Notes from a South African University

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Hello all,

I am nervously watching the news about the election tomorrow … perhaps it has been decided by the time you read this. It is all over the news in South Africa and people are, for the most part, hoping that Obama will win. He has been a popular candidate, somewhat because of his African roots, but also because he is more competent in international affairs.

I am entering my 3^rd week at University of Venda and feel pretty comfortable with the place. I can find my way to the cafeteria, which is an accomplishment! Univen has 11,000 students (both undergrad and grad) and is a former homeland university. This means it was terribly understaffed and underfunded during the apartheid regime. They have since attempted to improve the campus and faculty with more money and facilities. (These are some photos from campus – on a sunny day!) Many more experienced faculty and administrators are from Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, and other African countries.

Geography is in the School of Environmental Sciences with a strong emphasis on waste management, climate change, agriculture, water pollution, and gender. They grant BS, MA, and PhD degrees, have several hundred students at undergrad level, and have relatively few faculty to handle all of these demands. I won’t ever complain about my workload at WVU again!

The language of instruction is English, but most students speak TshiVenda (local language), and writing among students is relatively poor. I’ve met several foreign students, mostly from Zimbabwe, who migrate because of the poor conditions and economic opportunities in their country. I even sat in on a focus group organized around campus xenophobia that mostly targets Zimbabwe students. They had lots to say about issues that we label discrimination, harassment, and bullying.

Once again, thanks for following and providing your comments on the blog. I enjoy keeping in touch with you in this new, high tech, interconnected world. And Howard, good to see you on Skype yesterday! (Sorry that the Redskins lost!)

Love from South Africa, Ann

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Photos

University of Venda
campus scene