General Prospectus

Vaal University of Technology
General Prospectus
First published 2009
Second ed ition 2010
Third ed ition 2012
Fourth ed ition 2013
Copies of t he Facult y Prospect us are obt ainable from:

The Registrar
Office: B004
Tel.: +27 (16) 950 9175
Fax.: +27 (16) 950 9775
NB:
Althou gh the information contained in this General Prosp ectu s has been com piled as accu rately as p ossible,
the Cou ncil and the Senate of the Vaal University of Technology accep t no resp onsibility for any errors or
omissions.
w w w .vut.ac.za
Vaal University of Technology
Vanderbijlpark Campus Educit y Campus

Private Bag X021 Private Bag X021
Vand erbijlp ark Vand erbijlp ark
1900 1900
Tel.: +27 (16) 950 9000 Tel.: +27 (16) 930 5028
Fax.: +27 (16) 950 9999 Fax.: +27 (16) 930 5064
Secunda Campus Ekurhuleni Campus

P O Box 3595 P O Box 4901
Secu nd a Kem p tonp ark
2302 1620
Tel.: +27 (17) 631 1990/ 1971 Tel.: +27 (11) 929 7400
Fax.: +27 (17) 631 2328 Fax.: +27 (11) 392 1249
Upingt on Campus
P O Box 2468
Up ington
8800
Tel.: +27 (54) 332 3304
Fax.: +27 (54) 332 3634
Kindly Not e: You r stu d ent nu m ber shou ld ap p ear on all corresp ond ence
and be d irected to the Office of the Registrar.
General Prospectus
Index
1. A Brief Look at the VUT from 1966 to 2010 ................................................... 4

2. Enrolm ents and Grad uates ............................................................................7
3. Vision and Mission Statem ent ....................................................................... 8
4. Com m ittee Calend ar 2013 ............................................................................. 9
5. Acad em ic Calend ar 2013.............................................................................. 10
6. Public Holidays ........................................................................................... 14
7. Governance Com m ittees .............................................................................. 15
7.1 Council ........................................................................................................ 15
7.2 Senate .......................................................................................................... 15
7.3 Institutional Forum ...................................................................................... 17
8. Governance Sub-Com m ittees & Managem ent Com m ittees ......................... 18
8.1 Com m ittees of Council ................................................................................ 18
8.2 Com m ittees of Senate .................................................................................. 18
8.3 Managem ent Com m ittees of the VUT ......................................................... 24
9. Stud ent Representative Council ...................................................................27
10. Rectorate and Secretarial Staff .................................................................... 28
11. Acad em ic Staff & Ad m inistrators ............................................................... 30
12. N on-Acad em ic Senior Managem ent & Ad m inistrators ............................... 35
13. Policies and Regulations .............................................................................. 37
13.1 General Acad em ic Rules .............................................................................. 37
13.2 Ad m issions Policy ....................................................................................... 55
13.3 Policy on Acad em ic Probation, Withd raw al From & Deferm ent of Stud ie s . 71
13.4 Proced ure Regard ing Continuation of Stud ies ............................................. 75
13.5 Assessm ents Regulations ............................................................................ 79
13.6 Cod e of Stud ent Cond uct and Jud iciaries ................................................. 109
13.7 Library Services Regulations ...................................................................... 128
3
General Prospectus
1. A Brief Look at the VUT from 1966 to 2010
1966 : The Vaal Triangle College for Ad vanced Technical Ed u cation

op ens its d oors to the com m u nity, w ith Mr C A J Bornm an
ap p ointed as the first Princip al. The College boasts 189
engineering stu d ents, 15 m em bers of staff and hostel
accom m od ation for 60 stu d ents.
1971 : Dr Isak Steyl is ap p ointed as Director of the Institu tion .
1975 : The constru ction of new bu ild ings com m ences, p rovid ing
stu d ents w ith a new library, gym nasiu m , laboratories, lectu re
halls and a new w ing for the Dep artm ent of Com m erce and
Managem ent. The College is thu s enabled to d ou ble its
stu d ent intake and exp and the cu rricu lu m .
1978 : Stu d ent enrolm ent reaches the 3 000 m ark. Staff now totals
137.
1979 : Colleges are renam ed Technikons in accord ance w ith the
Ad vanced Technical Am end m ent Act.
1981 : The Vaal Triangle Technikon continu es to exp and . An
ad d itional hostel op ens its d oors and hosts 140 m ore stu d ents.
Vesco d onates a fu rther 22 hectares to the Institu tion to
accom m od ate the m assive bu ild ing exp ansions ap p roved by
the Dep artm ent of Ed u cation. Cou rses in Microbiology and
Param ed ical Sciences are offered for the first tim e.
1984 : The first Lau reatu s (equ ivalent to PhD) stu d ents register, and
d u ring the sam e year a Dep artm ent of Ed u cational Technology
is established .
1986 : The Gold Field s Library is com p leted and finally the
Technikon boasts a library w hich satisfies the need s of existing
stu d ents and staff.
1987 : The Vaal Triangle Technikon establishes a satellite cam p u s at
Secu nd a, offering p art-tim e classes only. Bu ild ing com m ences
on new facilities at the m ain cam p u s for the School of Art and
Design. Stu d ent nu m bers reach 6 000.
1994 : The Vaal Triangle Technikon establishes a new satellite
cam p u s at Klerksd orp . Ap p roval is given to the Technikon to
offer d egree cou rses and the first enrolm ents are accep ted .
4
General Prospectus
1995 : The Vaal Triangle Technikon establishes tw o ad d itiona l

satellite cam p u ses at Up ington called the N orthern Cap e
Satellite Cam p u s, and at Kem p ton Park, called the Eku rhu leni
Satellite Cam p u s.
1996 : Prof AT Mokad i joins the Vaal Triangle Technikon as Vice-
Chancellor and Rector. Facu lties rep lace the form er schools
and d irectors becom e d eans. The first Masters Degree –
Magister Technologiae in Electrical Engineering is aw ard ed .
Tokyo Sexw ale is elected as the fir st Chancellor of the Vaal
Triangle Technikon.
1998 : The 14 500 stu d ent m ark is reached , reflecting the
d em ograp hics of Sou th African society. Black stu d ent
enrolm ent rises to 63,4%. All d iscip lines offer d egree cou rses
w hich can be p u rsu ed from bachelors to d octorate level. The
Gold Field s Fou nd ation‟s Ad m inistration Manager officially
op ens the Gold Field s Library‟s Electronic Classroom .
1999 : The new langu age p olicy, w ith English as the official langu age,
com es into op eration. The first Doctorates are aw ard ed in the
Facu lty of Ap p lied and Com p u ter Sciences and the Facu lty of
Managem ent Sciences. On 30 Ap ril the Vaal Triangle
Technikon op ens its high -voltage laboratory, m aking it a
lead er in the field of electrical engineering, w ith the cap acity to
serve the p ow er cable research need s of the entire Sou th
Africa.
2001 : A Technology Station for Com p osite Materials is established to
assist the com p osite ind u stry in p rod u ct d evelop m ent and the
u se of state-of-the-art technology.
2002 : A Dep artm ent of Technology Planning and Develop m ent is
established to sp earhead the d rive to m ake greater u se of
technology. Ou r cham p ion athletes Chris H arm se w on a gold
m ed al at the African Cham p ions in Tu nisia and Mbu laeni
Mu lau d zi w on a gold m ed al at the Com m onw ealth gam es in
Manchester. Mbu laeni w as the first black Sou th African ever
to w in a gold m ed al at these cham p ionship s and the first Sou th
African to w in a gold m ed al in the track events in the p ast 44
years. On 6 Sep tem ber the first ever H onorary Doctorate is
aw ard ed to Archbishop Em eritu s Desm ond Tu tu , and the
5
General Prospectus
u nveiling of the hall, henceforth to be know n as the Desmond

Tutu Great Hall.
2003 : The Desm ond Tu tu Lectu re Series is institu ted . The inau gu ral
ad d ress is given by Ju d ge Albie Sachs of the Constitu tional
Cou rt. The second ad d ress in the series is p resented by Clem
Su nter, Chairm an of the Anglo Am erican Chairm an‟s Fu nd .
The acad em ic re-d irection of the institu tion tow ard s becom ing
a u niversity of technology begins.
2004 : Vaal Triangle Technikon officially becom es the “VAAL
UN IVERSITY OF TECH N OLOGY”. The u niversity takes
occu p ation of the p reviou s Vista C am p u s at Sebokeng,
renam ing it “Ed u city” in the p rocess.
2005 : Registrations p ass the 17 000 m ark for the first tim e.
th
2006 : VUT celebrates its 40 anniversary. A new acad em ic stru ctu re
is introd u ced to p rovid e for the final transition of VUT from its
form er technikon stru ctu re to a u niversity of technology
stru ctu re u nd er the banner: Transform ation II – from
Technikon to University. VUT aw ard ed H onorary Doctorates
to the follow ing recip ients: An Extraord inary Professorship to
Prof Martin H inou l (Bu siness Develop m ent: K U Leu ven
Research & Develop m ent), Legal Stu d ies to Dr Ad v Pansy
Tlaku la (CEO: Electoral Com m ission of SA (IEC), Sp ort
Managem ent to Dr Molefi Olip hant (SAFA).
2007 : VUT ap p oints its first fem ale Vice-Chancellor and Princip al,
Prof Irene Mou tlana.
2008 : VUT aw ard ed H onorary Doctorates to the follow ing
recip ients: Ap p lied Sciences to Dr Mosibu d i Mangena
(Minister of Sciences and Technology), Law to Dr Ad v IA
Sem enya (Pitje Cham bers – Fabcos H ou se), Fine Arts to
Dr DN Koloane (Director: Ford sbu rg Artists‟ Stu d io),
H u m anities to Dr Sip ho M Pityana (Execu tive Chairp erson
Izingw e H old ings (Pty) Ltd ), Law to Dr Ad v G Bizos SC
(Senior Ad vocate Chairp erson Legal Resou rces Centre),
H u m anities to Dr Archbishop WH N N d u ngane (Form er
Anglican Archbishop ) H istoric School Restoration Project and
African Monitor.
6
General Prospectus
2. Enrolments and Graduates
Enrolments
VUT Student Numbers 2008 2009 2010 2011

Und ergrad uate 16 713 19 020 21 047 21 468
Postgrad uate 207 203 186 207
Students in Major Study Fields 2008 2009 2010 2011

Science, Engineering, Technology 8 971 10 367 10 895 11 431
Business/ Managem ent 6 790 7 710 8 780 8 535
Ed ucation 152 147 48 3
Other H um anities 1 034 1 183 1 693 1 892
Graduates
Graduates at VUT 2008 2009 2010 2011

Und ergrad uate 2 410 3 169 3 092 3 582
Postgrad uate 547 30 24 59
Graduates in Major Study Fields 2008 2009 2010 2011

Science, Engineering, Technology 1 270 1 385 1 307 1 502
Business/ Managem ent 1 474 1 559 1 583 1 878
Ed ucation 2 90 40 38
Other H um anities 231 165 186 258
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
- N elson M andela
7
General Prospectus
3. Vision and Mission Statement
8
General Prospectus
4. Committee Calendar 2013
9
General Prospectus
5. Academic Calendar 2013
Stud y Guid es for S1 & S2 print read y : 16 November 2012
First Sem ester

TERM 1: 02 January to 20 March (Schools 09 January to 20 March)
Public H olid ay : 01 January
nd
Finalisation & Publication of 2 Opportunity Results : 02 – 12 January
Registration: Confirm ed Early Applications : 11 January
Registration: Cond itionally Accepted Early Applicants : 14 – 15 January
Late Applications & Registrations : 16 – 18 January
Finalisation of Acad em ic Appeals & All Pre-registration Queries : 14 – 18 January
Registration Seniors
Faculty of Engineering & Technology : 21, 22 & 28 January
Faculty of Managem ent Sciences : 23, 24 & 30 January
Faculty of Applied & Com puter Sciences : 25, 26 & 29 January
Faculty of H uman Sciences : 25, 26 & 29 January
Faculties Overflow : 31 January
Test Week: N BT & Psychom etric : 21 – 26 January
Orientation Week : 28 – 31 January
Registration Closes for All Stud ents : 01 February
Classes Com m ence All Stud ents : 04 February
Academ ic Opening : 08 February
CASS Evaluations Com m ence : 11 February
Closing Date: Ad d ition of Subjects : 25 February
Closing Date: Cancellation of Subjects : 08 March
Public H olid ay : 21 March
VUT Holid ay : 22 March
Public H olid ay : 29 March
10
General Prospectus
TERM 2: 02 April to 21 June (Schools 09 April to 21 June)

Public H olid ay : 01 April
Classes Com m ence : 02 April
st nd
Closing date for subm ission of 1 & 2 Opportunity Exam Papers : 12 April
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Engineering : 15 April
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Applied & Com puter : 16 April
Sciences
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – H uman Sciences : 17 April
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Management Sciences : 18 April
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Management Sciences : 19 April
Grad uation Cerem onies: Delivery Sites – Secund a : 23 April
Grad uation Cerem onies: Delivery Sites – Ekurhuleni : 24 April
Grad uation Cerem onies: Delivery Sites – Upington : 25 April
Public H olid ay : 27 April
Public H olid ay : 01 May
Publication of Year-Marks : 10 May
Comm unication Exam ination : 11 May
Exam ination – 1 Opportunity
st
: 18 May to 01 June
Ad d ition / Cancellation Closing Date for Year Courses : 03 June
st
Finalisation & Publication of 1 Opportunity Results : 03 June – 07 June
Com pletion of CASS Marks: All Faculties : 14 June
nd
: 12 June – 22 June
Public H olid ay : 16 June
Public H olid ay : 17 June
Second Sem ester

TERM 3: 08 July to 20 Septem ber (Schools 15 July to 20 Septem ber)
Finalisation & Publication of 2 nd Opportunity Results : 08 – 12 July
Registration: Confirm ed Early Applications : 12 July
Registration: Cond itionally Accepted Early Applications : 15 – 16 July
11
General Prospectus
Late Applications & Registrations : 17 – 19 July

Finalisation of Acad em ic Appeals & All Pre-Registrations Queries : 15 – 19 July
Registration Seniors
Faculty of Engineering & Technology : 22 – 23 July
Faculty of Applied & Com puter Sciences : 24 – 25 July
Faculties Overflow : 26 July
Test Week: N BT & Psychom etric : 22 – 24 July
Orientation Week : 25 – 26 July
Classes Com m ence All Stud ents : 29 July
Registration Closes for All Stud ents : 30 July
Public H olid ay : 9 August
CASS Evaluations Com m ence : 12 August
Closing Date: Ad d ition of Subjects : 16 August
Closing Date: Cancellation of Subjects : 30 August
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Engineering : 09 Septem ber
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Applied & Com puter : 10 Septem ber
Sciences
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – H uman Sciences : 11 Septem ber
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Management Sciences : 12 Septem ber
Grad uation Cerem onies: Main Cam pus – Management Sciences : 13 Septem ber
VUT Holid ay : 23 Septem ber
Public H olid ay : 24 Septem ber
TERM 4: 01 October to 13 Decem ber (Schools 01 October to 04 Decem ber)

Classes Com m ence : 01 October
st nd
Closing date for subm ission of 1 & 2 Opportunity Exam Papers : 04 October
Publication of Year Marks : 25 October
Comm unication Exam ination : 26 October
st
: 02 – 16 Novem ber
st
Finalisation & Publication of 1 Opportunity Results : 18 – 22 Novem ber
12
General Prospectus
Exam inations – 2nd Opportunity : 30 November to

12 Decem ber
Com pletion of CASS Marks: All Faculties : 03 Decem ber
Public H olid ay : 16 Decem ber
Remarks:
1. Academ ic Staff report for d uty on: Sem ester 1: 07 January
Sem ester 2: 10 July
2. Total Contact weeks per sem ester: Sem ester 1: 13 ½ Weeks

Sem ester 2: 12 ½ Weeks
13
General Prospectus
6. Public Holidays
01 Janu ary N ew Years Day

21 March H u m an Rights Day
22 March VUT H olid ay
29 March Good Frid ay (Frid ay before Easter Su nd ay)
01 Ap ril Fam ily Day (Mond ay after Easter Su nd ay)
27 Ap ril Freed om Day
1 May Workers Day
16 Ju ne You th Day
17 Ju ne Pu blic H olid ay
9 Au gu st N ational Wom en‟s Day
23 Sep tem ber VUT H olid ay Day
24 Sep tem ber H eritage Day
16 Decem ber Day of Reconciliation
25 Decem ber Christm as Day
26 Decem ber Day of Good w ill
14
General Prospectus
7. Governance Committees
7.1 Council
The Council, constituted in term s of Section 27(4) of the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997 (Act 101
of 1997), at the tim e com pilation of this Prospectus the Ad m inistrator, Prof P FitzGerald
fulfilled the roll of Council.
7.2 Senate
The Senate, constituted in accord ance w ith Section 28(2) of the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997
(Act 101 of 1997), consists of:
Mem bers
Moutlana, IN (Prof) (Chairperson) Vice-Chancellor & Principal
Louw , H A (Prof) (Deputy Chairperson) DVC: Acad em ic & Research
Mokoena, TD (Dr) (Secretary) Registrar
Alugongo, A (Prof) H oD: Mechanical Engineering
Aoyi, O (Prof) Professor: Chem ical Engineering
Bad enhorst, LA (Mr) H OD: Process Control & Com puter System s
Bad enhorst, P (Mr) Cam pus Principal: Upington
Brits, H J (Dr) Director: Total Quality
Cam pbell, H M (Prof) H OD: Ind ustrial Eng & Operations
De Beer, D (Prof) Executive Director: TT & I
Dhurup, M (Prof) Executive Dean: Managem ent Sciences
Dicks, DA (Prof) Professor: Electrical Engineering
Dicks, EG (Prof) Associate Professor: Hospitality
Dikio, E (Prof) Associate Professor: Chem istry
Du Plooy, GS (Mr) Senior Director: Curriculum Developm ent
Fouché, CE (Ms) H OD: Com m unication & Ed ucation
Gaed e, RJ (Prof) Associate Professor – Visual Arts & Design
Goniw e, T (Prof) Associate Professor – Visual Arts & Design
Johnson, BJ (Dr) Executive Director: Research
Joubert, DJ (Dr) H OD: Legal Sciences
Joubert, PA (Dr) H OD: H um an Resource Management
Joubert, T (Ms) H OD: Pow er Engineering
Kungune, VGF (Mr) Deputy Registrar: Exam inations & Grad uations
Lom bard , A (Ms) H OD: Information & Com m unication Technology
Mabuza, BR (Prof) Executive Dean: Applied & Com puter Sciences
15
General Prospectus
Machika, P (Dr) Executive Director: Centre for Acad em ic

Developm ent
Malaza, ED (Prof) Executive Director: Institutional Planning
Martin, R (Dr) Cam pus Principal: Secunda
Masu, LM (Prof) Research Professor: Engineering
Mend onid is, P (Prof) (A cting) H OD: Metallurgical Engineering
Mod ise, SJ (Prof) Director: Institute of Chem istry & Biotechnology
Mokoena, BA (Mr) (A cting) H OD: Marketing & Sports Managem ent
Möller, A (Dr) H OD: Accountancy
Moloi, KC (Prof) Associate Professor: Com m unication & Ed ucation
Moloto, MJ (Prof) Associate Professor: Chem istry
N aidoo, EB (Prof) H OD: Chem istry
N d ege, M (Prof) Executive Dean: Engineering & Technology
N girane-Katashya, G (Prof) Associate Professor: Civil Engineering
N icolaid es, A (Prof) H OD: H ospitality, Tourism & PR Managem ent
Old ewage-Theron, WH (Prof) Director: Centre of Sustainable Livelihood s
Om ara-Ujungu, PH (Prof) Cam pus Principal: Ekurhuleni
Osifo, PO (Dr) H OD: Chem ical Engineering
Pad ayachee, T (Prof) H OD: Biosciences
Pienaar van Z, HC (Prof) Director: Electronic Engineering
Pienaar van Z, WJ (Mr) H OD: Electronic Engineering
Pillay, M (Prof) Professor: Biosciences
Pinkoane, M (Prof) Associate Professor: Biosciences
Pooe, RID (Dr) H OD: Logistics
Roberts, N (Ms) Senior Director: Library & Inform ation Services
Salim , W (Dr) (A cting) H oD: Civil Engineering
Seroka, S (Dr) Executive Director: Stud ent Support Services
Setlhare, LM (Mr) SRC: Presid ent
Sikakana, IQ (Dr) H OD: N DT & Physics
Sm it, JJAC (Dr) Director: Curriculum Developm ent
Sooful, A (Ms) (A cting) H OD: Visual Arts & Design
Surujlal, J (Prof) Research Professor: Managem ent Sciences
Vacant Council Representative
Vacant Council Representative
Vacant Director: Co-operative Ed ucation
Vacant DVC: Resources & Planning
Van d er Bank, CM (Prof) Executive Dean: H uman Sciences
Winter, B (Mr) (A cting) H OD: Software Stud ies
16
General Prospectus
Zid e, GN (Prof) DVC: Governance & Operations

