CONTINUE TO REMEMBER and mourn the loss of a number of our colleagues. Recently, colleagues converged in Knysna to pay their last respects to the ever-vibrant Adrienne Galagatsi. We convey our heartfelt condolences to her family and salute many other families whose members have contributed positively to the successes we celebrate today.
I take solace in the knowledge that we are intensely engaging with and working to finalise the new SDS Strategic Framework to which colleagues who have left us contributed. The framework signifies a new path towards a delivery model that places the student experience throughout their journey at the centre of our holistic definition of success.
THE NEW THINKING that has allowed the Division to revitalise and reorientate itself fi nds expression in our revised motto: LIVE, BECOME and THRIVE.
WE HOPE THAT THESE EFFORTS will strengthen our resolve to further propel UWC Sport to greater heights.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TEAM that produced the magazine and I hope you will enjoy the exciting stories. B+G
