OFFICE OF THE DEAN: PROF PE GREEN FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES ROOM 4.32, COMMERCE BUILDING, DISTRICT SIX CAMPUS, CAPE TOWN TELEPHONE: +27 21 460 3639 / 3146 EMAIL: GreenP@cput.ac.za / SallieA@cput.ac.za
23 September 2022 Dear Students This letter pertains to all students in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS). May all FBMS students be safe and well at this time. Academic Year 2022 (AY2022) is moving along swiftly as we reach the final summative assessments in November 2022. As from Monday 26 September 2022, there are seven weeks left for tuition, (i.e., learning, teaching and assessments) before the Final Summative Assessments (FISAs) commence in the FBMS. Given the system of continuous assessment at CPUT, most assessments for the year would have been completed at this stage, and students should have a fair idea of academic performance to date. With continuous assessment, all summative assessment marks contribute to the final pass mark. Academic success, therefore, requires students to be consistent and diligent throughout the year. The next seven weeks are crucial to finalising this academic year. The FISAs in November 2022 present an opportunity to excel and achieve a Cum Laude pass if all other assessments in a subject were passed with 70%+, or these final assessments provide an opportunity to ensure a pass above 50% if challenges were experienced during the year. Much depends on the efforts of students in this last stage of AY2022. Lecturers have made every effort to support and assist students throughout AY2022, but it is ultimately how students apply these learning opportunities that matter. Learning in higher education should not be to achieve a pass mark of 50% and above, but should be about how engagement with subject content has transformed thinking, reasoning skills and problem-solving skills for the benefit of individuals and their respective communities. Assessment periods are usually stressful, so efforts should be in place to minimise stress. For example: • be confident that subject content is well understood; • seek academic assistance well before the FISA to gain confidence for assessments; • seek student counselling support if assessments seem overwhelming; • follow a healthy lifestyle that includes nutritious food and enough sleep to feel refreshed each day, and • above all, know your work and be prepared for every assessment. The current load shedding schedules are concerning given that there seems to be no guarantee that these schedules will be suspended before the assessments commence. This will require planning since many assessments are online assessments completed in personal learning spaces. When the assessment time-tables are released, students are reminded to monitor load shedding stages and outage times in specific areas and to plan their schedules to be in WiFi /internet connectivity zones during assessment times. There are specific rules in place should power outages occur and students are not able to complete assessments. These rules are communicated
by subject lecturers and departments, and must be adhered to at all times. No deviation from these rules are allowed. Lastly, it is the responsibility of each and every student to check assessment marks completed to date. If, for example, a 0(zero) mark is indicated and an assessment or assignment was completed, this must be queried and resolved BEFORE the FISAs commence. No marks queries should be forwarded to lecturers and departments at the start of AY2023 or when the results are released in December 2022. All queries regarding assessment marks completed before the FISA must be finalised in November 2022. Each student is wished every success for all subjects completed in AY2022. Lecturers and student support champions (i.e., teaching assistants, tutors, mentors and retention officers) have invested their time and efforts to contribute to the learning journey and development of all students. To all FBMS students, may AY2022 be a memorable year for academic achievement, personal growth and professional development.
Yours sincerely
Prof P Green Dean: Faculty of Business and Management Sciences
Cape Peninsula University of Technology PO Box 1906 Bellville 7535 www.cput.ac.za