Zim ba, K (Dr) H OD: Mathematics
7.3 Institutional Forum

The Institutional Forum , constituted in accord ance w ith Section 28(2) of the H igher Ed ucation
Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997), at the tim e com pilation of this Prospectus the Ad m inistrator, Prof
P FitzGerald fulfilled the roll of Council.
17
General Prospectus
8. Governance Sub-Committees & Management Committees
8.1 Committees of Council

The Council, constituted in term s of Section 27(4) of the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997 (Act 101
of 1997), at the tim e com pilation of this Prospectus the Ad m inistrator, Prof P FitzGerald
fulfilled the roll of Council.
8.2 Committees of Senate

The Vice-Chancellor is an Ex-Officio member of all Committees of Senate
Higher D egrees Committee

Members
Louw , H A (Prof) (Chairperson) DVC: Acad em ic & Research
Fouché, C (Ms) Chairperson: Faculty Research Com m ittee
Masu, LM (Prof) Chairperson: Faculty Research Com m ittee
Mokoena, TD (Dr) Registrar
N elana, S (Dr) Chairperson: Faculty Research
Pad ayachee, T (Prof) H oD: Biom ed ical Technology
Surujlal, J (Prof) Chairperson: Faculty Research
Senex
Members
Johnson, B (Dr) Executive Director: Research
Louw , H A (Prof) DVC: Acad em ic & Research
18
General Prospectus

Senate Library Committee

Members
Roberts, N (Ms) (Deputy Chairperson) Senior Director: Library & Inform ation Services
Bad enhorst, PJ (Mr) Cam pus Director: Upington
Brits, H (Dr) Director: Quality Promotion
Martin, R (Mr) Cam pus Director: Secunda
Mofokeng, GL (Mr) Senior Deputy Registrar: Acad em ic
Ad m inistration
Om ara-Ojungu, PH (Prof) Cam pus Director: Ekurhuleni
Ramasod i, D (Mr) Executive Director: IT Services
Representative 2 Representatives p er Faculty
Representative 2 SRC Representatives
Senate Learner Support Committee

Members
Zid e, GN (Prof) (Deputy Chairperson) DVC: Governance & Support
Fouché, C (Ms) H oD: Com m unication & Ed ucation
H end rich, U (Dr) Snr Counsellor: Counselling Departm ent
H euer, E (Ms) Director: Learner Support
Joubert, T (Ms) H oD: Pow er Engineering
Kungune, VGF (Mr) Deputy Registrar: Exam inations
Lom bard , A (Ms) H oD: ICT
Martin, R (Dr) Cam pus Director: Secunda
19
General Prospectus
Machika, P (Dr) Executive Director: Centre of Acad em ic

Developm ent
Mend onid is, P (Prof) (A cting) H oD: Metallurgical Engineering
N aidoo, EB (Prof) H oD: Chem istry
N aid u, Y (Mr) Acting Coord inator: IPU
Rathbone, L (Ms) Counsellor: Counselling Department
Representative Institutional Developm ent
Representative 4 SRC Representatives
Sid w aba, P (Ms) H OD: Stud ent Counselling
Sooful, A (Ms) (A cting) H oD: Visual Arts & Design
Honorary D egree Committee

Members
Van d er Bank, CM (Prof) (Deputy Executive Dean: H uman Sciences
Chairperson)
Dhurup, M (Prof) Faculty of Managem ent Sciences
Joubert, MJ (Mr) N teu
Mabuza, BR (Prof) Faculty of Applied & Com puter Sciences
Mend onid is, P (Prof) Research Professor
Mod ise, SJ (Prof) Institutional Forum
Mohlokoane, S (Mr) N ehaw u
N d ege, M (Prof) Faculty of Engineering & Technology
Representative 1 SRC Representative
Vacant Council
20
General Prospectus
Quality Promotion Committee

Members
Brits, H (Dr) (Deputy Chairperson) Director: Quality Promotion
Dicks, D (Prof) Director: Engineering & Technology
Du Plooy, G (Mr) Director: Com m unity Engagem ent & RPL
Kearney, J (Dr) Senior Lecturer: H ospitality, Tourism & PR
Kundasam i, R (Mr) Manager: Quality Prom otion Unit
Lom bard , A (Ms) H oD: ICT
Maneschijn, D (Ms) Academ ic & Stud ent Affairs: Ekurhuleni
Moutlana, IN (Prof Vice-Chancellor & Principal
N icolaid es, A (Prof) H oD: H ospitality, Tourism & PR
Surujlal, J (Prof) Research Professor: Managem ent Sciences
Sutherland s, T (Dr) Manager: Unit for Preparatory Program m es
Vacant Director: Cooperative Ed ucation
Viljoen, JS (Dr) Academ ic H ead : Secunda
21
General Prospectus
Curriculum Committee
Members
Sm it, JJAC (Dr) (Chairperson) Director: Curriculum Developm ent
Brits, H (Dr) Director: Quality Promotion
Dikio, E (Prof) Senior Lecturer: Chem istry
Evangelou, O (Ms) Associate Director: Curriculum Developm ent
Fouché, C (Ms) H oD: Com m unication & Ed ucation
Johnson, BJ (Dr) Executive Director: Research Managem ent
Joubert, DJ (Dr) H oD: Legal Sciences
Joubert, PA (Mr) H oD: H um an Resource Management
Mend onid is, P (Prof) (A cting) H oD: Metallurgical Engineering
Moloi, KC (Prof) Professor of Ed ucation & Research
N icolaid es, A (Prof) H oD: H ospitality, Tourism & PR Managem ent
Pad ayachee, T (Prof) H oD: Bioscience
Salim , W (Dr) (A cting) H oD: Civil Engineering & Build ing
Sooful, A (Ms) (A cting) H oD: Visual Arts & Design
Van Eck, R (Ms) Senior Lecturer: Biosciences
Vacant Director: Co-operative Ed ucation
Venter, D (Mr) Lecturer: Hospitality & Tourism
Research Ethics Committee

Members
Johnson, BJ (Dr) (Chairperson) Executive Director: Research
Representatives Scientists or Researchers
Representatives Person(s) w ith Com petence in Law
Representatives Person(s) w ith Com petence in Research Ethics
Representatives Lay Person(s)
22
General Prospectus
Examination Committee
Members
Mokoena, TD (Dr) (Deputy Chairperson) Registrar
Inter-Faculty Forum
Members
Vacant Executive Director: Centre for Quality & Learn.
Representative Faculty of Applied & Com puter Sciences
23
General Prospectus
Representative Faculty of Engineering & Technology

Representative Faculty of H uman Sciences
Representative Faculty of Managem ent Sciences
8.3 Management Committees of the VUT
Rectorate Committee
Members
Moutlana, IN (Prof) (Chairperson) Vice-Chancellor & Principal *
Louw , H A (Prof) DVC: Acad em ic & Research *
Mkuchane, TE (Mr) Executive Director: Office of the VC & Principal
Phatud i, CSM (Ms) Executive Director: H um an Resources
Tsieane, FD (Mr) Executive Director: Finance
Vacant DVC: Resources & Planning *
van d er Bank, CM (Prof) Executive Dean: Faculty of H um an Sciences
Zid e, GN (Prof) DVC: Governance & Operations *
Zingitw a, P (Mr) Executive Director: Operations & Logistics
*Statutory Mem bers of Rectorate
24
General Prospectus
Executive Management Committee

Members
Johnson, B (Dr) Executive Director: Research Managem ent
Kem pen, AJ (Dr) Executive Director: Institutional Initiative &
Fund Raising
Khuboni, MB (Mr) Executive Director: Corporate Affairs
Machika, P (Dr) Executive Director: Centre of Acad em ic
Developm ent
Malaza, D (Prof) Senior Director: Institu tional Planning
Mkuchane, TE (Mr) Executive Director: Office of the VC & Principal
N d ege, M (Prof Executive Dean: Engineering & Technology
Phatud i, CSM (Ms) Executive Director: H um an Resources
Om ara-Ujungu, PH (Prof) Cam pus Director: Ekurhuleni
Robert, N (Ms) Senior Director: Library & Inform ation Services
Tsieane, FD (Mr) Executive Director: Finance
van d er Bank, CM (Prof) Executive Dean: Faculty of H um an Sciences
Martin, R (Dr) Cam pus Ad m inistrator: Secunda
Wisem an, J (Mr) Executive Director: International Relations &
Ad vancem ent
Zingitw a, P (Mr) Executive Director: Operations & Logistics
25
General Prospectus
Ethics Committee
Members
Zid e, GN (Prof) (Chairperson) DVC: Governance & Operations
Mod ise, SJ (Prof) Institute of Chem istry & Biotechnology
26
General Prospectus
9. Student Representative Council
Members
Setlhare, LM (Mr) Presid ent
Seganeo, OW (Ms) Deputy Presid ent
Mpaku, ML (Ms) Secretary General
Sekonyela, ME (Ms) Deputy Secretary
Jentile, V (Ms) Treasurer General
Beya, WA (Mr) Academ ic Officer
Zulu, PM (Mr) Legal & Transformation Officer
Mokhosi, MF (Ms) Religious & Culture Officer
Ramatapa, H T (Mr) Sports Officer
Rasim eni, N E (Ms) Gend er Officer
N komo, N (Mr) Entertainm ent Officer
Mazibuko, MA (Mr) H ousing & Catering Officer
Lesane, OG (Mr) Faculty of Managem ent Sciences
Mod ike, TR (Mr) Faculty of Applied & Com puter Sciences
Matsheng, P (Mr) Faculty of Engineering & Technology
Zitha, TT (Mr) Faculty of H uman Sciences
27
General Prospectus
10. Rectorate and Secretarial Staff
Prof IN Moutlana Vice-Chancellor & Principal

DEd (H arvard University, USA)
Ms GM Secw alo Executive Secretary
Ms M Sand ers Executive Secretary
Prof HA Louw D eputy-Vice Chancellor: Academic & Research

PhD: Sociology (Vista)
Ms R Dippenaar Executive Secretary
Vacant D eputy-Vice Chancellor: Resources & Planning

Ms AM Jacobs Executive Secretary
Ms N Mbatha Ad m inistrator
Prof GN Zide D eputy-Vice Chancellor: Governance &

Operations
D Phil (UPE)
Ms S Sayed Executive Secretary
D r TD Mokoena Registrar
PhD: Econom ics (PU for CH E)
Ms SA H enning Ad m inistrator
Mr TE Mkuchane Executive D irector: Office of the VC & Principal
Ms CSM Phatudi Executive D irector: Human Resources

Ms T Martins Ad m inistrator
Mr P Zingitw a Executive D irector: Operations & Logistics

MSc: Engineering (Wits)
Ms E H eiberg Ad m inistrator
28
General Prospectus
D r S Seroka Executive D irector: Student Support Services

DEd
Ms M Tsosane Ad m inistrator
Mr FD Tsieane Executive D irector: Finance

BCom (H ons) Accounting (University of the
N orth)
Ms R Duvenage Ad m inistrator
Prof CM van der Bank Executive D ean: Human Sciences

LLD
Ms PM van d er Walt Ad m inistrator
Prof PH Omara-Ojungu Campus D irector: Ekurhuleni

Ms J H ector Ad m inistrator
29
General Prospectus
11. Academic Staff & Administrators
Faculty of Applied & Computer Sciences
Prof BR Mabuza Executive D ean: Applied & Computer Sciences

PhD: Physics
Ms JF d e Villiers Ad m inistrator
Prof EB N aidoo Head of D epartment: Chemistry

PhD: Chem istry
Ms M H enning Ad m inistrator
Prof T Paddayachee Head of D epartment: Biosciences

DTech
Ms M H enning Ad m inistrator
Ms A Lombard Head of D epartment: ICT & OMT

MTech: IT
Ms E Terblanche Ad m inistrator
D r K Zimba Head of D epartment: Mathematics

PhD
Ms GR Mokoena Ad m inistrator
D r IQ Sikakana Head of D epartment: Physics & N D T

PhD: Physics (WITS)
Ms GR Mokoena Ad m inistrator
Mr B Winter Head of D epartment: Softw are Studies &

Computer End Using
BSc
30
General Prospectus
Faculty of Engineering & Technology
Prof M N dege Executive D ean: Engineering & Technology

Ms L van H eerd en Ad m inistrator
Prof D A D icks D irector:ED SU

DTech
Mr LA Badenhorst Head of D epartment: Process Control &

Computer Systems
MDip Tech
D r HM Campbell Head of D epartment: Industrial Engineering &

Operations Management
DBL
Ms SM van Zyl Ad m inistrator
Prof AA Alugongo (Act ing) Head of D epartment: Mechanical Engineering

PhD
Ms SM van Zyl Ad m inistrator
Vacant Head of D epartment: Metallurgical Engineering
Ms T Joubert Head of D epartment: Pow er Engineering

(Acting)
MTech
Ms R Kloppers Ad m inistrator
D r W Salim (Act ing) Head of D epartment: Civil Engineering &

Building
PhD
Ms P Buang Ad m inistrator
31
General Prospectus
Mr PO Osifo Head of D epartment: Chemical Engineering

PhD
Ms D N ake Ad m inistrator
Mr W J v Z Pienaar Head of D epartment: Electronic Engineering

BTech
Ms D N ake Ad m inistrator
32
General Prospectus
Faculty of Human Sciences
Prof CM van der Bank Executive D ean: Human Sciences

LLD
Ms PM van d er Walt Ad m inistrator
Ms CE Fouché Head of D epartment: Communication &

Education
Mphil
Ms P Lephalala Ad m inistrator
D r D J Joubert Head of D epartment: Legal Sciences

LLD
Ms M van d er Westhuizen Ad m inistrator
Prof A N icolaides Head of D epartment: Hospitality, Tourism &

Public Relations Management
DPhil (UN IZUL)
Ms P Gw ebu Ad m inistrator
Ms A Sooful (Acting) Head of D epartment: Visual Arts & D esign

MA (FA)
Ms JKS Shibam bo Ad m inistrator
33
General Prospectus
Faculty of Management Sciences
Prof M D hurup Executive D ean: Management Sciences

PhD (N WU)
Ms FA van Straten Ad m inistrator
Mr BA Mokoena (A cting) Head of D epartment: Marketing & Sport

Management
MCom
Ms KTQ Mofoka (A cting) Ad m inistrator
D r PA Joubert Head of D epartment: Human Resource

Management
PhD
Ms R Moolm an Ad m inistrator
D r RID Pooe Head of D epartment: Logistics

PhD
Ms EC Leem isa Ad m inistrator
Mr A Möller Head of D epartment: Accountancy

PhD (N WU)
Vacant Ad m inistrator
34
General Prospectus
12. N on-Academic Senior Management & Administrators
Mr GS D u Plooy D irector: Community Engagement

MEd
Ms S Bezuid enhout Ad m inistrator
Ms N Roberts Senior D irector: Library & Information Services

Ms M Sand ase Ad m inistrator
Vacant D irector: Student Accommodation & Catering

Ms Q Tsubele Ad m inistrator
Phatudi, CSM (Ms) Executive D irector: Human Resources

Ms T Martins Ad m inistrator
D r AJ Kempen Executive D irector: Institutional Initiative &

Fund Raising
PhD
Ms G Galeta Ad m inistrator
Vacant D irector: Cooperative Education

Ms L Dreyer Ad m inistrator
D r TD Mokoena Registrar
PhD: Econom ics (PU for CH E)
Ms SA H enning Ad m inistrator
Mr GL Mofokeng Senior D eputy Registrar: Academic

Administration
MA
Ms M van d er Westhuizen Ad m inistrator
Mr W Jack Executive D irector: International Relations &

Advancement
35
General Prospectus
Ms V Brad bury Ad m inistrator
Mr D Ramasodi Executive D irector: IT Services

BSc: Com puter Science & Maths (WITS)
Ms F Ram afothole Ad m inistrator
Mr P Zingitw a Executive D irector: Operations & Logistics

MSc: Engineering (Wits)
Ms E H eiberg Ad m inistrator
D r S Seroka Executive D irector: Student Support Services

DEd
Ms M Tsosane Ad m inistrator
Mr AE Strauss HOD : Student Recruitment

MEd (PU for CH E)
Ms E McLeod Ad m inistrator
Mr FD Tsieane Executive D irector: Finance

BCom (H ons) Accounting (University of the
N orth)
Ms R Duvenage Ad m inistrator
Mr J Zeni HOD : Protection Services

Ms D Mkw ebane Ad m inistrator
36
General Prospectus
13. Policies and Regulations
13.1 General Academic Rules
GEN ERAL ACAD EMIC RULES FOR D EGREES, D IPLOMAS AN D

CERTIFICATES
(These Rules have been approved by the Senate in term s of the H igher Ed ucation
Act (Act N o. 101 of 1997), as am end ed , as w ell as the Statutes of the Vaal Unive rsity
of Technology, and are contained in the various policies, m anuals and proced ures
obtainable from the Office of the Registrar: Acad em ic Support)
PREAMBLE:
(a) The Senate may from time to time amend, alter or delete any rule, w hether
a General Rule or a rule relating to a specific module, course or
qualification.
(b) The provisions of these Rules, as applied in particular faculties, may be
restricted in circumstances provided for in the rules of those faculties as
approved under Rule G4.
(c) Except as otherw ise stated or prescribed by the Senate and the Council,
Rules G1 to G33 shall be applicable to every student of the Vaal
University of Technology (hereinafter referred to as “the University”).
GEN ERAL RULES
G1 Changes in rules
The University m ay revise, rescind or ad d to its rules from tim e to tim e, and any
such alteration, d eletion or ad d ition shall becom e bind ing upon the d ate of
publication or upon such d ate as m ay be specified by the Senate, provid ed that no
change in rules shall be interpreted so as to operate retrospectively to the prejud ice
of any currently registered stud ent.
G2 D egrees, diplomas and certificates

The University m ay confer or aw ard such d egrees, d iplom as and certificates as
approved by the Senate and the Council. The list of d egrees, d iplom as and
certificates is available from the Office of the Registrar: Acad em ic Support on
request. Rules for specific qualifications w ill be found in the relevant Faculty
hand books.
37
General Prospectus
G3 Approval of curricula
The Council, upon the approval of the Senate after consultation w ith the relevant
Faculty Board s, shall approve the curricula for all qualifications of the University.
G4 Faculty rules
Subject to the provisions of the H igher Ed ucation Act, the Statutes of the
University, and the follow ing Rules, the Council m ay, upon the approval of the
Senate, m ake or am end rules for each faculty relating to:
a) the eligibility of a stud ent as a cand id ate for any qualification and / or
m od ule, w hich m ay includ e Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL);
b) the selection process;
c) the period of attend ance;
d) the curriculum , w ork and other requirem ents for each qualification;
e) progression and acad em ic exclusion; and
f) any other m atter relating to the acad em ic functions of th e University.
G5 Application to study
a) Applications to stud y m ust be m ad e in such m anner as prescribed , and
m ust includ e presentation of the Matriculation Certificate / N ational Senior
Certificate w here this is required .
b) An applicant w ho has stud ied at any other tertiary ed ucation institution
m ust, in ad d ition, present an acad em ic record and a certificate of cond uct
from that institution, together w ith the application.
G6 Selection requirements
All applicants shall prod uce evid ence satisfactory to the University of their
com petence to w ork for the qualification sought. The University m ay d ecline to
ad m it a cand id ate for a qualification if the cand id ate‟s previous acad em ic
attainm ents are, in its opinion, not sufficiently high to w arrant such ad m ission.
G7 Selection for postgraduate studies

a) Grad uates of any other recognised university (w hether in the Republic of
South Africa or elsew here) m ay, for the purpose of proceed ing to a
postgrad uate qualification in any faculty of the University, be ad m itted by
the Senate to a status in the University equivalent to that w hich they possess
in their ow n university by virtue of any d egree held by them.
38
General Prospectus
b) An applicant w ho has grad uated from another tertiary institution or w ho

has in any other m anner attained a level of com petence w hich, in the
opinion of the Senate, is ad equate for the purpose of postgrad uate stud ies or
research, m ay be ad m itted as a stud ent in any faculty of the University.
G8 Exemption from a module / course

Exem ption from a m od ule / course m ay be granted and cred it m ay be aw ard ed for
a relevant m od ule w here an applicant has alread y obtained cred it for an
equivalent m od ule or can d em onstrate an equivalent level of com petence
through prior learning.
G9 Registration
a) In ord er to pursue their stud ies in any sem ester, all stud ents of the
University shall com plete the applicable registration proced ure, thereby
affirm ing their acceptance of the rules of the University.
b) The Senate m ay im pose cond itions for the registration of any stud ent.
c) On application to the relevant Faculty Office, and w ith the approval of the
Senate, a stud ent‟s registration m ay be suspend ed for a specified period of
tim e. Such stud ent rem ains subject to the rules of the University, and m ay
return to register before or at expiry of the period of suspension. The period
d uring w hich registration is suspend ed shall not be includ ed in
any calculation tow ard s the m inim um and m axim um periods pr escribed for
any qualification in term s of Rule G12, nor for the evaluation of eligibility for
the aw ard of degrees cum laude or magna cum laude in term s of Rules, BT8
and MT17.
G10 Payment of fees

a) Save by special perm ission of the Senate and the Council:
(i) An applicant shall not be registered until the m inim um prescribed
fees are paid ;
(ii) A stud ent shall not be entitled to ad m ission to an exam ination, nor to
receipt of exam ination results, until all relevant prescribed fees are
paid .
b) A stud ent shall not be entitled to the conferral or aw ard of a qualification
until all m onies d ue to the University have been paid .
39
General Prospectus
G11 Concurrent registration

Save by special perm ission of the Senate:
a) no stud ent shall be registered for m ore than one qualification at the sam e
tim e; nor
b) shall any stud ent, w hile registered at any other tertiary institution, be
registered concurrently at the University.
G12 Period of attendance

Every cand id ate for a qualification shall m eet the relevant attend ance and
perform ance requirem ents for each m od ule / course and qualification as
prescribed by the relevant Faculty and ap proved by the Senate, in ord er to
obtain the requisite cred it.
G13 Module registration

a) Subject to Rule G14, no stud en t shall be registered for any m od ule /
course unless his or her curriculum has been ap proved by the Senate. An
approved curriculum m ay be m od ified only w ith the consent of the Senate.
b) Save by special perm ission of the Senate, no stud ent m a y attend a
m od ule / course for w hich he or she is not registered .
G14 Prerequisite and co requisite requirements

a) A m inim um year m ark / sem ester m ark of 50% is required for ad m ission to
any exam ination.
b) A faculty m ay specify the attainm ent of a m in im um m ark of m ore than 50%
in a prerequisite m od ule / course, a specified m ark in a m od ule / course
or any other requirem ent before registration for the proposed m od ule /
course is perm itted .
c) Registration for a m od ule w ill be cond itional on m eeting all co requisite and
prerequisite requirem ents for that m od ule.
G15 Obsolete modules

In read m itting a stud ent, the Senate m ay w ithhold recognition, for the purposes of
a qu alification, of cred its previously obtained in m od ules / courses w hich have
subsequently becom e obsolete.
40
General Prospectus
G16 Admission to examination

a) Stud ents shall not present them selves for an exam ination in any m od ule
/ course unless the H ead of the Departm ent in w hich they have stud ied
that m od ule has certified that th ey have m et the m inim u m requirem ents
(that w ill includ e the provisions of rule G14(a)) for the specified m od ule.
b) The year m ark / sem ester m ark referred to in rule G14 (a) shall be valid only
for the exam inations, includ ing supplem entary exam inations, of the
sem ester in w hich it is issued .
c) With the consent of the Faculty Board concerned , in exceptional
circum stances, the year m ark / sem ester m ark m ay be extend ed to the
relevant subsequent sem ester.
d) The m inim um requirem ents for each m od ule / course shall be p ublished in
the Faculty H and book and in any other m anner d eem ed ap propriate by the
Faculty.
e) Save as m ay otherw ise be provid ed by the Faculty, for each m od ule / course
a list of those stud ents refused ad m ission to exam ination sh all be
published , in a m anner d eem ed appropriate by the Faculty, on or before
the last d ay of teaching in each sem ester.
G17 Admission to examinations – right of appeal

a) Stud ents have the right to appeal against the refusal of an ad m ission to
exam inations in term s of Rule G16.
b) An appeal m ust be lod ged in the relevant Faculty Office, in the
prescribed m anner, w ithin three (3) University w orking d ays of the last d ay
of notification of exam ination ad m ission refusal.
c) Such appeal shall be consid ered by an appropriate com m ittee, the
com position of w hich shall be approved by the Senate.
d) The d ecision of the com m ittee shall be final.
G18 Examinations
a) An exam ination m ay be w ritten and / or oral, and m ay includ e
practical w ork.
b) On application and / or on the recom m end ation of the H ead of
Departm ent, w ith the approval of the Senate, a w ritten exam ination m ay,
for a particular stud ent, be replaced or supplem ented by an oral
exam ination.
41
General Prospectus
G19 External examination and moderation

a) Except w ith the perm ission of the Senate, all m od ules / courses, other
than exit-level m od ules / courses, shall be subject to internal
exam ination and ind epend ent m od eration.
b) Except w ith the p erm ission of the Senate, all exit-level m od ules / courses
shall be subject to internal and external m od eration.
c) The portion of the total assessm ent subject to ind epend ent m od eration or
external exam ination m od eration, in term s of (a) or (b) above, shall be at
least 50%.
G20 Examination scripts

a) To aid acad em ic d evelopm ent, stud ents m ay view their exam ination scripts
und er supervision for a prescribed fee.
b) (i) A stud ent m ay, on form al application and after p aym ent of the
applicable fee, have all his / her exam ination scripts for a m od ule re-
m arked , norm ally by the m od erator in accord ance w ith the policies
approved by the Senate and the Council.
(ii) Such application shall be lod ged in the relevant Faculty Office, in the
prescribed m anner, w ithin ten (10) University w orking d ays of
the release of final results.
(iii) The stud ent‟s final m ark for the m od ule shall be that d eterm ined by
the re-m ark.
(iv) The fee shall be refund ed only if the re-m ark causes an im provem ent
in the class of result as reflected in Rule G29(a).
c) Re-m arking as contem plated in (b) above shall not be perm itted for BTech
and equivalent projects, MTech d issertations and DTech theses.
d) Exam ination scripts shall be stored by the University for a maxim um period
of one year or such longer period as required by contractu al or professional
obligations.
G21 Examination sessions

All exam inations shall be cond ucted in the prescribed sessions approved by
the Senate.
G22 Supplementary examinations

Supplem entary exam inations m ay be aw ard ed in term s of these Rules and the
relevant Faculty Rules, as approved by the Senate.
42
General Prospectus
G23 Special examinations

a) A stud ent w ho has not been able to attem pt or com plete the original final
exam ination by reason of illness or any other rea son d eemed sufficient by
the Senate, m ay on application, be granted perm ission to sit a special
exam ination, norm ally d uring the next applicable supplem entary
exam ination session.
b) An application for a special exam ination shall be m ad e on the prescribed
form , accom p anied by all relevant d ocu m entation, and lod ged in the
relevant Faculty Office w ithin five (5) w orking d ays of the d ate of the
exam ination concerned .
c) If an application for a special exam ination is approved , the exam ination
result, if any, from the original exam ination shall be regard ed as null and
void . If such an application is not approved the original exam ination result
shall stand .
d) Stud ent w ho has one outstand ing m od ule to com plete the qualification can
apply for a special exam ination if a year m ark has been obtained .
G24 Standard of supplementary and special examinations

To pass supplem entary and special exam inations, stud ents m ust d em onstrate a
level of acad em ic com petence equivalent to that required in the original
exam ination.
G25 Limitation on aw arding supplementary and special examinations

a) A supplem entary or special exam ination shall not be granted in respect of
any supplem entary exam ination aw ard ed in term s of Rule G22.
b) A supplem entary or special exam ination shall not be granted in respect of
any special exam ination aw ard ed in term s of Rule G23.
G26 Completion of modules

Every m od ule / course shall be com pleted by passing the Senate-approved
assessm ent in that m od ule.
G27 Pass mark

The pass m ark for all m od ules / courses in the University shall be 50%, provid ed
that any sub-m inim a required in certain com ponents of the Senate-approved
assessm ent have been m et.
43
General Prospectus
G28 Completion requirements

Save by special perm ission of the Council, upon the app roval of the Senate, a
qualification shall not be conferred or aw ard ed until:
a) cred it has been obtained for all prescribed m od ules, includ ing prerequisite
and co requisite m od ules / courses;
b) all other faculty requirem ents have been m et; and
c) all m onies d ue to the University have been paid .
G29 Classification of results

a) The result of any assessm ent shall be classified as follow s:
75% upw ard = Distinction; 70 – 74%. = First Class, 60 – 69% = Second Class;
50 – 59% = Third Class; less than 50% = Fail.
b) A m od ule / course m ay be passed w ith such d istinctions as m ay be
prescribed by the Senate on the recom m end ation of the Faculty Board
concerned .
c) A qualification m ay be conferred or aw ard ed w ith such d istinctions as
m ay be prescribed by the Senate on the recom m end ation of the Faculty
Board concerned.
G30 Academic exclusion

a) The Senate m ay, after each exam ination session, exclud e or refuse to renew
or continue the registration of a stud ent w ho has failed to m eet the acad em ic
requirem ents for continued registration.
b) The Senate m ay cancel the registration of a stud ent in all or one or m ore of
the m od ules / courses for w hich the stud ent is registered in a sem ester
if, in the opinion of the Senate, the acad em ic achievem ent of the stud ent is
such that the stud ent m ay not at the end of the sem ester obtain cred it in such
m od ule / course or m od ules / courses.
c) The Council m ay, w ith the approval of the Senate, refuse read m ission to a
stud ent w ho fails to satisfy the m inim um requirem ents for read m ission.
d) Subject to Rule G31, stud ents exclud ed or refused re-registration m ay not be
read m itted to the University until they are able to d em onstrate that they
have achieved a level of com petence satisfactory to the relevant Faculty and
the Senate.
e) Rules G30a to G30d are contained in their entirety in the Policy on
Continuation of Stud ies of the University.
44
General Prospectus
G31 Academic exclusion – right of appeal

a) Stud ents have the right to appeal against acad em ic exclu sion in term s of
Rule G30.
Such appeal shall be lod ged in the Faculty of registration, in the
prescribed m anner, w ithin ten (10) University w orking d ays of the release of
final results.
b) The process for consid eration of such an appeal shall be approved by the
Senate.
G32 Ethics
All acad em ic activities and research in particular, shall com ply w ith the relevant
University policies on ethics and any related requirem ents as d eterm ined by the
Senate and the Council.
G33 Reproduction of w ork

Subject to the provisions of the University‟s policy on intellectual property rights
and any lim itations im posed by official contractual obligations:
a) In presenting an assignm ent, prescribed project, d issertation, thesis or any
such w ork for assessm ent, a stud ent shall be d eem ed by so d oing to have
granted the University the right to reprod uce it in w hole or in part for any
person or institution w ho states that it is for stud y and research but not for
com m ercial gain; provid ed that the University m ay w aive this right if the
w ork in question has been or is being published in a m anner satisfactory to
the University.
b) The w ork of stud ents shall not be includ ed in publications by acad em ic staff
w ithout their express perm ission and acknow led gem ent; provid ed that such
w ork m ay be includ ed and acknow led ged if all reasonable attem pts to trace
such stud ents have been unsuccessfu l.
RULES FOR CERTIFICATES AN D D IPLOMAS
N ote: The follow ing Rule is add itional to the preced ing General Rules G1 - G33.
CD 1 Applicability
The rules governing certificates and diplom as in any facult y shall be as prescribed
by the Senate and the Council in the H and book of the applicable faculty.
45
General Prospectus
RULES FOR BACHELOR OF TECHN OLOGY (BTECH) D EGREES
N ote: The follow ing Rules are ad d itional to the preced ing General Rules G1 - G33.
BT1 Applicability
The follow ing Rules, BT2 to BT8 inclusive, shall be applicable to every cand id ate
for a d egree of BTech.
BT2 Criteria for admission to study

a) Applicants m ay be registered for the d egree of BTech in any faculty
provid ed that they have:
(i) Satisfied the requirem ents for a relevant prerequisite d iplom a as
specified in the Faculty concerned ; or
(ii) Been ad m itted to the status of that d egree in term s of Rule G7(a); or
(iii) Attained a level of com petence as d efined in Rule G7(b).
b) A faculty m ay prescribe further m inim um criteria for ad m ission to stud y.
BT3 Attendance
a) Every stud ent for a d egree of BTech shall attend an approved course of
stud y as a registered stud ent of the University for a period of at least tw o
sem esters after ad m ission in term s of Rule BT2.
b) Save by perm ission of the Senate, all m od ules shall be com pleted at the
University.
BT4 Curriculum
Save by perm ission of the Senate, the curriculum for a d egree of BTech shall
includ e a prescribed project as one of the m od ules.
BT5 Supplementary examinations

Provid ed that the rules of a faculty, as approved by the Senate, d o not prohibit this
for a particular m od ule:
a) a stud ent w ho fails a m od ule other than the prescribed project w ith a m ark
of at least 45% - 48% shall be aw ard ed a supplem entary exam ination; and
b) und er exceptional circum stances, and w ith the perm ission of the Senate, a
stud ent w ho has failed a m od ule other than the prescribed project w ith a
m ark of less than 45% - 48% m ay be aw ard ed a supplem entary exam ination.
46
General Prospectus
BT6 Re-examination of prescribed project

Provid ed that the rules of a faculty, as approved by the Senate, perm it this, a
prescribed project that is failed m ay be referred back once for revision and
resubm ission before the close of the applicable supplem entary exam ination session.
BT7 Failed modules

Failed m od ules m ay not be repeated , except w ith the perm ission of the Senate and
in accord ance w ith the Policy on Continuation of Stud ies.
BT8 Aw ard of degree cum laude and magna cum laude
a) A d egree of BTech m ay be conferred cum laude in accord ance w ith the rules
of the relevant Faculty, as app roved by the Senate, provid ed that, subject to
exceptions as approved by the Council, the stud ent has:
(i) obtained a cred it-w eighted average of at least 75% in those m od ules
required for the qualification; and
(ii) a m ark of at least 75% for the prescribed project; and
(iii) successfully com pleted all m od ules in the curriculum w ithout
recourse to supplem entary exam inations; and
(iv) com pleted the d egree in the prescribed m inim um tim e.
RULES FOR MASTER OF TECHN OLOGY (MTECH) D EGREES
MT1 Applicability
The follow ing Rules, MT2 to MT17 inclusive, shall be applicable to every cand id ate
for a d egree of MTech.
MT2 Criteria for admission to study

a) An applicant shall not be registered for the d egree of MTech in any faculty
unless the applicant has:
(i) satisfied the requirem ents for a relevant prerequisite d egree as
(ii) been ad m itted to the status of that d egree in term s of Rule G7(a); or
(iii) attained a level of com petence as d efined in Rule G7(b).
47
General Prospectus
MT3 Recognition of examinations

The Senate m ay accept exam inations passed or certificates of proficiency com pleted
in any m od ule by a stud ent in any faculty of the University or of any other
university or institution recognised by the Senate for this purpose, or accept
d em onstration of an equivalent level of com petence through prior learning, in
term s of Rule G7(b), as exem pting the stud ent from exam ination in m od ule(s)
prescribed for a d egree of MTech by coursew ork, provid ed that:
a) no m ore than 50% of the required cred its for the d egree m ay be s o exem pted ,
provid ed that such cred its shall be aw ard ed for coursew ork m od ules only;
and
b) at least 75% of the total num ber of cred its required for the d egree are at
MTech level and the rem aind er at H onours level or above; and
c) stud ents shall not have the d egree of MTech conferred unless the conditions
laid d ow n in Rules MT4 and MT5 are satisfied .
MT4 Periods of registration

A stud ent registered for the degree of MTech by coursew ork in any faculty shall be
so registered for a m inim um period of tw o sem esters for full-tim e stud ents or four
sem esters for part-tim e stud ents before the d egree m ay be conferred.
MT5 Recognition of attendance

Senate m ay accep t, as p art of the attend ance of a stud ent for a d egree of MTech by
coursew ork, period s of attend ance as a registered or grad uated stud ent at any
other university or institution or in any other faculty, provid ed that stud ents shall
not have the d egree of MTech conferred unless:
a) their period s of attend ance are together not less than the com plete period
prescribed for conferral of the d egree; and
b) the research com ponent is com pleted at the Vaal University of Technology.
MT6 Curriculum
a) A stud ent for the d egree of MTech by coursew ork shall com plete all
prescribed m od ules, at least one of w hich shall be a d issertation m od ule
com prising research on a particular topic approved by Senate, and com ply
w ith such other conditions as m ay be prescribed by Senate and the rules of
the Faculty concerned .
b) The d issertation m od ule shall com prise 25% to 50% of the total cred its for
the d egree.
48
General Prospectus
c) A stud ent for the d egree of MTech by research shall be required to pursue an
approved program m e of research on som e subject falling w ithin the scope of
the stud ies represented in the University. A stud ent shall also com ply w ith
such other cond itions as m ay be prescribed by Senate and the rules of the
Faculty concerned .
MT7 Proposed subject of study and research topic

a) Before registration, an applicant for the d egree of MTech by research in any
faculty shall su bm it for the app roval of Senate a research proposal of the
chosen subject of stud y.
b) Senate m ay, at its d iscretion, decline to approve such subject (and a research
topic in the case of MTech by coursew ork) if, in its opinion:
(i) it is unsuitable in itself, or
(ii) it cannot profitably be stud ied or pursued und er the supervision of
the University, or
(iii) the cond itions und er w hich the applicant proposes to w ork are
unsatisfactory.
c) Ethical approval in term s of Rule G32 is required w here applicable.
MT8 Supervision
A Faculty Board shall, in term s of the policies of Senate, appoint one or m ore
appropriate supervisors, at least one of w hom shall be a m em ber of the University
staff, to ad vise a stud ent w hose research topic is approved , and the stud ent shall be
required to w ork in such association w ith the supervisor or supervisors as the
Senate m ay d irect.
MT9 Supplementary examinations

Provid ed that the rules of a faculty, as approved by Senate, d o not prohibit this for
a particular m od ule in the case of MTech by coursew ork:
a) a stud ent w ho fails a m od ule other than the d issertation w ith a m ark of at
least 45% - 48% shall be aw ard ed a supplem entary exam ination;
b) und er exceptional circum stances, and w ith the perm ission of the Senate, a
stud ent w ho has failed a m od ule other than the d issertation w ith a m ark of
less than 45% - 48% m ay be aw ard ed a supplem entary exam ination.
MT10 Failed coursew ork modules

Failed coursew ork m od ules may not be repeated , excep t w ith the perm ission of the
Senate.
49
General Prospectus
MT11 Progression
A stud ent w ho, after six sem esters as a full-tim e stud ent or ten sem esters as a part-
tim e stud ent, has not com pleted the requirem ents for the degree shall be required
to apply for re-registration, w hich w ill only be perm itted on receipt of a satisfactory
m otivation.
MT12 Submission of dissertation

a) Every stud ent for the d egree of MTech by research shall be required to
subm it a d issertation em bod ying the results of their research.
b) For both MTech d egree types (by coursew ork and by research): At least
three m onths before the d issertation is to be subm itted for exam ination, a
stud ent shall give notice, in w riting, to the Executive Dean of the Faculty
concerned of the intention to subm it such d issertation and the title thereof,
provid ed that, in the event of a stud ent failing to su bm it the d issertation for
exam ination w ithin six m onths thereafter, the notice w ill lapse and a further
notice of intention shall be subm itted .
MT13 Format of dissertation

a) Every d issertation subm itted shall includ e a d eclaration to th e satisfaction of
the Senate stating that it has not previously been subm itted for a d egree in
this or any other university, and that it is the stud ent's ow n original w ork.
b) Every d issertation subm itted shall be in such form at as prescribed by the
Senate and the rules of the relevant Faculty; provid ed that each d issertation
shall includ e an abstract in English not exceed ing 350 w ord s.
MT14 Supervisor’s report

Upon subm ission of the d issertation, the supervisor or supervisors shall furnish a
report on the cond uct of the stud ent's w ork; the report shall not includ e an
evaluation of the quality of the d issertation.
MT15 Examination of dissertation

a) The Senate shall appoint for each d issertation tw o exam iners, at least one of
w hom shall be responsible for external exam ination.
b) Except w ith the perm ission of the Senate, a supervisor or co -supervisor shall
not be appointed as an exam iner.
50
General Prospectus
MT16 Re-examination of dissertation

a) A failed d issertation m ay not be re-exam ined .
b) On the ad vice of the Faculty Board , the Senate m ay invite a stud ent to re-
subm it a d issertation in a revised or extend ed form .
MT17 Aw ard of degree cum laude and magna cum laude

a) The d egree of MTech by coursew ork shall be aw ard ed cum laude if:
(i) the stud ent prod uces a particu larly outstand ing d issertation and the
exam iners recom m end to the Faculty Board that the d egree be
aw ard ed cum laude; and
(ii) the stud ent obtains a w eighted average of 75% or m ore in the
coursew ork com ponent of the d egree at the first attem p t and w ithout
recourse to supplem entary exam inations.
b) The d egree of MTech by coursew ork shall be aw ard ed magna cum laude if:
(i) the stud ent prod uces a particularly outstand ing d issertation and the
exam iners recom m end to the Board of the Faculty that the d egree be
aw ard ed magna cum laude; and
(ii) the stud ent obtains a w eighted average of 85% or m ore in the
coursew ork com ponent of the d egree at the first attem p t and w ithout
recourse to supplem entary exam inations.
(iii) On the recom m end ation of the exam iners, and in accord ance w ith
rules of the relevant faculty, the d egree of Master by research m ay be
aw ard ed cum laude or magna cum laude.
RULES FOR THE D EGREE OF D OCTOR OF TECHN OLOGY (D TECH)
D T1 Applicability
Except as m ay be prescribed by the Senate in the rules of any particular faculty, the
follow ing rules, DT2 to DT13 inclusive, shall be applicable to every cand id ate for
the d egree of DTech.
51
General Prospectus
D T2 Criteria for admission to study

a) An applicant shall not be registered for the d egree of DTech / by research in
any faculty unless the applicant has:
(i) satisfied the requirem ents for a relevant prerequisite d egree as
(ii) been ad m itted to the status of that d egree in term s of Rule G7(a); or
(iii) attained a level of com petence as d efined in Rule G7(b).
D T3 Periods of registration
A stud ent registered for the degree of DTech in any faculty shall be so registered
for a m inim um period of four sem esters for full-tim e stud ents or eight sem esters
for part-tim e stud ents before the d egree m ay be conferred .
D T4 Curriculum
a) A stud ent for the d egree of DTech shall be required to p ursue an approved
program m e of research on som e subject falling w ithin the scope of the
stud ies represented in the University.
b) Such program m e shall m ake a d istinct contribution to the know led ge or
und erstand ing of the subject and afford evid ence of orig inality show n either
by the d iscovery of new facts and / or by the exercise of independ ent critical
thinking
c) A stud ent shall also com ply w ith such other cond itions as m ay be prescribed
by the Senate and the rules of the Faculty concerned .
D T5 Proposed subject of study

a) Before registration, an applicant for the d egree of DTech shall subm it for the
approval of the Senate a statem ent of the proposed subject of stud y.
b) The Senate m ay, at its d iscretion, d ecline to approve such subject if, in its
opinion:
(i) it is unsuitable in itself, or
(ii) it cannot profitably be stud ied or pursued und er the supervision of
the University, or
(iii) the cond itions und er w hich the applicant proposes to w ork are
unsatisfactory.
c) Ethical approval in term s of Rule G32 is required w here applicable.
52
General Prospectus
D T6 Supervision
The Faculty Board shall appoint one or m ore appropriately qualified prom oter, at
least one of w hom shall be a m em ber of the University staff, to ad vise a stud ent
w hose research topic is approved , and the stud en t shall be required to w ork in such
association w ith the prom oter or prom oters as the Senate m ay d irect.
D T7 Progression
A stud ent w ho, after eight sem esters as a full-tim e stud ent or tw elve sem esters as a
part-tim e stud ent, has not com pleted the requirem ents for the d egree shall be
required to apply for re-registration, w hich w ill only be perm itted on receipt of a
satisfactory m otivation.
D T8 Submission of thesis
a) Every stud ent for the d egree of DTech shall be required to subm it a thesis
em bod ying the results of their research.
b) At least three m onths before the thesis is to be subm itted for exam ination, a
stud ent shall give notice, in w riting, to the Executive Dean of the faculty
concerned of the intention to subm it such thesis and the title thereof,
provid ed that, in the event of a stud ent failing to subm it the thesis for
exam ination w ithin six m onths thereafter, the notice w ill lapse and a further
notice of intention shall be subm itted .
D T9 Format of thesis
a) Every thesis subm itted shall includ e a d eclaration to the satisfaction of the
Senate stating that it has not previously been subm itted for a d egree in this
or any other university and that it is the stud ent's ow n original w ork.
b) Every thesis subm itted shall be in such form at as prescribed by the Senate
and the rules of the relevant Faculty; provid ed that each thesis shall include
an abstract in English not exceed ing 350 w ord s.
D T10 Supervisor’s report

Upon subm ission of the thesis, the prom oter or prom oters shall furnish a report on
the cond u ct of the stud ent's w ork; the report shall not includ e an evaluation of the
quality of the thesis.
53
General Prospectus
D T11 Examination
a) The Senate shall appoint for each thesis three exam iners, at least tw o of
w hom shall be responsible for external exam ination.
b) Except w ith the perm ission of the Senate, at least one of the external
exam iners shall be based external to the country.
c) Except w ith the perm ission of the Senate, a prom oter or co -prom oter shall
not be appointed as an exam iner.
D T12 Re-examination of thesis

a) A failed thesis m ay not be re-exam ined .
b) On the ad vice of the Faculty Board the Senate m ay invite a stud ent to re -
subm it a thesis in a revised or extend ed form .
D T13 D efence of thesis

The Senate m ay require a stud ent to d efend a thesis.
54
General Prospectus
13.2 Admissions Policy
1. POLICY IN TEN TION
The Ad m issions Policy find s purpose in regulating the adm ission of stud ents
at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), subject to stipulations of section
74 (1) of the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997, (Act 101 of 1997), as w ell as a policy
d ocum ent on the requirem ents for ad m ission to stud y at a technikon, w hich
w as approved by the Com m ittee for Technikon Principals (CTP) in N ovem ber
2002, and the Statutes of the VUT.
This policy and its rules and proced ures replace all pr evious policies and / or
circulars on the ad m ission of stud ents to stud y at the VUT. All previous
policies, rules and proced ures w ill be rend ered obsolete by this policy as
approved .
2. POLICY AIM AN D OBJECTIVES
The aim of the Ad m issions Policy is to effectively facilitate the ad m ission and
registration process for all applicants w ho m eet the m inim um VUT ad m ission
requirem ents in a particular program m e.
In term s of the stated aim , the objectives of the Ad m issions Policy are to ensure
that:
a) applicants applying for ad m ission w ill not be d iscrim inated against on the
basis of race, colour, religion, gend er, d isability or nationality, in
accord ance w ith policies and regular practices of the VUT;
b) projections of the num ber of stud ents to be ad m itted and enr olled in any
year at the VUT w ill be d eterm ined by each faculty and approved by the
Senate of the Vaal University of Technology, based on firstly, m eeting
national enrolm ent benchm arks as d eterm ined by the Departm ent of
Ed ucation (DoE); second ly, the capacity of the institution to m eet the
ed ucational and other need s of stud ents, and / or third ly, registration
levels approved for bud getary or other appropriate purposes;
c) ad m ission of an applicant to a specific faculty, d epartm ent and
program m e of the VUT w ill be governed by the General Rules as reflected
in the Prospectus of the VUT and specific rules set out by the relevant
acad em ic faculties;
55
General Prospectus
d) w hen, at any tim e, the num ber of qualifying applicants for ad m ission
exceed s the num ber of prospective stud ents that can be ad m itted and
enrolled, final ad m ission w ill be on the basis of the VUT‟s evaluation of
the applicant‟s potential for satisfactory perform ance in the specific
program m e to w hich the applicant seeks ad m ission. Meeting the
m inim um requirem ents is, therefore, not necessarily a guarantee for
ad m ission into a particular instructional program m e;
e) provid ed that the criteria set out below are m et, this policy of com petitive
ad m issions w ill not prevent the ad m ission of selected applicants.
Applicants w ho firstly, give evid ence of possessing special talents;
second ly w hose ad m ission contributes to achieving equity consid erations
w ithin the total num ber of stud ents ad m itted and enrolled ; or third ly w ho
seek ed ucational program m es not read ily available at other institutions.
3. CLARIFICATION OF TERMIN OLOGY
In this policy, unless otherw ise stated :
“admission” m eans perm ission granted by a d epartm ent to an applicant to

com m ence stud ies, thereby allow ing the applicant to register for a specific
program m e in a specific sem ester or year.
“Council” m eans the Council of the Vaal University of Technology, d uly

constituted in term s of the provisions of the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997 (Act
101 of 1997).
“official language” m eans a language selected from am ongst Afrikaans, English,

Isind ebele, Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, siSw ati, Xitsonga, Setsw ana, Tshivend a,
Isixhosa and Isizulu. The VUT consid ers English as the official language of its
business.
“N ational Senior Certificate” m eans the school leaving certificate conferred by

Um alusi as from 2008 in term s of the provisions of the N ational Curriculum
Statem ent.
“programme” m eans any form al program m e of higher ed ucation and training

offered by the VUT, in respect of w hich a VUT certificate is issued on its
successful com pletion.
56
General Prospectus
“prospective student” m eans a person w ho applies to becom e a first-tim e

stud ent at the VUT.
“registration” m eans the form al ad m inistrative process d uring w hich the

biographical and acad em ic inform ation of a prospective stud ent or a stud ent
w ho is continuing his / her stud ies is record ed and the fixed fees are paid after
w hich his / her official status as a stud ent of the VUT, is confirm ed .
“Senate” m eans the Senate of the VUT, d uly constituted in term s of the
provisions of the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997).
“Senior Certificate” m eans a school-leaving certificate conferred by the South

African Certification Council.
“Umalusi” m eans the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further
Ed ucation and Training.
“university” m eans any institution of higher ed ucation established in term s of
the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997) w ith a view to the provision
of university ed ucation.
“university certificate” m eans any certificate, d iplom a or d egree issued on the

successful com pletion of a university ed ucation.
“V UT” m eans the Vaal University of Technology, d uly constituted in term s of

the provisions of the H igher Ed ucation Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997).
4. POLICY FRAMEWORK
The Ad m issions Policy should not be operationalized in isolation, but w ith d ue

consid eration and application of the rules and proced ures stipulated in other
relevant VUT policies pertaining to Teaching & Learning; Resources and
Planning as w ell as Institutional Support.
5. POLICY PROVISION S
The Ad m issions Policy d ifferentiates betw een ad m ission requirem ents for
und ergrad uate qualifications and requirem ents for d egree or post grad uate
qualifications. It further stip ulates ad m issions through transfer through
57
General Prospectus
preparatory courses; ad m ission of international stud ents; re-ad m ission

requirem ents; appeals against ad m issions and registration rules.
5.1 Undergraduate Admission Requirements
Entrance requirem ents to any program m e at the VUT w ill be consid ered in
term s of stud ents hold ing a South African Senior Certificate; or a Matric
Certificate; or N 3 Certificate; or the South African N ational Senior Certificate
(N SC). Criteria for persons not m eeting the m inim um requirem ents are
ind icated and the necessary d ocum entation required to be consid ered for
ad m ission to the VUT is stipulated .
5.1.1 Entrance Requirements
All applicants w ill be selected on m erit by the d epartm ent concerned and
such selection m ay includ e selection and / or placem ent tests. The
Ad m issions Policy w ill consider the application of any person in m eeting the
entrance requirem ents for a VUT program m e in term s of stud ents hold ing a
South African Senior Certificate; or a Matric Certificate; or N 3 Certificate; or
the South African N ational Senior Certificate (N SC).
a) Students holding the South African Senior Certificate / Matric

Certificate / N 3 Certificate
The m inim um entrance requirem ent for ad m ission to the VUT is a
Senior Certificate or equivalent qualification. A pass m ark is required in
English, as it is the langu age of instruction at the VUT. If an applicant is
in possession of an N 3 qualification as an entrance requirem ent, it
should reflect at least four passed subjects, plus pass m arks in tw o
official languages (of w hich one m ust be English), at least at Senior
Certificate level (SG). Ad d itional requirem ents are specified for each
course / instructional program m e in the relevant faculty prospectus.
Selection w ill be based on the points obtained accord ing to the Sw ed ish
Point System (SPS).
b) Students holding the South African N ational Senior Certificate (N SC)

The m inim um requirem ent for ad m ission to und ergrad uate d iplom a
stud y is a N ational Senior Certificate (N SC), as certified by Umalusi,
w ith an achievem ent rating of 3 (Mod erate Achievem ent, 40-49%) or
better in four recognised N SC 20-cred it subjects. Ad d itional
requirem ents are specified for each course / instructional offering in the
58
General Prospectus
relevant faculty prospectus. Selection w ill be based on the points

obtained accord in g to the Ad m ission Point System (APS).
c) Persons w ho do not meet the minimum requirements for admission

Applicants w ho d o not m eet the m inim um criteria for ad m ission as
outlined in 5.1 above m ay be ad m itted if they m eet any of the follow ing
criteria (at the d iscretion of the Senate of the Vaal University of
Technology). Firstly, applicants in possession of a Senior Certificate or
equivalent qualification w ith pass m arks in such subjects are required
for the specific field of stud y and are 23 years of age and above m ay be
consid ered for ad m ission. Secondly, applicants m ay be ad m itted on the
basis of recognition of prior learning (RPL) in cases w here such prior
learning is assessed as equivalent to entry requirem ents as outlined in
5.1 above. Such applicants m ust provid e evid ence of such learning
accep table to the VUT for consid eration. Proced ures for such
alternative ad m ission are contained in the RPL Rules and Proced ure
d ocum ent contained in Annexure A. Thirdly, applicants w ith foreign
qualifications or qualifications d eem ed equivalent to qualifications
outlined in 5.1 above w ill be consid ered based on advice from a
recognised equivalence setting bod y such as SAQA or H ESA.
5.1.2 Required D ocumentation:
All applications for ad m ission m ust be accom panied by certified copies of

the follow ing d ocum entation
a) Stand ard 10 / Grad e 12 / Matric / SC / N SC or equivalent certificate.
b) Certificate of cond uct (if previously enrolled at another tertiary
institution).
c) Full Acad em ic Transcript (if previously enrolled at another tertiary
institution).
d) Docum entary evid ence of all other form al qualifications attained .
e) Valid South African Id entity Docum ent.
f) A valid stud y perm it (in the case of international stud ents).
5.1 D egree and Postgraduate Admission Requirements
5.2.1 Admission through a VUT undergraduate diploma
59
General Prospectus
Ad m ission to a d egree program m e w ill be by m eans of a selection process

for those stud ents w ho, in the opinion of the Senate of the Vaal University
of Technology, have d em onstrated sufficient acad em ic read iness to pursue
a d egree in their chosen field of stud y.
5.2.2 Admission through the N ational Senior Certificate
In ord er to be eligible for ad m ission to a d egree program m e applicants

hold ing a Sou th African N ational Senior Certificate need to pass a
m inim um of four subjects a rating of 4 (Ad equate Achievem ent, 50-59%)
or better from the DoE d esignated list of subjects, inter alia Accounting;
Agricultural Sciences; Business Stud ies; Dram atic Arts; Econom ics;
Engineering Graphics and Design; Geography; H istory; Consum er
Stud ies; Inform ation Technology; Languages (one language of learning
and teaching at a higher ed ucation institution and tw o other recognised
language subjects); Life Sciences; Mathem atics; Mathem atical Literacy;
Music; Physical Sciences; Religion Stud ies; and Visual Arts.
5.2.3 Admission through the Senior / Matric / Std10 Certificate

Ad m ission into a d egree or course w ill be as outlined in 5.1 above.
5.3 Admissions by Transfer
5.3.1 Ad m ission and registration by transfer from another tertiary institution

w ill be conditional upon the follow ing:
a) Satisfactory acad em ic record provid ed from the tertiary institution
previously enrolled at.
b) Certificate of good cond uct provid ed from the tertiary institution
previously enrolled at.
c) Proof of no outstand ing stud ent d ebts from institution(s) previously
enrolled at.
d) Approval by the relevant H ead of Departm ent (H oD).
e) Availability of space in the acad em ic program m e that the ap plicant is
applying for.
5.3.2 Ad m ission and registration by transfer from another Cam p us /

Departm ent w ill be at the d iscretion of the Executive Dean of the receiving
Faculty.
60
General Prospectus
5.4 Admissions Through Preparatory Courses
Ad m issions into und ergrad uate program m es effected through extend ed /

introd uctory / brid ging / found ation and sim ilar courses w ill be based on
satisfactory perform ance in these courses, the criteria of w hich w ill be
d eterm ined by the Senate of the VUT.
5.5 Admissions of International Students
Applications for ad m ission of international stud ents w ill be ad m inistered

through the Office for International Relations. Ad m issions of foreign stud ents
w ill be based upon the subm ission of all required d ocum entation as required
by the Dep artm ent of Foreign Affairs, evaluation of qualifications by a
recognised equivalence setting bod y and approval by the receiving faculty.
5.6 Re-Admission
All continuing / returning (senior) stud ents of the VUT w ill be required to re -
register each sem ester / year. Such re-registration w ill be d enied in the
follow ing cases:
a) Stud ents w ho fail to obtain a pass grad e in at lea st 50% of the subjects /
m od ules registered for.
b) Senior stud ents w ho fail a subject tw ice.
c) Stud ents w ho fail to obtain the qualification registered for w ithin the
m inim um ad m issible period of tim e.
The registration rules support this Ad m issions Policy are outlined in section
5.8 of this policy.
5.7 Appeals Against Admission D ecisions
All applicants have a right of appeal against an ad m ission d ecision. Appeals

concerning ind ivid ual ad m ission d ecisions m ust be lod ged w ith the VUT
Registrar.
61
General Prospectus
5.8 Registration Rules
The Registration Rules as outlined below supplem ent and give effect to the
Ad m issions Policy of the Vaal University of Technology and should therefore
be read in conjunction w ith this policy. The rules should also be read in
conjunction w ith the General Rules for Stud ents.
5.8.1 Eligibility for registration
Stud ents m ay not register for a course unless an offer of a place in the
course has been m ad e, the offer has been accepted in the prescribed
m anner and all the cond itions for registration have been m et, as
prescribed the Senate of the VUT.
5.8.2 Responsibility for correct registration

Stud ents are responsible for ensuring that they are correctly registered for
each sem ester / year.
a) Correct inform ation

Stud ents m ust ensure that inform ation required on the registration
form is com plete and correct.
b) Correct subjects
Subjects m ust be entered correctly by subject cod e, and m ust be part
of the course in w hich the student is enrolled.
c) Prerequisites
Stud ents can only register for su bjects for w hich prerequisites have
been m et. Stud ents w ho register for subjects for w hich they d o not
fulfil the necessary prerequisites w ill autom atically be blocked /
d eregistered by the Stud ent Ad m inistration Section, unless such
registration has been allow ed by the relevant H oD (or relevant
Executive Dean). Such acceptance has to be accom panied by a
m otivation from the relevant H oD or Executive Dean.
d) Due d ates
All registration cond itions, includ ing the paym ent of fees, m ust be
m et by the specified d ue d ate.
62
General Prospectus
5.8.3 Registration forms
In ord er to effect registration, stud ents m ust com plete all relevant sections
of their registration form and sign the declaration on the form .
5.8.4 Payment of fees
a) Registration and the paym ent of fees

The paym ent of fees associated w ith registration as a stud ent at the
VUT is an integral and com pulsory com ponent of the registration
process. Registration is not com plete until all fees associated w ith
such registration have been paid .
b) Fees payable at registration

The fees payable at registration includ e any fees or other charges
outstand ing from previous acad em ic years or sem esters; course or
tuition fees, if applicable; the applicable fee for late registration, if
registration is d one after closing d ate and any other fees as m ay be
d eterm ined from tim e-to-tim e.
c) Am ounts payable
The am ount payable for a particular fee in a particular year is
published in the Sched ule of Fees w hich is obtainable from the
Finance Departm ent.
d) Due d ates for paym ent

Fees associated w ith registration w ill be paid by the d ue d ate for
paym ent. The annual d ue d ates for paym ent are published in the
Acad em ic Calend ar section in the VUT Prospectus; the Stud ent
Inform ation Booklet issued to stud ents at registration; and on
ind ivid ual notices or invoices issued to stud ents.
e) Late fees
Stud ents w ho d o not enrol by the ad vertised last d ate for registration
m ust, if perm itted to enrol late, pay a late registration fee.
f) Extension-of-tim e for paym ent

An extension of tim e for the paym ent of fees associated w ith
registration w ill not norm ally be granted . Where an extension -of-
tim e is granted , a d eferred paym ent fee m ay also be payable.
63
General Prospectus
g) Waiver of fees
Fees associated w ith registration w ill not norm ally be w aived .
Exceptions to th is can only be allow ed by the Rectorate.
h) Liability for ad d itional costs

Costs incurred by the VUT in seeking to collect fees associated w ith
registration w ill be charged to the stud ent‟s account and w ill be
consid ered as an ad d itional cost associated w ith the stud ent‟s
registration.
i) Refund s for cancelled courses

Stud ents, w ho w ithd raw from a subject by the published closing d ate
for changes in registration status for the period , w ill not incur a
financial liability for that su bject. If a stud ent ha s paid any fees
tow ard s that subject or subjects before w ithd raw al, the stud ent w ill
receive a refund of the fees paid . Stud ents, w ho w ithd raw from a
subject after the published closing d ate for changes in registration
status, w ill incur a financial liability for that su bject that m ay vary
from one acad em ic year to the next. Enquiries should be directed to
the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office.
5.8.5 Selection of subjects
The follow ing restrictions to subject selections w ill apply:
a) Approval of subject selections

All subject selections m ust be d one in conjunction w ith and / or be
approved by the relevant H oD. Registration form s m ust be signed by
the H oD before being lodged w ith the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office.
b) Maxim um subject load

Stud ents m ay not enrol for m ore than the norm al subject load for each
session, except w ith the perm ission of the H oD. The normal subject
load for each qualification is stipulated in the VUT Prospectus.
c) Restrictions on subject registration

The H oD m ay place restriction s on the num ber of subjects / courses /
m od ules stud ents m ay register for in a given sem ester / year and / or
m ay specify particular subjects / courses / m od ules stud ents have to
take.
64
General Prospectus
d) Subject quotas
Stud ents m ay be prevented from enrolling in particu lar course /
m od ule d ue to subject registration quotas.
5.8.6 Prerequisites
a) Failure to m eet prerequisites

Registration in a subject / course / m od ule is null-and -void if
stud ents have not m et the prerequisite / s for that subject / course /
m od ule. See point 2.3 above.
b) Changes to prerequisites
Stud ents w ill not be d isad vantaged by any change of prerequisites
provid ed that the stud ent rem ains continually registered in the
course. Should stud ents w ithd raw from a course and be
subsequently re-ad m itted , the new prerequisites w ill apply upon re-
ad m ission.
5.8.7 Student identification
a) Stud ent num bers

Upon initial registration at the VUT, stud ents w ill be issued w ith a
stud ent num ber w hich m ust be quoted in all correspond ence w ith the
VUT. This num ber w ill be retained by a stud ent and used w henever
the stud ent com m ences a new course w ith the VUT.
b) Id entification card s
Issue of cards: Stud ents enrolling for the first tim e w ith the VUT w ill
be issued w ith an id entification card . Stud ents re-enrolling w ith the
VUT w ill have their id entification card valid ated as current for the
period of their re-registration.
Use of cards: An id entification card is a stud ent‟s authority to access

a range of the VUT‟s services and facilities as d eterm ined by the VUT;
includ ing the authority to attend classes, receive teaching m aterials,
access to the exam ination venues and to borrow specified m aterials
from the VUT.
Obligations regarding use: Acceptance of an id entification card

confirm s that a stud ent und ertakes to use the card for the purposes
for w hich it is issued and therefore accepts the rules or cond itions, as
am end ed from tim e-to-tim e, w hich are specified in relation to any of
those purposes.
65
General Prospectus
Replacement of cards: Id entification card s w ill e replaced su bject to

the paym ent of a prescribed fee.
5.8.8 Personal data
a) Responsibility for personal d ata

Stud ents m ust notify the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office of any change
of nam e, ad d ress, cell phone num ber or other d ata record ed on their
registration form. Stud ents w ill be asked to check all personal d ata at
each registration session, but they m ust ad vise the Stud ent
Ad m inistration Office of changes as they occur by com pleting a
change of d etails form available for this purpose at the Stud ent
Ad m inistration Office, or by w riting to the Stud ent Ad m inistration
Office.
b) Appeals against d ecisions

Failure to inform the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office of changes to
personal d ata w ill not be accepted as ground s for appeal against any
VUT d ecisions.
c) Preferred form s of com m unication

The preferred m ethod of com m unication to stud ents is through the
VUT allocated e-m ail ad d ress of each stud ent. It is therefore the
stud ent‟s responsibility to check e-m ails regularly. Failure to com ply
w ith this provision w ill not be accepted as ground s for appeal against
any VUT d ecisions. Inform ation w ill also be com m u nicated to
stud ents via short m essage service (SMS). It is therefore incum bent
on the stud ent to ensure that the VUT has on record their current cell
phone num bers at all tim es, w hen available.
5.8.9 Confirmation of registration
Stud ents are required to confirm their registration by the published

closing d ate for changes in registration status specified in the Acad em ic
Calend ar by checking the inform ation on a for m issued by the Stud ent
Ad m inistration Office w hich show s each stud ent‟s registration status.
66
General Prospectus
a) Corrections to registration
Corrections to registration resulting from the registration
confirm ation m ust be lod ged w ith the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office
by the published closing d ate for changes in registration status.
b) Late corrections
Corrections to subject registration after the p ublished closing d ate for
changes in registration status w ill not be entertained .
5.8.10 Re-registration
All continuing stud ents are required to re-register each semester / year by
a d ate specified in the Acad em ic Calend ar. Stud ents w ho fail to re -
register by such d ate w ill incur a late registration fee.
5.8.11 Addition of subjects
a) Application
Applications to ad d a subject should be m ad e on the relevant form
available from the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office.
b) Dead lines
Subject to a place being available in a subject, registered VUT
stud ents m ay ad d subjects to their registration by the final d ate
published for this purpose in the VUT Acad em ic Calend ar.
c) Applications received by the dead line

The Stud ent Ad m inistration Office w ill process an application
received by the d ead line provid ed that there is a place available in the
subject and the stud ent is eligible to enrol in the subject. Such an
application m ust be signed by the relevant H oD.
d) Applications received after the d ead line

The Stud ent Ad m inistration Office w ill d ecline an application
received after the d ead line. In exceptional cases, the Executive Dean
of the Faculty w ill have the d iscretion to recom m end such an
ad d ition.
67
General Prospectus
e) N otification
Stud ents w ill receive w ritten ad vice regard ing their application from
the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office.
5.8.12 Cancellation of subjects

a) Application
Stud ents m ust ad vise the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office in w riting of
their intention to cancel a subject. In ord er to avoid a fail grad e in a
subject, notification of w ithd raw al should be received by the Stud ent
Ad m inistration Office before the published closing d ate for s ubject
w ithd raw als for the particular registration session.
b) Withd raw al by the published closing d ate

If a stud ent notifies the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office of the
cancellation of a subject by the published closing d ate for the session
registration in the subject w ill not be record ed on the stud ent‟s
transcript. If a stud ent w ithd raw s from all subjects by the published
closing d ate for the session, the stud ent w ill be consid ered not to have
registered and w ill be w ithdraw n from the course / program m e. The
appropriate form obtainable from the Stud ent Ad m inistration Office
w ill have to be com pleted and signed by the relevant authorities to
effect such w ithd raw al.
5.8.13 Closing dates for registration
Closing d ates for registration for each session are published in the annual
acad em ic calend ar. Except through special perm ission from Rectorate, no
late registrations w ill be allow ed .
5.8.14 Refusal of registration
a) Stud ents w ho are ind ebted to the University by reason of non -

paym ent of any fee or charge, and w ho fail to m ake satisfactory
settlem ent of ind ebted ness after receipt of d ue notice, m ay be refused
registration or have their registration cancelled .
b) Stud ents w ho fail to show satisfactory acad em ic progress, after d ue

w arnings have been served on them , w ill be refused registration or
have their registration cancelled .
68
General Prospectus
c) Stud ents w ho fail to d isclose such inform ation as is required for

registration, or d eliberately falsify inform ation to effect registration,
or cond uct them selves in a m anner that contravenes the provisions of
any policy, rule, regulation or the Statu te of the Vaal University of
Technology, w ill be refused registration or have their registration
w ith the VUT cancelled .
d) Transferring stud ents w ho fail to d isclose a full acad em ic record and

/ or Statem ent of Cond uct from the transferring institution w ill be
d enied registration or have their registration w ith the Vaal University
of Technology cancelled .
5.8.15 Classes
Stud ents are required to present them selves for all sched u led classes and
tutorials from the com m encem ent of the annually ad vertised acad em ic
program m e.
5. POLICY MAN AGEMEN T
The Ad m issions Policy is developed in accord ance w ith the provisions of the
H igher Ed ucation Act (101 of 1997 as am end ed ), the Statu te of the Vaal
University of Technology as w ell as the follow ing d ocum ents:
a) Minim um Ad m ission Requirem ents for H igher Certificate, Diplom a and

Bachelor‟s Degree Program m es requiring a N ational Senior Certificate
(DoE 2005);
b) The policy d ocum ent on the Requirem ents for Ad m ission to Stud y at a
Technikon (CTP 2002);
c) Prom otion of Access to Information Act (2 of 2000);
d) N ational Senior Certificate (N SC): A qualification at level 4 on the N QF

(July 2005);
e) Governm ent Gazette no. 29851 of 2007 – Am end m ents to the program m e
and prom otion requirem ents of N SC (April 2007);
69
General Prospectus
f) N ational Certificate Vocational N C(V): A qualification at Level 2; 3 & 4 on

N QF (March 2006); and
g) The requirem ents as stipulated in the H igher Ed ucation Qualification

Fram ew ork (H EQF).
Approved by Senate on 08/ 09/ 2008

Approved by Council on 09/ 09/ 2008
70
General Prospectus
13.3 Policy on Academic Probation, Withdraw al From & D eferment

of Studies
1. IN TROD UCTION
This policy serves as a supportive guid eline to the policy on continuation

of stud ies and other related acad em ic policies. It seeks to resolve
uncertainties that arise from breaks in continuous registration of stud ents.
This policy d oes not cover d eregistration / cancellations, ad d itions and re-
registration of ind ivid ual courses and m od ules as these are covered by
other policy d ocum ents.
2. D EFERMEN T OF STUD IES
2.1 First year stud ents w ho have been accepted for ad m ission at VUT and
w ish to d elay their registration at VUT for a sem ester or a year m ay
request d eferred ad m ission by w riting to the Registrar: Acad em ic
Support. The letter requesting d eferred ad m ission m ust ind icate the
length of tim e requested for d eferral, the reason for requesting the d eferral
and the proposed actions of the stud ent d uring the tim e of the d eferral.
2.2 If d eferred ad m ission is granted , the stud ent m ust p ay a n on-refund able
fee as w ill be prescribed annually.
2.3 Deferred stud ents m ay not enrol at any other university / ed ucational
institution d uring the granted d eferm ent period.
3. WITHD RAWAL
A w ithd raw al occurs w hen a stud ent voluntarily suspend s stud ies either
tem porarily or perm anently. A stud ent w ho d esires to w ithd raw from
stud ies is required to d o so form ally, as outlined in this policy.
3.1 General Overview
3.1.1 A w ithd raw al from the University ind icates that the stud ent has no
intention of returning to VUT. If the stud ent d ecid es to return at a later
d ate, the stud ent m ust apply form ally for read m ission.
71
General Prospectus
3.1.2 Since w ithd raw al from the University has im m ed iate financial
im plications, stud ents m ust have an exit interview w ith a representative of
the finance d epartm ent. Stud ents are responsible for all tuition associated
w ith course registrations and any other fees associated w ith the
University.
3.1.3 Stud ents w ho w ithd raw from the University should follow these
proced ures:
 N otify the Executive Dean of intention to w ithd raw from the
University.
 Meet a representative of the Stud ent Services Division for an exit
interview .
 Withd raw from all classes in accord ance w ith the policy for course
w ithd raw als if the stud ent w ithd raw s from the University in the
m id d le of a sem ester in w hich the stud ent is taking classes.
 Meet w ith a representative of the Finance Departm ent.
 Arrange paym ent for all outstand ing fees w ith the Finance
Departm ent.
 Ord er an official transcript.
3.2 Types of w ithdraw al
There are three types of w ithdraw al:

 Withd raw al w ith perm ission
 Withd raw al w ithout perm ission
 Retroactive w ithd raw al
3.2.1 Withdraw al w ith permission
3.2.1.1 Withd raw al w ith perm ission m ay be tem porary or perm anent.
3.2.1.2 A tem porary w ithd raw al is a release from university / stud ies /
program m e for, norm ally, one sem ester and not exceed ing one year. A
tem porary w ithd raw al m ay be treated as a leav e of absence from the
University necessitated by ad verse personal con d itions (such as: ill-health,
bereavem ent, loss of job, fam ily problem s etc.). A perm anent w ithd raw al
72
General Prospectus
is a release from university / stud ies / program m e for a period in excess

of one sem ester w ith no stated intention to resum e stud ies in future.
3.2.1.3 In both cases the executive d ean m ust approve the w ithd raw al and set
cond itions governing subsequent resum ption of stud ies.
3.2.1.4 In both cases, if the stud ent is not in good acad em ic stand ing, the stud ent
w ill receive a “Terminat ion” notation on their record s. If the stud ent is in
good acad em ic stand ing, the stud ent record w ill ind icate “Terminat ion
w it hout prejudice”. This is to ensure that the period of w ithd raw al w ill
not be counted in d eterm ining the total uninterrupted registration period
of the stu d ent.
3.2.1.5 A tem porary w ithd raw al m ay not be granted m ore than once d uring the
m axim um tim e allow ed for com pletion of the Program m e. In the case of a
perm anent w ithd raw al, a stud ent m ay form ally apply to resum e the
program m e only:
 If they w ere in good acad em ic stand ing w hen the w ithd raw al took
effect,
 If the period that lapsed d uring such a w ithd raw al d oes not exceed
eighteen m onths, and
 At the d iscretion of the executive d ean of the faculty involved .
3.2.2 Withdraw al w ithout permission
3.2.2.1 Official w ithd raw al from a Program m e requires approval of the Executive
Dean of the faculty involved .
3.2.2.2 Withd raw al form s are obtainable from the Office of the Registrar:
Acad em ic Support.
3.2.2.3 Withd raw al from Program m es / University / stud ies w ithout such
perm ission being sought and granted w ill prejud ice the stud ent w ith
regard s the Continuation of Stud ies policy and m ay lead to a “FAIL”
grad e in the courses / m od ules registered for.
3.2.3 Retroactive w ithdraw al
73
General Prospectus
N o retroactive w ithd raw al w ill be allow ed .
3.3 ACAD EMIC STAN D IN G
Acad em ic stand ing refers to the acad em ic and other cond uct of the
stud ent at the University. A good acad em ic stand ing refers to good
acad em ic perform ance and an acceptable behavioural cond uct of the
stud ent. A stud ent w ho is not in good acad em ic stand ing is a stud ent that
has fallen foul of the Continuation of Stud ies policy and / or has had a
d isciplinary action taken against him / her.
3.4 ACAD EMIC PROBATION
3.4.1 Stud ents w ho fail to m eet the m inim um acad em ic stand ard s or fail to
m aintain good acad em ic stand ing in term s of the Continuation of Stud ies
policy m ay be placed on acad em ic probation.
3.4.2 The d ecision to place a stud ent on acad em ic probation is at the d iscretion
of the executive d ean / faculty board .
3.4.3 Stud ents placed on probation w ill sign a statem ent of cond itions approved
by the Registrar: Acad em ic Support. If the stud ent is unable to satisfy
these cond itions accord ing to the tim eline allocated , the stud ent w ill be
placed on com pulsory perm anent w ithd raw al.
74
General Prospectus
13.4 Procedure Regarding Continuation of Studies
A. Rationale
This proced ure d ocum ent seeks to assist stud ents to ensure successful
progression through their stud ies and to ensure proper learning support
for stud ents w ho are not m aking satisfactory acad em ic progress.
The und erlying principles to the d ocum ent includ e the fact that a stud ent
is offered one opportunity at each level to repeat the level. A system of
w arnings is used to alert at-risk stud ents to take pre-em ptive corrective
actions.
This proced ure d ocum ent gives effect to Rules G30 and G31 in the General
Rules and provisions of paragraph 5.6 of the Ad m issions Policy of the
Vaal University of Technology.
B. Policy
1. First year student (level 1): Unsuccessful during first semester / year
1.1 A first year stud ent (acad em ic SI or acad em ic year 1) (new stud ent) w ho
has passed less than fifty percent of the enrolled cred its of the sem ester
(year for year stud ents), m ay continue w ith stud ies in the particular
program m e in the sam e field of stud y in the subsequent / next sem ester /
year provid ed that:
a. the stud ent registers on ly for the failed credits;
b. the stud ent su bjects him / herself to a com pulsory acad em ic and / or
counselling support to be d eterm ined by the Departm ent of Learning
Support / Faculty; and
c. the stud ent passes 100% of SI (acad em ic year 1 for year stud ents)
cred its and successfully com pletes the counselling / acad em ic
support program m e at the end of such repeat sem ester / year.
1.2 If the stud ent contem plated in 1.1 above fails to achieve the stipulated
cond itions in 1.1(c) ad m ission to the program m e w ill be d enied . Such a
stud ent w ill be referred to the Departm ent of Learning Support.
1.3 If the stud ent contem plated in 1.1 successfully com p leted all the
outstand ing subjects / m od ules d uring the follow ing sem ester / year, the
stud ent w ill be ad m itted to the next level.
75
General Prospectus
1.4 The stud ent as contem plated in 1.1 above w ill sign a com pulsory w arning
for unsatisfactory acad em ic progress before starting the second attem pt at
the failed cred its referred to in 1.1(a).
2. First year student (level 1): Promoted to next level of study
2.1 A first year stud ent (level 1) (new stud ent) w ho passes 50% and above of
the enrolled cred its for a sem ester / year m ay register for the outst and ing
cred its (subjects / m od ules com pleted unsuccessfully) and the subjects /
m od ules prescribed for the next level, provid ed that prerequisites are
ad hered to and subject / m od ule com binations can be accom m od ated on
the class tim e table and exam ination tim e table. Su ch stud ent m ust p ass
all the outstand ing m od ules / subjects from SI / year 1 to continue w ith
stud ies.
2.2 If a stud ent d escribed in 2.1 fails to com plete the ou tstand ing SI / year 1
cred its by the end of the historical second sem ester / year, ad m ission to
the program m e w ill be d enied . Such a stud ent w ill be referred to the
Departm ent of Learning Supp ort and 1.1 above, w ill apply. H ow ever, if
the stud ent successfully com pleted all the outstand ing subjects / m od ules
d uring the follow ing sem ester / year, the stud ent w ill be ad m itted to the
next level.
3. Senior Student (S2, S3, S4 or year 2 for year students): Unsuccessful
3.1 A senior stud ent (S2, S3, S4 or year 2 for year stud ents) w ho fails to obtain
at least 50% of the cred its for the particular level at the end of the sem ester
/ year m ay continue w ith studies in the particular program m e in the sam e
field of stud y in the subsequent / next sem ester / year provid ed that:
a. the stud ent registers only for the failed credits;
b. the stud ent passes 100% of the required credits for the particular
level; and
c. the stud ent has not alread y signed tw o w arning s for unsatisfactory
acad em ic progress.
3.2 The stud ent d escribed in 3.1 above further has to sign a w arning for
unsatisfactory acad em ic progress as follow s:
a. if the stud ent has alread y signed one w arning, the stud ent w ill sign a
second and final w arning,
76
General Prospectus
b. if a stud ent has never signed a w arning, the stud ent w ill sign a first
w arning w hich w ill be accom panied by com pulsory acad em ic or
cou nselling support.
3.3 If the stud ent d escribed in 3.1 above fails to satisfy the cond itions as
outlined in 3.1(b), 3.1(c) and 3.2, the stud ent w ill not be allow ed to
continue w ith her / his stud ies at the University.
4. Senior Student (S2, S3, S4 or year 2 for year students): Promoted to next
level of study
4.1 If a senior stud ent (S2, S3, S4 or year 2 for year stud ents) has passed 50%
and above of the enrolled cred its for a sem ester / year, the stud ent m ay
register for the outstand ing subjects / m od ules (subjects / m od ules
com pleted unsuccessfully) and the subjects prescribed for the next level
provid ed that prerequisites are ad hered to and subject / m od ule
com binations can be accom m od ated on the class tim e table and the
exam ination tim e table. Such a stud ent m ust p ass all the outstand ing
m od ules / subjects / cred its from the previous acad em ic sem ester / year
before they m ay be ad m itted into the next level, and m ust sign a w arning
to that effect.
4.2 If a stud ent d escribed in 4.1 fails to com plete the outstand ing cred its by
the end of the historical semester, ad m ission to the program m e w ill be
d enied . Such a stud ent w ill be referred to the Departm ent of Learning
Support. H ow ever, if the stud ent successfully com p leted all the
outstand ing subjects / m od u les d uring the follow ing sem ester / year, the
stud ent w ill be ad m itted to the next level.
5. Senior Student (S5, S6, P1, P2 or year 3 for year students)
A senior stud ent (S5, S6, P1, P2 or year 3 for year stud ents) w ho d oes not
pass all of the prescribed cred its for the program m e d uring the sem ester /
year of registration w ill be w arned regard ing the m axim um perm issible
period s for the existing qualifications as outlined below . Such a stud ent
w ill sign a form al w arning to this effect.
77
General Prospectus
6. Period of study
6.1 Maxim um perm issible period s for existing qualifications:

N ational H igher Certificate = In total 4 years of stud y
N ational Diplom a = In total 6 years of stud y
(includ ing WIL)
BTech Degree (3 + 1) = In total 8 years of stud y
th
BTech Degree (4 year only) = In total 2 years of stud y
MTech Degree = In total 4 years of stud y
DTech Degree = In total 6 years of stud y
6.2 If a stud ent fails to com ply w ith the above m entioned requirem ents, su ch
a stud ent w ill not be allow ed to continue his / her stud ies.
7. A stud ent w ill be refused ad m ission to continue w ith stud ies and
resid ential accom m od ation, if fees are overd ue.
8. The continuation of stud ies m ay be applied on the enforcem ent of the Vaal
University of Technology Code of Cond uct on a stud ent w ho fails to abid e
by the norm s and cod es of the institution.
9. Ad m ission and the continuation of stud ies are subjected to the

requirem ents as prescribed in the prospectuses of the d epartm ents in the
faculties.
10. The acceptance of stud ents from other institutions to continue stud ies is
subject to all of the cond itions as contained in this policy includ ing
cond itions as set out in the Ad m issions Policy of the University.
11. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can also be applied w here applicable.
12. Where exceptional circum stances prevail, ad -hoc cases w ill be referred to
the Executive Deans to be d ealt w ith at their d iscretion w ithin the
fund am ental principles of the policy.
Approved by Senate on 17/ 11/ 2006

Revised and Approved by Senate on 08/ 09/ 2008
78
General Prospectus
13.5 Assessments Regulations
1 TERMIN OLOGY
1.1 Senate
The official acad em ic bod y constituted in term s of the VUT Act
and Statute.
1.2 Senex
The executive com m ittee of Senate.
The execut
1.3 Assessm ent Com m ittee
The com m ittee appointed by the Senate to d eal w ith assessm ent
m atters.
1.4 Assessm ent Officer

The Deputy Registrar Dep artm ent Assessm ent (Main Cam pus)
H ead Ad m inistration (Satellite Cam puses)
2 APPROVAL
2.1 All assessm ent regulations and proced ures in connectio n w ith
assessm ent events shall be approved by Senate.
3 COMMEN CEMEN T
3.1 The d ate on w hich the assessm ent regulations com e into effect is
d eterm ined by Senate.
3.2 This revised set of regulations and proced ures is effective from
January 2005.
4 TYPES OF ASSESSMEN T
4.1 Sum m ative assessm ent at the end of a m od ule (A lso see section B -
15).
4.1.1 Main assessm ent events are those events that occur at the
com pletion of a m od ule / s.
4.1.2 The m ethod of assessm ent as d escribed in 4.1.1 w ill be d eterm ined
by the assessm ent criteria and can includ e a variety of assessm ent
79
General Prospectus
m ethod s as d escribed in the learning guid e for the particular

m od ule.
4.2 Re-assessm ent opportunities (A lso see 22)

4.2.1 Re-w rites (und er the previous assessm ent system ) sha ll be allow ed
until m od ularisation and the continuous assessm ent (CASS) policy,
are fully im plem ented on all HEQF levels.
4.2.2 A supplementary assessment is an ad d itional assessm ent that

supplem ents the preced ing m ain assessm ent. Supplem entary
assessm ents w ill be sched uled soon after the relevant m ain
assessm ent d uring the sam e term as the m ain assessm ent as w as
approved by Senate on 17 N ovem ber 2006.
4.2.3 A re-assessment opportunity (in line w ith the CASS policy), is a
final opportunity to be assessed on outcom es not achieved yet and
w ill be im plem ented in accord ance w ith the CASS policy. The
assessm ent strategy outlined in the learning guid e w ill d escribe the
re-assessm ent opportunities per m od ule.
4.3 Ad d itional assessm ent opportunities

4.3.1 Und er exceptional circum stances, a stud ent m ay be ad m itted to a
special assessm ent event (see 10).
5 APPOIN TMEN T AN D D UTIES OF ASSESSORS AN D

MOD ERATORS
5.1 Appointm ent of assessors

5.1.1 Assessors are appointed by Senex on recom m end ation of the Dean
concerned and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic and these
appointees are consid ered to be the assessors for specific mod ules.
Appointm ents are valid for one year only.
5.1.2 Replacem ent of assessors are m ad e by the Dean concerned and the
Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic and su bm itted to Senex for
approval.
5.2 Duties of assessors w hen setting a question paper

5.2.1 The assessor drafts the question paper and m arking guid e lines /
m em orand um for the various m od ules, to the satisfaction of the
m od erator.
The assessor shall set all question papers to an acceptable stand ard
accord ing to the prescribed syllabus / outcom es and learning
guid es.
80
General Prospectus
5.2.2 The assessor in collaboration w ith the assessm ent centre, shall have
the m od ule question paper and m em orand um / m arking
guid elines m od erated to the satisfaction of the Deputy Registrar
exam inations. Each m od erated question paper shall be signed by
both the assessor and the m od erator. These signatures w ill
ind icate that the question pap er has been approved for use for that
particular assessm ent event.
5.2.3 The assessor shall hand in the question papers for term inating
m od ules at the assessm ent office, from w here it w ill be d istributed
to the relevant external m od erators.
5.2.4 The assessor shall use the prescribed stand ard front page w hen
d raw ing up m em orand a.
5.2.5 The assessor and m od erator shall ensure strict confid entiality at all
tim es.
5.2.6 The assessor shall ensure that all question papers and m em orand a
clearly ind icate the m arks to be aw ard ed per question and p er sub-
section as w ell as the total num ber of m arks for the question paper.
If question papers are d ivid ed into sub-sections, the number of
questions that cand id ates should answ er in each sub -section shall
be ind icated just below the head ing of the sub-section.
In the case of CASS re-assessm ent events and for re-assessm ent
events, the sub-sections should be clearly d istinguishable to afford
the cand id ate the opportunity of com pleting only those sub -
sections for w hich the outcom es have not yet been reached .
5.2.7 The assessor shall set all question papers (exclud ing language
question papers) in English only, except for satellite cam puses,
w here papers m ay be set in (or translated by the Satellite cam puses
into) a language as prescribed by the language policy of the
satellite cam p us in question.
5.2.8 The assessor shall carefully consid er the tim e factor involved in
answ ering a question paper.
5.2.9 The assessor shall ensure that the follow ing inform ation appears
on the front page of each question paper
 N am e and level of m od ule (e.g. Physics II)
 Internal cod e of the subject or m od ule (e.g. APFSA2B)
 Instructional program m e into w hich the m od ule falls (e.g. N.D.
Chem ical Engineering)
 The assessor shall ensure that a list of all m aterial w hich is
perm issible for the answ ering of the question paper is ind icated
on the question paper, e.g. pocket calculators are allow ed (type
of calculator shall be specified ); graph paper: (type shall be
specified ); d raw ing tables, etc. Should the syllabus prescribe
81
General Prospectus
the d evelopm ent of program m es for use in the assessm ent

event, or the use of stand ard p rogram m es in the assessm ent, the
use of a fully program m able calculator should be clearly
ind icated in the list of requirem ents. Should stud ents be
required to su pply certain item s them selves, this inform ation
shall be conveyed to the students at least tw o w eeks before the
d ate of the assessm ent.
 The assessor shall ensure that instructions are clearly stated to
prevent any m isinterpretation, e.g. "answ er any six qu estions",
or "answ er all the questions".
 The assessor shall ensure that append ices or supplem ents to a
question paper e.g. tables, sketches, answ er sheets are ind icated
at the beginning of each question paper w ith clear reference to
w hich questions they ap ply.
5.3 Duties of assessors w hen m arking scripts

5.3.1 The assessor receives the scripts together w ith the necessary
m em orand a from the assessm ent office and checks the num ber of
scripts received and the assessm ent num bers. The assessor is
responsible for the allotm ent of answ er scripts to the various co -
assessors for m arking.
5.3.2 The assessors shall tim eously hold d iscussions and issue
instructions to co-assessors regard ing the interpretation and
aw ard ing of m arks accord ing to the m em orand um . The
d iscussions should take place as soon as the co-assessors receive
the allotted question papers and m em orand a.
5.3.3 The assessor shall ensure that m arks are aw ard ed accord ing to the
m arking guid e lines / m em orand um . As far as possible, m arking
guid elines / m em orand a should m ake provision for a variety of
d ifferent answ ers.
5.3.4 The assessor shall ensure that the m arking by co-assessors is of the
sam e stand ard as those scripts m arked by the assessors. To
achieve this, the assessor shall check at least 10% (ten percent) of
the scripts w hich have been marked by the co-assessor.
5.3.5 The assessor shall aw ard m arks for every section of the qu estion.
These m arks shall be ind icated in the right-hand m argin of the
answ er script.
5.3.6 The total m arks for the question shall be record ed and encircled
next to the question num ber. The total m arks for each question
shall be record ed on the space provid ed on the back cover of the
answ er script.
82
General Prospectus
5.3.7 Should an assessor not aw ard any m arks for a specific question or
part thereof, he / she shall ind icate that by m eans of a 0 and also
record it on the space provid ed on the back cover of the answ er
script.
5.3.8 Should a question not have been answ ered at all, the assessor shall
record a X next to the question num ber on the back cover of the
answ er script.
5.3.9 After m arking, the total m ark shall be calculated and record ed on
the back cover of the answ er script. This m ark should now be
converted , on the back cover, to the appropriate exam m ark.
5.3.10 The assessor shall use a red pen.
5.3.11 The assessor shall m ark all the questions that have been answ ered.
If a cand id ate has answ ered m ore than the required number of
questions, the assessor shall m ark the requisite num ber of
questions as originally ind icated on the question paper, the choice
of w hich at the d iscretion of the assessor.
5.3.12 The assessor shall com plete and sign the required report and m ark
/ invigilator‟s list, w hich shall be hand ed in together w ith the
answ er scripts at the assessm ent office.
5.4 Appointm ent and d uties of co-assessors

5.4.1 Full-tim e and part-tim e lecturers of a m od ule, w ith the exception
of the m od erator of the m od ule, m ay be appointed as co -assessors.
5.4.2 The assessor shall, in all cases, cross check the answ er scrip ts as
m arked by each co-assessor as per 5.3.1 above. Cross checking
should be d one in a colour other than green or red.
5.4.3 The d uties of the co-assessors are the sam e as those of the assessor
as d etailed in 5.3.
5.5 Appointm ent of m od erators

5.5.1 Mod erators are appointed by Senex on recom m end ation of the
Dean and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic. Appointm ents
are valid for one year.
5.5.2 Replacem ents of m od erators are m ad e by the Dean concerned and
the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic and su bm itted to Senex for
approval.
5.5.3 Mod erators for term inating mod ules should be com petent subject
experts w ho are not m em bers of staff. Should no suitable person
be available, Senex m ay appoint a m em ber of staff as m od erator on
the recom m end ation of the relevant Dean. H ow ever, if the
exam iner is a subject expert, w ho is not a m em ber of staff, the
m od erator can be a staff m em ber.
83
General Prospectus
5.5.4 Mod erators for non -term inating m od ules m ay be full-tim e or part-
tim e lecturers and / or other com petent persons.
5.5.5 For supplem entary exam inations of term inating m od ules, the
exam ination paper w ill be externally m od erated but the scripts
should be internally m od erated .
5.6 Duties of a m od erator w hen m od erating question papers and

m em orand a
5.6.1 The m od erator shall be satisfied that the assessor has strictly
abid ed by the prescribed rules. (See 5.2). The m od erator is
ultim ately responsible for the follow ing:
 that the stand ard of the questions are acceptable;
 that questions cover the entire syllabus;
 that the aw ard ing of m arks is fair and acceptable;
 that the tim e factor has been carefully consid ered ;
 that there is no gross repetition from previous assessm ent and
test question papers; and
 that the use and stand ard of language is correct.
5.6.2 The m od erator shall sign both the cover pages of the question
paper and the m em orand um / m arking guid elines w hich w ill
ind icate that they are suitable for use.
5.7 Duties of m od erator w hen m od erating an answ er script

5.7.1 The m od erator shall check those answ er scripts w hich have been
subm itted to him / her
and shall ensure that:
 all regulations regard ing the m arking of the question paper
have been ad hered to;
 the aw ard ing of m arks has been fair and that a consistent
stand ard has been m aintained throughout;
 no ad d ition or calculation errors have been m ad e;
 bord erline cases have been carefully re-consid ered ;
 all the m od erated scripts are signed .
5.7.2 Should a m od erator recom m end a m ark ad justm ent, it should be
clearly specified and m otivated , e.g. increase / d ecrease all
cand id ates' assessm ent m arks by X, etc. The ad justm ent should be
approved by the Assessm ent Com m ittee.
5.7.3 The m od erator is responsible for the re-m ark of an answ er script
after a cand id ate's application for a re-m ark has been approved by
the Assessm ent Office.
5.7.4 The m od erator shall use a green pen to m od erate.
84
General Prospectus
5.7.5 The m od erator shall com plete the prescribed m od erator's report
and hand it in at the assessm ents office together w ith the
m od erated answ er scripts.
5.8 Am end m ents by th e m od erator

5.8.1 Should a m od erator not be satisfied w ith the question paper or the
m arking guid e / m em orand um , am end m ents shall be d iscussed
w ith the assessor and after consensus has been reached , changes
can be m ad e.
Should consensus not be reached , th e m atter shall be taken up w ith
the H ead of the Dep artm ent and the Dean for settlem ent. If
settlem ent is still not reached, it shall be referred to the Deputy
Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic.
5.9 Selecting of answ er scripts for m od eration:

5.9.1 The Assessm ents Office w ill select ten percent (10%) of all m arked
scripts per m od ule, includ ing those m arked by co-assessors, for
m od eration.
5.9.2 Should 20 or few er cand id ates have w ritten the particular m od ule,
all the scrip ts are subm itted for m od eration.
6 ASSESSMEN T COMMITTEE
6.1 Faculty Assessm ents Com m ittees

Each faculty should set up a faculty assessm ent com m ittee the
com position of w hich should be d ecid ed by the faculty board .
6.1.1 Faculty Assessm ent Com m ittees shall d eal w ith all m atters relating
to assessm ent, such as:
 control of question papers, m em orand a and assessm ent
tim etable
 ad m ission to assessm ents (w here applicable)
 irregularities and d isciplinary m easures
 m onitoring and ad justm ent of results
 approval of results
 release and publication of results
 all other m atters w hich are referred to the assessm ents
com m ittee
 m ed ical certificates
 Continuation of Stud ies p olicy
6.1.2 Each faculty assessm ent com m ittee w ill report on/ m ake
recom m end ation regard ing the issues listed above to the central
assessm ent com m ittee as d iscussed in 6.2 below .
85
General Prospectus
6.2 Central Assessm ent Com m ittee

A Central Assessm ent Com m ittee is a subcom m ittee of Senate
d ealing w ith all assessm ent matters.
6.3 Minutes
6.3.1 Minutes of all d ecisions of the com m ittee shall be kept b y the
Deputy Registrar: Assessm ent.
6.4 Operation
6.4.1 The Assessm ent Com m ittee shall m eet at least once at the
conclusion of each m ain assessm ent session in ord er to d eal w ith
m atters w hich have been referred to them .
6.4.2 During assessm ents sessions, d ay-to-d ay m atters are hand led by
the m anagem ent com m ittee, on the und erstand ing that all
d ecisions taken by the m anagem ent com m ittee w ill be presented to
the Assessm ent Com m ittee for authorisation and that such
d ecisions are ad d ed to the m inutes of the Assessm ent Com m ittee
as append ices.
6.5 Assessm ents Com m ittee

6.5.1 Assessm ents Com m ittee is selected by Senate.
6.5.1.1 The Assessment s Commit t ee:
Chairperson Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic
Secretary Secretary : Assessm ent Departm ent
M embers Registrar: Acad em ic
Deans of Faculties
Directors of Satellite Cam puses
Deputy Registrar: Assessm ent
6.5.1.2 Execut iv e Assessment s Commit t ee:
Chairperson Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic
Secretary Deputy Registrar: Assessm ent
M ember Relevant – Dean
6.5.1.3 Facult y Assessment Commit t ee:
Chairperson Executive Dean
Secretary Ad m inistrator of the Faculty
M embers Faculty Acad em ic officers of the Faculty
H ead s of Departm ent in the faculty
The Faculty Assessm ent Com m ittee is a stand ing com m ittee. All
bord er cases w ill be considered by this com m ittee.
86
General Prospectus
6.6 Assessm ents Disciplinary Com m ittees

6.6.1 The follow ing Assessm ent Disciplinary Com m ittees shall be
includ ed in the Cod e of Conduct for Stud ents:
6.6.1.1 Main Campus: Assessment s Disciplinary Commit t ee:
Chairperson/Presiding officer Registrar: Acad em ic
M ember one Relevant Acad em ic H OD
M ember two One SRC m em ber: Faculty
representative
M ember three University‟s Legal Expert
Complainant Deputy Registrar: Assessm ent
Secretary/scribe Provid ed by the Assessm ents
Departm ent
6.6.1.2 Sat ellit e Campuses: Assessment s Disciplinary Commit t ee:

Chairperson/Presiding officer Faculty co-ord inator / H ead Acad em ic
M ember one Relevant Acad em ic H OD / su bject head
M ember two One SRC m em ber : Faculty / acad em ic
representative
Complainant H ead : Ad m inistration
Secretary/scribe Provid ed by the Assessm ent Departm ent
6.6.1.3 Main Campus: Assessment s Appeal Commit t ee:

Chairperson/Presiding officer Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic
M ember one Relevant Acad em ic Dean
M ember two One SRC m em ber: Acad em ic Co-
ord inator from m ain cam pus
Secretary/scribe Provid ed by the Assessm ents
Departm ent
6.6.1.4 Sat ellit e Campus: Assessment s Appeal Commit t ee:
Chairperson Cam pus Director
M ember one Relevant H ead of Departm ent
M ember two One SRC m em ber w ho d id not serve on
the DC H earing
Secretary/scribe Provid ed by the Assessm ents Departm ent
6.7 Managem ent Com m ittee

6.7.1 Chairperson/Presiding officer Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic
M ember one Deputy Registrar: Assessm ent
M ember two Relevant Dean
87
General Prospectus
7 OBTAIN IN G A QUALIFICATION
7.1 A cand id ate obtains a qu alification as soon as he / she has m et all

the requirem ents, as stipulated in H EQF. Where a w ork integrated
learning com ponent is prescribed , this should have been
successfully com pleted .
7.2 A final year stud ent, w ho only requires one m od ule to obtain a
qualification, w ill autom atically qualify for a supplementary
assessm ent, PROVID ED that supplem entary assessm ent is
sched uled for the m od ule.
7.3 Pass w ith d istinction:
7.4 N Diplom a and B Tech qualifications m ay be aw ard ed Cum Laude

if the cand id ate obtains an average of 75% in all the subjects of the
qualification includ ing the final level subjects at the first attem pt.
7.5 M Tech m ay be aw ard ed Cum Laude to the cand id ate in respect of:
 Subject and dissertation option: passes all the subjects w ith an
average of 75% and passes the d issertation w ith 75%.
 Dissertation only: obtains a m ark of 75% or m ore.
7.6 D-Tech is not aw ard ed Cum Laude. It is only ind icated that the
cand id ate passed or failed .
8 RECOGN ITION S AN D EXEMPTION S (REFER to RPL policy)
8.1 Com pleted qualification:
8.2 N ot m ore than 50% of the com pleted qualification's m od ules can
be exem pted in respect of another incom plete qualification.
8.3 Incom plete qualifications:

8.3.1 N o restriction is placed on the num ber of m od ule exem ptions /
recognitions in respect of another qualification provid ed that at
least 50% of the subjects, are passed at the VUT.
88
General Prospectus
9 ASSESSMEN T OF THESES/D ISSERTATION S AS FULL OR

PARTIAL COMPLETION OF M. TECH AN D D . TECH
9.1 Initiation of the exam ination process:

9.1.1 The supervisor m ust sign a declaration that the thesis is read y for
exam ination. Attached to this d eclaration by the supervisor, m ust
be a com pleted m ark sheet w ith a proposed / expected m ark plus
ad d itional com m ents on the thesis, just as an exam iner w ould .
9.1.2 In the event of a significant d iscrepancy in m arks betw een the
supervisor and exam iners, the EXCO of the Faculty Board should
use its d iscretion in allocating a m ark or initiating re -exam ination.
9.1.3 The purpose of this is to ensure that there is d ue quality control on
a thesis before it is su bjected to external exam ination, and to give
experience in thesis exam ination to our staff.
9.1.4 In the event of the absence of the supervisor or of a d ispu te
betw een the stud ent and the supervisor, a stud ent can ap proach
the H ead of Departm ent and / or Faculty Dean w ith the request
that the thesis / d issertation be exam ined . Final approval for
exam ination in these cases, shall resid e w ith the Exco of the Faculty
Board .
9.2 N um ber of exam iners:

9.2.1 Assessm ent of full and partial MTech d issertations shall be d one
by tw o exam iners of w hich at least one m ust be external. The
supervisor cannot be an Exam iner
9.2.2 Assessm ent of a DTech thesis shall be d one by three exam iners of
w hich at least tw o m ust be external. One of the external exam iners
should preferably be from a reputable acad em ic institution outsid e
South Africa. The prom oter cannot be an exam iner.
9.3 Id entification of, approval of, and correspond ence w ith exam iners:
9.3.1 The proposed exam iners for each thesis / d issertation shall be
id entified by the relevant acad em ic H ead of Departm ent in
consultation w ith the supervisor/ prom oter w here feasible, for
approval by the Exco of the Faculty Boar d (and Senex).
9.3.2 All correspond ence w ith the exam iners shall be d one through the
office of the acad em ic H ead of Departm ent.
89
General Prospectus
9.4 Qualifications of supervisors / prom oters and assessors:

9.4.1 Supervisors / prom oters and assessors should be in possession of a
qualification at least equivalent to or preferably higher than that of
the cand id ate. Should a supervisor / prom oter or assessor not
possess an equivalent or higher qualification, it should be
established that such a person possesses the necessary specialised
know led ge and experience in the field of stud y concerned .
9.5 Pass and Failure

9.5.1 A cand id ate p asses w hen all m em bers of the assessm ents panel
aw ard a m ark of 50% or m ore for a MTech calculating the average
of all the m arks aw ard ed by the m em bers of the assessm ents panel.
A „pass’ is required in case of a DTech
9.5.2 Should one of the m em bers of the p anel fail the d issertation /
thesis, an ad d itional external assessor shall be appointed to rem ark
the d issertation / thesis. This assessor shall be id entified by the
acad em ic H ead of Dep artm ent and approved by Exco of the
Faculty Board . Should this assessor aw ard a pass m ark, the
cand id ate shall pass but should a fail be given, the cand id ate shall
fail.
9.6 A cand id ate's final m ark is calculated as follow s:

9.6.1 Masters Degree: For a pass the arithmetical average of the
allocated marks is calculated. For a failure no final mark is
calculated, it is only indicated that the candidate has failed.
9.6.2 Doctoral Degree: N o final mark is calculated. It is only indicated
that the candidate passed or failed.
9.6.3 Should tw o or m ore m em bers of the assessm ents panel fail the
cand id ate, the cand id ate fails, and no final m ark is calculated , it is
only ind icated that the cand id ate has failed .
9.6.4 The final exam ination m arks shall be subm itted to Exco of the
Faculty Board for final approval and Senex for and ratification.
10 SPECIAL ASSESSMEN TS
10.1 Und er exceptional circum stances, a stud ent m ay be ad m itted to a

special assessm ent p rovid ed that a w ritten request, supported by
the necessary d ocum entation, shall be subm itted to the
assessm ents office w ithin seven (7) d ays after the original d ate of
the m ain assessm ent.
90
General Prospectus
10.2 In the case of illness, a valid m ed ical certificate shall accom pany
the stud ent's request provid ed that the Assessm ents Office
reserves the right to obtain further inform ation to authenticate
such illness.
10.3 All special assessm ents shall be w ritten d uring the tim e slots
sched uled for supplem ental events.
10.4 N o special assessm ents shall be granted in lieu of re-assessm ent

events.
10.5 Acceptable reasons for ad m ission to a special assessm ent:

10.5.1 Serious illness or injury d uring the official assessm ent sessions.
10.5.2 Death of a first level blood relation m em ber of the fam ily. First
level refers to vertical and
horizontal relation e.g. father, m other, child, brother / sister. Valid
d ocum entation should be subm itted .
10.5.3 Problem s that m ay occur d ue to the University au thorities
postponing the official assessm ent sessions as a result of
unforeseen circum stances.
10.5.4 Exceptional cases w ill be consid ered on m erit.
10.6 Reasons that are unacceptable for ad m ission to a special

assessm ent:
 Overseas visits / tours
 Sports appointm ents / engagem ents except w here the
cand id ate w ill represent South Africa
 Attend ance of m eetings, sym posium s or any other gatherings
 Special holid ay arrangem ents
 Misinterpretation of the assessm ent tim e-table.
11 EXTEN D IN G THE N ORMAL TIME ALLOWED FOR THE

AN SWERIN G OF A QUESTION PAPER
11.1 Extension of tim e m ay be consid ered on the ground s of tem porary

or perm anent d isability.
91
General Prospectus
11.2 When granting ad d itional tim e the follow ing proced ures shall be
follow ed :
 Cand id ates shall apply in w riting to the relevant faculty at least
three w eeks in ad vance.
 The Faculty shall return the application, together w ith their
recom m end ation, to the Director of the Bureau for Stu d ent
Counselling.
 The Bureau for Stud ent Counselling should und ertake the
necessary investigation, m ake its recom m end ation and send all
the d ocum entation to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Acad em ic
for the attention of the Assessm ents Com m ittee.
 The Assessm ents Com m ittee, or its d elegate, d ecid es on the
length of the extension and send s all the d ocum entation to the
assessm ents office.
 The assessm ents office notifies the cand id ate and the relevant
Faculty.
 Ad d itional tim e is allow ed at the end of the assessm ent session.
 In exceptional cases a cand id ate m ay be perm itted to take an
oral assessm ent.
12 IRREGULARITIES D URIN G ASSESSMEN TS AN D CLASS

TESTS
12.1 Irregularities
12.1.1 Any stud ent w ho takes into the venue, or has in his / her
possession or has on his / her person after the question paper has
been hand ed out, any book, mem orand um , note, sketch, m ap, film ,
program m able calculator, non -perm issible m aterial or any other
d ocum ent other than his / her ad m ission pass, unless authorised
by the assessm ent rules or specified by a requirem ent in a
particular question paper.
12.1.2 Any stud ent w ho assists or attem p ts to assist another cand id ate,
obtains or attem pts to obtain help, or com m unicates or attem pts to
com m unicate w ith another person other than the invigilator w hile
in the assessm ent room .
12.1.3 Any stud ent w ho falsely represents him / herself as being a
specific cand id ate for an assessm ent.
12.1.4 Any stud ent w ho creates a d isturbance in the assessm ents room or
behaves in an im proper or an unseem ly m anner and refuses to
stop such d isturbance or im proper unseem ly behaviour after he /
she has been w arned by the invigilator.
92
General Prospectus
12.1.5 Any stud ent w ho d isregards the instructions of the invigilator

concerned and , after he / she has been w arned by the invigilator,
continues to d isregard such instructions.
13 PROCED URES FOLLOWIN G ASSESSMEN T

IRREGULARITIES
13.1 Steps to be taken by the invigilator follow ing an assessm ent

irregularity:
13.1.1 The invigilator confiscates the relevant answ er script(s) and all
other unauthorised m aterial.
13.1.2 The invigilator end orses the confiscated answ er script on the
outsid e of the cover w ith the w ord s “answ er script confiscated at
… (tim e).”
13.1.3 The invigilator supplies the cand id ate w ith a new answ er script
and end orses it on the outside of the cover w ith the w ord s “new
answ er script issued at …. (tim e).”
13.1.4 The invigilator contacts the Assessm ents Officer im m ed iately after
an assessm ent irregularity occurred .
13.1.5 The invigilator ensures the stud ent w ho com m itted the alleged
irregularity, d oes not leave the assessm ent venue until the
assessm ent session com es to an end .
13.1.6 The invigilator ensures that the stud ent w ho com m itted the alleged
irregularity reports to the Assessm ents Officer.
13.1.7 The invigilator subm its a report and relevant evid ence on the
irregularity to the Assessm ent Officer.
13.1.8 The invigilator confiscates the answ er script of a cand id ate w ho,
after d ue w arning, continues causing a d isturbance or persists in
contravening any other assessm ent regulation.
13.1.9 The invigilator expels a cand id ate from the assessm ent room w ho,
after d ue w arning, continues causing a d isturbance or persists in
contravening any assessm ent regulation and see that stud ent
reports to the assessm ents d epartm ent.
13.2 Duties of the Assessm ent Officer follow ing an assessm ent
irregularity
13.2.1 The d ate for d isciplinary hearings should be set at the end of the
assessm ent session.
13.2.2 The Assessm ent officer should attend to an assessm ent irregularity
as soon as possible after the irregularity has occurred .
13.2.3 The Assessm ent officer shall ascertain that the correct proced ure
has been follow ed in the handling of the irregularity.
93
General Prospectus
13.2.4 The Assessm ent officer / H ead of Ad m inistration at Satellite

Cam puses acts as the com plainant in the d isciplinary hearings
regard ing assessm ent irregularities. The com pla inant shall ensure
that the follow ing tasks are executed :
13.2.5 The stud ent w ho reports to the Assessm ents Officer in term s of
9.1.6 m ay freely and volu ntarily give a statem ent to the
Assessm ents Officer regard ing the alleged m iscond uct. The
stud ent shall be w arned in w riting that such a statem ent m ay be
used as evid ence against him / her and the stud ent shall sign such
a w arning if w illing to m ake a statem ent.
13.2.6 The stud ent shall be inform ed of the charge and the stud ent shall
acknow led ge receipt of the notification of the charge.
13.2.7 The stud ent shall be inform ed of his / her rights.
13.2.8 The stud ent shall be inform ed of the d ay, tim e and venue of a
d isciplinary hearing to be held and the stud ent shall acknow led ge
receipt of the notification thereof.
13.2.9 The stud ent shall be informed that absence from a sched uled
d isciplinary hearing d oes not prevent a d isciplinary hearing from
taking place.
13.2.10 The stud ent shall be inform ed that he / she m ay sit for further
assessm ents in the present assessm ent session but, if found guilty
on the charge of com m itting an irregularity, these further
assessm ents w ill be d eclared null and void .
13.2.11 The Assessm ents Officer shall inform the disciplinary com m ittee of
the d ay, tim e and venue of a disciplinary hearing.
13.2.12 The Assessm ents Officer shall arrange for a venue.
13.2.13 The Assessm ents Officer shall arrange for a m inutes clerk /
secretary to record the proceed ings of the hearing.
13.2.14 The Assessm ents Officer shall report all irregula rities to the
Assessm ents Com m ittee.
13.3 Penalties for irregularities d uring sum m ative events

13.3.1 If found guilty, the stud ent w ill be suspend ed from the University
for a m inim um period of 12 m onths as from the d ay of the
irregularity. H e / she m ay not register for any m od ule, or w rite
any other assessm ent for the entire d uration of his / her
suspension.
13.3.2 The assessm ent in the relevant subject and rem aining subjects in
the assessm ent period after occurrence of the irregularity w ill be
consid ered null and void . The stud ent retains all subject cred its
accrued up to the d ate w hen the irregularity occurred.
13.3.3 An assessm ent irregularity cod e w ill be includ ed on the stud ent‟s
statem ent of results.
94
General Prospectus
13.3.4 The University retains the right to provid e inform ation on

suspension to outsid e parties.
13.4 Irregularities d uring form ative events / class tests

13.4.1 The proced ure pertaining to irregularities d uring form ative events
/ class tests is the sam e as stated in the proced ure for irregular ities
d uring assessm ent.
13.4.2 In the case of an irregularity d uring a class test the penalties w ill
be:
 The stud ies in the relevant subject / m od ule w ill be suspend ed
for the stud y period concerned .
 The year m ark in the relevant subject w ill be d eclared null and
void .
 The stud ent w ill only be allow ed to enrol / register for the
subject / m od ule in the follow ing sem ester / year to attain a
new year / sem ester m ark.
14 IN VIGILATION
14.1 Invigilators shall carry id entification card s.
14.2 One (1) invigilator is appointed for every 40 cand id ates.
14.3 The invigilator shall collect the follow ing from the assessm ents
office, ensuring that sufficient tim e has been allow ed to carry out
all the instructions.
 The sealed envelope containing the question papers for each
session for each particular venue. On collecting the sealed
envelope, the invigilator should be satisfied that the envelope
has not been opened or tam pered w ith. Should any irregularity
be suspected , it shall im m ed iately be brought to the at tention of
the Assessm ents Officer. The Assessm ents Officer in
conjunction w ith the Assessm ents Com m ittee w ill d ecid e on a
plan of action.
 The correct num ber and type of assessm ent answ er scripts and
other m aterial required for each assessm ent.
 The invigilator's lists and other control m aterial required.
14.4 Invigilators shall be in the assessm ent room at least 30 m inutes

before the beginning of an assessm ent session.
95
General Prospectus
14.5 Before cand id ates are perm itted to enter the assessm ent room , the
invigilator shall ensure that all cell phones, figures, envelopes,
d raw ings, notes and other m aterial that could possibly be relevant
to the particular m od ule, have been rem oved from the assessm ent
room . H e / she shall also ensure that no such m aterials, books or
p apers are in or on the tables in the assessm ent room .
14.6 When ad m itting cand id ates to an assessm ent room , invigilators

shall ensure that cand id ates are seated far enough aw ay from each
other so that it is not possible for one cand id ate to copy the w ork of
another, or in any w ay com m unicate w ith another cand id ate. The
invigilator shall be able to see each cand id ate. As far as practically
possible, cand id ates should be seated at least one (1) m eter from
each other. In cases w here m ore than one m od ule ar e being
w ritten in the sam e room the groups shall be d ispersed so that tw o
cand id ates w riting the sam e m od ule are not placed next to one
another.
14.7 Cand id ates shall be seated 15 (fifteen) m inutes before an

assessm ent com m ences, and m ay not leave the assessm ent room
w ithin one (1) hour of the com m encem ent of the assessm ents and
also not d uring the last 15 m inutes of the session. Should a
cand id ate be com pelled to tem porarily leave the assessm ent room
for any personal reason, he / she could only d o so u nd er
supervision.
14.8 A cand id ate m ay be perm itted to enter an assessm ent room after
com m encem ent of the assessm ent session und er the follow ing
cond itions:
 Only d uring the first hour of the relevant assessm ent session.
 The cand id ate w ill only be perm itted to u tilise the rem aining
tim e of that particular session to answ er questions.
14.9 In ord er to be ad m itted to the assessm ents, each cand id ate shall
present his / her proof of ad m ission to that particular assessm ent
as w ell as proof of id entity to th e satisfaction of the invigilator.
Proof of id entity should preferably be an id entity d ocum ent or a
stud ent card . A d river's license or passport is also acceptable.
Should a cand id ate not have any of the above-m entioned
d ocum ents, that person w ill only be ad m itted to the assessm ent on
the recom m end ation of the Assessm ents Officer, w ho w ill ensure
that the cand id ate is id entified .
96
General Prospectus
14.10 Only cand id ates registered for a particular assessm ent, the
invigilator concerned , the Assessm ents Officer or persons
authorised by the Assessm ents Office m ay be present in an
assessm ents room d uring an assessm ent. The Assessor and
Mod erator w ho are cond ucting an oral assessm ent or the read er of
a speed test m ay also be present for the tim e it takes to perform
their d uties.
14.11 Ad d itions m ay be ind icated on the invigilator's list by the

invigilator.
14.12 All unauthorised persons shall leave the assessm ent room before
the envelope is opened . After cand id ates have been seated the
invigilator shall m ake the follow in g announcem ents:
 The m od ules w hich are to be exam ined .
 Request cand id ates not w riting those particular m od ules to
leave the room .
 N o cand id ate m ay have unauthorised m aterial or notes in their
possession.
 N o cand id ate m ay leave the assessm ent room w ithin on e (1)
hour of the com m encem ent of the assessm ent and also not
d uring the last 15 m inutes of the session.
 N o assessm ent answ er scrip ts, used or unused , m ay be
rem oved from the assessm ent room .
 Cand id ates m ay, in no w ay w hatsoever, com m unicate w ith one
another.
 Answ ers should be w ritten w ith a blue or black ink pen or in
any m ed ium as specified in a p articular question paper e.g.
pencil for sketches or d raw ings, etc. Should an assessor not
allow questions to be answ ered in pencil, this rule shall clearly
be stated in the instructions on the question paper.
 All inform ation should be correctly filled in as instructed on the
cover of the answ er scripts or file.
 Should m ore than one answ er script be used , the cover of the
final and any ad d itional answ ering books should be correctly
and com pletely filled in and the ad d itional answ er script should
be placed insid e the back cover of the first answ er script.
 Any request to com m unicate w ith the invigilator should be
ind icated by raising a hand .
 Any errata and changes to question papers as instructed by the
Assessm ents Officer.
97
General Prospectus
14.13 Sealed envelopes containing question papers shall be opened in the

presence of cand id ates, after all cand id ates have been seated and
supplied w ith the necessary assessm ent m aterial. Ques tion papers
are then hand ed out w ith the cover upperm ost. Cand id ates are
instructed not to begin until all cand id ates have received their
question papers, at w hich tim e all question papers shall be opened
sim ultaneously.
14.14 Invigilators m ay give no explanations of assessm ent questions.
14.15 Invigilators shall ensure that no d isruptions are caused and that no
cand id ate attem pts to get assistance from another cand idate or
attem pts to com m unicate w ith another cand id ate or any other
person w ith the exception of the invigilator / s.
14.16 Unless otherw ise stated for a particular assessm ent, invigilators
shall check that no cand id ate has in his / her possession, and for
the d uration of the assessment, any books, m em oran d a, notes,
charts, m aps, figures, photos, d ocum ents or papers (includ ing
blank paper) of any kind , or any aid s relevant to the m od ule being
exam ined except aid s w hich have been supplied and proof of
ad m ission to the assessm ent. Pocket calculators and other
specified aid s m ay be used u nless an instruction forbid d ing their
use appears on the question paper. Papers are to specify clearly
w hich aid s to be used .
14.17 If instructions are not follow ed or if a cand id ate com m its an act
w hich is consid ered to afford an unfair ad vantage, that cand id ate
is guilty of an offence. (See 8).
14.18 All assessm ent aid s and answ er scripts w hich have been hand ed
out shall be collected before a cand id ate m ay leave the assessm ent
room .
14.19 Duties d uring assessm ent sessions:

 During an assessm ent the in vigilator shall d evote his / her
entire attention to supervision and he / she shall particularly
ensure that the cand id ates com ply w ith the assessm ent
regulations.
 H e / she shall not spend his / her tim e sitting or stand ing in
one place or alongsid e any on e cand id ate, but shall m ove about
continually in the assessm ent room w ithout d isturbing the
cand id ates.
98
General Prospectus
 It is im portant that cand id ates should not be given the

im pression that there are opportunities for contravening the
regulations as a result of a lack of vigilance on the part of
invigilator.
 Where there is only one invigilator, he / she m ay leave the
assessm ent room only in exceptional circum stances, and then
only w hen his / her place has been taken by another invigilator.
An invigilator m ay not leave the assessm ent room d uring
assessm ents in ord er to take refreshm ents unless he / she has
been relieved by another invigilator.
 Ad d itional answ er scripts and other stationery m ay be supplied
to a cand id ate, bu t the invigilator shall first ascertain that the
ad d itional m aterial is necessary and shall m ake a note on the
invigilator's report against the assessm ent num ber of the cand i-
d ate to w hom m ore than one answ ering book has been given in
ord er to ensure that the cand id ate has hand ed in all the answ er
scrip ts that w ere issued.
 In the case of a confirm ed fire or bom b scare that specific exam
session is im m ed iately cancelled and the University evacuation
proced ure w ould be follow ed .
14.20 An invigilator m ay not:

 Reply to any question by a cand id ate that m ay lead to an
explanation of the assessm ent question.
 Effect an am end m ent to a question paper w ithout the p rior
consent of the Assessm ents Officer.
 Act in such a m anner that he / she d isturbs the cand id ates.
 Give a copy of any assessm ent question paper to an yone except
a cand id ate before that p articular assessm ent has been
conclud ed .
99
General Prospectus
SECTION B: SUMMATIVE ASSESSMEN T AT THE EN D OF A MOD ULE
15 AD MISSION TO ASSESSMEN T
15.1 Registration for all assessm ents takes place au tom atically w hen a
stud ent registers for a m od ule.
15.2 Year / sem ester m arks

15.2.1 The final m ark shall be calculated as prescribed in the syllabus of
a m od ule (e.g. 50% or 60%) by the assessor before
com m encem ent of the m ain exam .
15.2.2 Only cand id ates registered for m od ules at the Vaal University of
Technology for that particular year or sem ester w ill be granted
ad m ission to w rite m ain assessm ents.
15.2.3 A cand id ate can w rite the m ain exam on cond ition that the
cand id ate first m eets the ad m ission requirem ents of at least 50%
in the year / sem ester m ark.
15.3 Main assessm ent

15.3.1 Only cand id ates registered for m od ules at the Vaal University of
Technology for that particular year or sem ester w ill be granted
ad m ission to w rite m ain assessm ents.
15.4 Supplem entary assessm ents

15.4.1 A stud ent w ho has failed a su bject in a m ain assessm ent m ay be
ad m itted to a supplem entary assessm ent in that subject
provid ed that:
 H e / she has obtained a final m ark (after m od eration) w ithin
the range 45F% to 48F%. (The sym bol F9 states ad m ission to
supplem entary assessm ent)
 Should the stud ent pass a supplem entary assessm ent, a final
m ark of 50 % shall be aw ard ed.
15.4.2 Only one supplem ental assessm ent in a particular m od ule shall
be perm itted . Should a cand id ate fail a supplem ental he / she
shall re-register for that particular m od ule to obtain a new year /
sem ester m ark.
16 CON D UCTIN G OF ASSESSMEN T
16.1 Functions of Assessm ent Office (see assessm ent stand ard
operating proced ures)
100
General Prospectus
16.1.1 The sched ule for all sum m ative events should reach the
assessm ent office w ithin one m onth after com m encem ent of
classes. The finalisation of sched ules and ad m inistration of the
assessm ent function w ill be cond ucted by the exam ination office.
16.2 Preparation of assessm ent question papers

16.2.1 The assessm ents office hand s the m arked assessm ent answ er
scripts, together w ith the necessary d ocum entation to the
m od erator, m ad e up accord ing to the applicable sched ule (5.9.1).
Internal m od erators, i.e. m od erators em ployed by the
University, collect th e assessm ent answ er scripts at the
assessm ents office and sign for them . Assessm ent answ er scripts
are sent to external m od erators by registered post / courier
services w ith a cover letter d etailing the num ber of answ er
scripts and the nam e of instruction al offerings.
16.2.2 Mod erators then perform their d uties as prescribed in 5.8.
16.2.3 On com pletion of m arking, m od erators d eliver assessm ent
answ er scripts together w ith the necessary d ocum entation, or
d ispatch them via registered post, to the assessm ents office of
the Vaal University of Technology.
17 PASS/FAIL
17.1 Pass:
 A m od ule is p assed w hen a cand id ate obtains at least 50% or
m ore in the final m ark, on cond ition that the cand id ate firstly
m eets the ad m ission requirem ents of at least 50% in the year
/ sem ester m ark, and finally m eets the sub-m inim um
requirem ent of at least 40% in each paper in the m od u le
concerned .
 Should a cand id ate obtain 49% as a final m ark it is published
as 50% provid ed the cand id ate m eets the sub-m inim u m
requirem ents and the cand id ate is regard ed as having passed
the m od ule concerned.
17.2 Fail:
 A m od ule is failed if a cand id ate obtains less than 50% in the
final m ark and d oes not qualify to pass accord ing to 17.1
 Should a cand id ate obtain 50% or m ore as a final m ark bu t
fails to m eet the sub m inim um requirem ents of 40% in the
assessm ent or question papers for the m od ule concerned , the
cand id ate fails, and the final m ark is published as e.g. "51
101
General Prospectus
FM" w here FM ind icates that the cand id ate has failed to
obtain the sub-m inim um in the m od ule concerned.
17.3 Supplem entary Assessm ents (See 15.5).
18 PUBLICATION OF RESULTS
18.1 After approval of the results by the Assessm ents Com m ittee,
sched ules of results are prepared , checked and published .
Cand id ates are notified in w riting of their results, w ith
notification of the d ate on w hich supplem entary assessm ents
w ill be held as w ell as the d ate of registration for supplem entary
assessm ents w here applicable.
19 RE-MARK / CHECKIN G OF ASSESSMEN T AN SWER

SCRIPTS
19.1 Applications for a re-m ark / checking of assessm ent answ er

scripts shall be m ad e on the prescribed form , and hand ed in,
together w ith the required fee, at the assessm ents office.
Applications for a re-m ark shall be m ad e w ithin one (1) m onth
in the case of N ovem ber assessm ents and fourteen (14) d ays in
the case of June assessm ents after the publication of results.
SECTION C: SUMMATIVE ASSESSMEN T AT THE EN D OF A LEARN IN G

UN IT
20 AD MISSION TO ASSESSMEN T
20.1 Registration for all assessm ents takes place a u tom atically w hen a
stud ent registers for a m od ule.
21 CON D UCTIN G OF ASSESSMEN T
21.1 Functions of Assessm ents Office (see assessm ent stand ard
operating proced ures)
21.1.1 The sched ule for all sum m ative events should reach the
assessm ent office w ith in one m onth after com m encem ent of
classes. The finalisation of sched ules and ad m inistration of the
102
General Prospectus
assessm ent function w ill be cond ucted by the assessm ent office.
21.1.2 A m axim u m of three summative events per m od ule can be
ad m inistered by the assessm en t office.
21.1.3 Where a syllabus prescribes for full continuous assessm ent in a
m od ule, sum m ative events are sched uled at the com pletion of
learning units. A cand id ate should obtain a m inim um m ark of
50% for a sum m ative event to pass that m od ule.
21.1.4 The assessm ent office at the site of d elivery w ill be responsible
for entering the results on ITS. Results from satellite cam puses
w ill be m od erated , returned to the satellite and results entered
by their assessm ent office.
21.1.5 If a cand id ate can not w rite on a specific d ate, d ue to a religious
principle, w ritten notification should be subm itted to the
Departm ent Assessm ent w ithin 5 d ays after receiving the
sched ule. The Departm ent Assessm ent w ill refer this to the
assessor.
21.2 Preparation of assessm ent question papers
21.2.1 The assessm ents office hand s the m arked assessm ent answ er
scripts, together w ith the necessary d ocum entation to the
m od erator, m ad e up accord ing to the applicable sched ule (5.9.1).
Internal m od erators, i.e. m od erators em p loyed by the
University, collect the assessm ent answ er scripts at the
assessm ents office and sign for them . Assessm ent answ er scripts
are sent to external m od erators by registered post w ith a cover
letter d etailing the num ber of answ er scripts and the nam e of
instructional offerings.
21.2.2 Mod erators then perform their d uties as prescribed in 5.8.
21.2.3 On com pletion of m arking, m od erators d eliver assessm ent
answ er scripts together w ith the necessary d ocum entation, or
d ispatch them via registered post, to the assessm ents office of
the Vaal University of Technology.
22 RE-ASSESSMEN T
22.1 Re-assessm ent can be cond ucted d uring the m ain assessm ent or
be integrated into the m od ule. The re-assessm ent should be
cond ucted in the sem ester of enrolm ent. N o re-assessm ent or
supplem entary assessm ent is perm issible thereafter.
22.2 For a theory m od ule, re-assessm ent could be cond ucted at the
end of the m od ule. Stud ents should be assessed on outcom es
not achieved yet. Sections should be clearly indicated o n the
question paper, as SECTION A, SECTION B or SECTION C. The
103
General Prospectus
assessm ent officer should receive a list ind icating w hich part
should be com pleted by a learner. These lists should be hand ed
to the exam ination office by the lecturer.
22.3 All learners w ill start w riting at the start of the session.
22.4 The sam e regulations for invigilation apply as und er Section 16.
22.5 The results of the re-assessm ent w ill replace the result of the
learning unit that the stud ent is re-assessed on.
22.5.1 In the case of a special assessm ent the actu al m ark obtained by
the cand id ate w ill be the final m ark .
22.5.2 A m axim um of 50% can be obtained w hen w riting a re-

assessm ent as a final chance.
23 PASS/FAIL
23.1 The lecturer / s that is offering a m od ule w ill be granted access

perm ission to CALC their ow n results on ITS.
23.2 Pass:
 A m od ule is passed w hen a cand id ate obtains at least 50% in
all sum m ative events and an average of at least 50% for the
final m ark that m ay be com piled from form ative and
sum m ative events.
 Should a cand id ate obtain 49% as a final m ark it is published
as 50% provid ed the cand id ate m eets the sub-m inim u m
requirem ents and the cand id ate is regard ed as having passed
the m od ule concerned.
23.3 Fail:
 A m od ule is failed if a cand idate obtains less than 50% in any
sum m ative event or d oes not obtain a final average of 50%.
 Should a cand id ate obtain 50% or m ore as a final m ark but
fails to m eet the sub m inim u m requirem ents of 50% for all
sum m ative events, the cand id ate fails, and the final m ark is
published as e.g. "51 FM" w here FM ind icates that the
cand id ate has failed to obtain the sub-m inim um in the
m od ule concerned .
 Should a cand id ate fail any unit after re-assessm ent, the
stud ent m ust re-register for the m od ule d uring the next
sem ester
104
General Prospectus
23.4 Publication of results

23.4.1 After m od eration, the results w ill be pu blished by the
assessm ent office.
23.4.2 The stud ents w ill ON LY be notified in w riting at the end of the
m od ule after approval of the results by the Assessm ents
Com m ittee.
23.5 Record keeping

23.5.1 Based on the assessor‟s d iscretion and d epend ing on the type of
assessm ent m ethod , the assessor m ay d ecid e w hether
sum m ative assessm ent scripts / assignm ents / reports be
d iscussed or show n to learners in class. They should ho w ever be
taken in for record keeping afterw ard s. (Refer to faculty
procedure).
23.5.2 If assessm ent scripts / assignm ents / reports w ere revealed , no
re-m arking w ill be allow ed to take place.
23.5.3 Scripts need to be kept at the assessm ent office for a period of
three years.
23.5.4 Unseen scripts m ay be subjected to a re-m ark.
23.6 Re-m ark/ checking of assessment answ er scripts

23.6.1 Applications for a re-m ark / checking of assessm ent answ er
scripts shall be m ad e on the prescribed form , and hand ed in,
together w ith the required fee, at the assessm ents office.
Applications for a re-m ark shall be m ad e w ithin fourteen (14)
d ays after the publication of results.
24 ORAL EXAM
24.1 N am es of stud ents that qu alify for an oral exam , shall be

subm itted to head of the Departm ent.
24.2 The d ate and tim e of the oral exam w ill be sched uled by the
head of Departm ent.
24.3 Com position of the Assessm ent Com m ittee:

24.3.1 The Assessm ent Com m ittee w ill be m ad e u p of three faculty
m em bers, one of w hich w ill be the Chairperson and one w hich
w ill be the Assessor and one w hich w ill be the m od erator or a
subject expert. The stud ent‟s assessor m ay not be the
chairperson of the com m ittee.
105
General Prospectus
24.4 Role of the chair and assessm ent com m ittee

24.4.1 It is the chairperson’s responsibility to find an assessm ent d ate
and tim e suitable for everyone, to reserve a room , and to send a
notice of the assessm ent‟s location, d ate, and tim e to all
participants.
24.4.2 It is the assessor’s responsibility to have appropriate stu d ent
record s on hand d uring the session (this m ust be d one no later
than one w eek prior to the assessm ent d ate).
24.4.3 The questions and m em orand um m ust be com piled by the
assessor and distributed to all com m ittee m em bers.
24.4.4 Evid ence of stud ent answ ers to be record ed by the assessor.
After leaving the venue, the answ ers w ill be evaluated and a
m ark allocated .
24.4.5 The m ark to be record ed on ITS as appropriate for the purpose
of the oral (special assessm ent or re-assessm ent).
SECTION D : STAN D ARD OPERATIN G PROCED URES
25 CON D UCTIN G OF ASSESSMEN T:
25.1 Preparation of sched ules:

25.1.1 After the closing d ate for registration and changes in
instructional offerings the follow ing take place:
25.1.2 Assessm ent registration form s shall be checked and sorted
accord ing to faculties.
25.1.3 All form s shall be arranged alp habetically.
25.1.4 Assessm ent registrations shall be entered accord ing to the nam e
of the instructional offering. Thereafter invigilators' lists, as w ell
as proof of ad m ission to assessm ent for each cand id ate shall be
printed .
25.1.5 Calculated Year / sem ester m arks shall be printed on the
invigilator‟s lists.
25.2 Preparation of assessm ent papers:

25.2.1 Question papers and m em orand a w hich have been approved
and signed by the assessor and m od erator shall be hand ed in at
the assessm ent office. Receipt of all question papers and
m em orand a is record ed in a register. Mem orand a shall
im m ed iately be put in safekeeping. They are not typed by
assessm ent officers. Question papers sh all be typed and then
proof-read by the exam iner concerned . This proof-read ing takes
place in the assessm ent office. Und er no circum stances m ay
typed question papers be rem oved from the assessm ent office.
106
General Prospectus
Where necessary, further proof-read ing w ill also be d one by the

assessor. Question papers of term inating instructional offerings
w ill be sent to the external m od erator by the assessm ent office,
after typing and proof-read ing.
25.2.2 After final proof-read ing, question papers are d uplicated .
During d u plication care shall be taken to ensure that question
papers are treated confid entially. All poorly printed copies shall
be shred d ed . Copies are d estroyed and usable copies are sealed
and placed in the safe w ith a w ritten d eclaration of the nu m ber
of cop ies m ad e.
25.2.3 H and ling of question papers during assessm ent
25.2.3.1 Question papers and answ er scripts are sorted d aily accord ing to
the invigilators' roster. Question papers are sorted per
exam ination room / hall and each instructional offering is sealed
in an envelope.
25.2.3.2 Sealed question papers are opened by the invigilator at the
beginning of each assessm ent session in the presence of the
cand id ates concerned . After opening the envelope the invigilator
hand s out the question papers.
25.2.3.3 Question papers are placed w ith the front page, on w hich no
question appears, upperm ost. Once all the cand id ates have
received their question papers and exam ination answ er scripts,
the invigilator gives the instruction to begin. Invigilators shall
ensure that the com m encem ent tim e correspond s w ith the
official tim etable. Should it not be possible to start at the
specified tim e, this should be reported as soon as possible to the
exam inations office staff w ho w ill ad just the tim e on the
tim etable to th at of the actu al starting tim e of that particular
assessm ent session.
25.2.3.4 At the end of the session, invigilators shall check the answ er
scripts against the invigilator's list. Answ er scripts are then
hand ed in at the assessm ent office. A m em ber of staff signs for
answ er scripts and m em oranda received .
26 CON TROL OF MARKED AN SWER SCRIPTS
26.1 After answ er scripts have been m arked by the assessors and have
been m od erated by the m od erators, they becom e the
responsibility of the assessm ent officer that w ill:
26.1.1 Check that all answ er scripts have been returned .
26.1.2 Check that all answ er scripts have been initialled by the assessor.
26.1.3 Check that all answ er scripts sent to the m od erator have been
initialled by the m od erator.
107
General Prospectus
26.1.4 Check that all exam iners' and m od erators' reports have been
correctly com pleted and signed .
26.1.5 Go through all answ er scripts and check that all answ ers have
been m arked and m arks allocated .
26.1.6 Check that the m arks of all sub-d ivisions of questions have been
calculated correctly and carried over to the back p age of the
answ er scripts of file / fold er.
26.1.7 Check ad d itions and calculations on the back page as w ell as
their transfer to the cover page.
26.1.8 Check that year / sem ester m arks have correctly been transferred
to the cover page.
26.1.9 Check that the year m ark and final sum m ative m ark have been
correctly calculated into a final m ark.
26.1.10 Check transfer of m arks from answ er scripts to invigilator's list.
26.1.11 Ensure that w here the mod erator has recom m end ed an
ad justm ent of m arks, the assessor, H ead of Departm ent and
m od erator shall reach consensus and then subm it to the Dean of
the Faculty, w ho w ill in turn subm it for approval by the
assessm ent com m ittee.
27 D ESCRIPTION OF RESULT COD ES
27.1 FF N ON E FIN REASON S

F FAIL
FX FAIL ABSEN T FROM EXAM
FN N ON E N OT AVAILABLE
FM FAIL SUB MIN IMUM
FA FAIL: N O ADMISSION TO EXAM
FK FAIL: IRREGULARITY
FI FAIL IN COMPLETE
F7 ADMISSION TO EXAM SPECIAL
F8 ADMISSION TO AEGROTAT EXAM
F9 ADMISSION TO SUPPLEMEN TARY EXAM
P PASS
PD PASS WITH DISTIN CTION
PE PASS EXEMPT / RECOGN ITION
PR PASS REMARK
PZ EXP TRAIN IN G COMPLETE
108
General Prospectus
13.6 Code of Student Conduct and Judiciaries
PREAMBLE
Stud ent behaviour, both acad em ic and non -acad em ic, is governed by a sp ecific set
of w ritten rules called the Code of Stud ent Cond uct.
These rules prohibits unethical practices such as cheating, plagiarism and d ouble
subm issions, as w ell as offences such as theft, vand alism , m isuse of equipm ent,
supplies and d ocum ents, and h arassm ent. Stud ents accused of such offences are
entitled to a hearing before an im partial com m ittee and are entitled to
representation by an ad visor from w ithin the University.
Vaal University of Technology expects all stud ents to d em onstrate qualities o f

integrity, honesty, civility and respect. These values are im portant to the
establishm ent and m aintenance of a com m unity w here there is freed om to teach
and learn. H ow ever this is depend ent upon the m aintenance of appropriate sense
of ord er that allow s for the pursuit of these objectives in an environm ent that is
both safe and free of invid ious d isruptions.
In the interest of m aintaining civility on cam pus all stud ents m ust com ply w ith the
University‟s Cod e of Stud ent Cond uct, w hich reasonably lim its som e activities and
prohibits certain behaviou r w hich could interfere w ith the classroom sitting, the
ord erly operation of the University, and the pursuit of the University goals and
core values of respect, integrity, collaboration, w ell-being, innovation and quality.
It is expected that the stud ent cond uct w ill be in concert w ith and supportive of the
University„s central purpose and core values.
Each stud ent is responsible and has a d uty to be acquainted w ith all provisions of
the Cod e. It is also presum ed that every stud ent, from the d ate of his / her initial
enrolm ent at the University, has know led ge of the Cod e, as w ell as, policies and
proced ures contained in the Stud ent H and -book. All stud ents are d eem ed to have
agreed to the provisions contained in the Code and are required to ad here to such
provisions as a cond ition of their enrolm ent as stud ents of the University.
The University further recognises each stud ent‟s proced ural right to d ue process
and the audi alteram partem ru le, w hich includ es providing notice setting forth the
alleged violation(s), and a speed y, fair hearing and appeal process, any m em ber of
the University com m unity can initiate accusation of an alleged violation.
109
General Prospectus
The Stud ent Cod e of Cond uct is available as a separate p ublication throu gh the
offices of Stud ent Life Departm ent and the office of the Stu d ent Facilitator Jud icial
and Training can help stud ents und erstand the Code.
D EFIN ITION S
Definitions provid ed elsew here in this Cod e are applicable to the Stud ent Cod e of
Cond uct in its entirety. Term s not expressly d efined in the Stud ent Cod e of
Cond uct w ill be interpreted in accord ance w ith the rule of interpretation as
provid ed for by Interpretation of Statu tes Act.
“University” m eans Vaal University of Technology.

“Student” for the p urposes of this cod e, includ es all persons applying for ad m ission
or taking courses provid ed by the University both full-tim e and part-tim e.
“Official” includ es any person em ployed by the University perform ing assigned
ad m inistrative and / or professional staff d uties.
“M ember of the University community” includ es any person w ho is a stud ent, faculty
m em ber, University official, or any other em ployed by or visiting the University.
“University Premises” includ es all land , build ings, facilities and other prop erty in
the possession of and / or ow ned , used and / or controlled by the University.
“Student organisation” an organisation com posed prim arily of stud ents w hich has
been registered or has received recognition accord ing to University policies and
proced ures or is affiliated w ith a University d epartm ent.
“Judicial body” any person or persons authorised by the Assistant Director Stud ent
Life to d eterm ine w hether a stud ent has violated the Stud ent Cod e and to
recom m end im position of sanction.
“W ill” is used in the im perative sense.
“M ay” is used in the perm issive sense.
“Trained students” refers to those stud ents selected by the Stud ent Facilitator
Jud icial and Training to participate in the jud icial process upon com pletion of a
group or one-on-one judicial affairs orientation.
“Preponderance of evidence” refers to w hen consid ering all the evid ence in the case
the proposition on w hich such party has the burd en of proof is m ore probably true
than not true.
“Bias incident” refers to behaviour and / or action d iscrim inating against another
based on race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, national origin, gend er, age,
d isability, or veteran status.
110
General Prospectus
“Hate crime” refers to the bias incid ent that has risen to a level of a crim inal statute,
w hich includ es but not lim ited to assault, property d am age, or other illegal
cond uct.
“University-sponsored activity” any activity on or off cam p us initiated , approved or
supervised by the University.
SCOPE, LIMITATION AN D APPLICATION OF THE STUD EN T COD E OF

CON D UCT
The Cod e applies to incid ents occurring on cam pus and others that occur off
cam pus, incid ents that involve stud ents and includ ing those that occur at the
satellite cam p uses of the University.
Jud icial action against any stu d ent com m itting a violation of the Cod e off-cam pus
w ill be consid ered on a case-by-case basis upon filing by a com plainant of an
allegation of an off-cam pus violation of the Confid ential Com plaint Lod gem ent
Form . The com plainant m ust obtain the form from Protection Services and an
officer / investigator m ust assist the com plainant to fill the form . After review of
the form , the officer at Protection Services w ill investigate the com plaint and w rite
a report to be subm itted to the office of the Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training
w ho w ill then m ake a d eterm ination on the appropriateness for a jud icial action to
be initiated .
The ad option of the Stud ent Cod e of Cond uct d oes not prohibit the University from
ad opting or m aintaining add itional rules to govern the cond uct of stud ents.
Allegations of m iscond uct und er the Stud ent Cod e of Cond uct m ay be com bined
w ith allegations arising und er other University rules.
The Stud ent Cod e of Cond uct applies to ind ivid ual stud ents and to stud ent
organisations.
Stud ents and stud ent organisations are also subject to the follow ing rules:
 Rules ad opted by the University to govern the control of vehicles and other
m od es of transportation on University property, to and from University
prem ises;
 Rules relating to stud ent classroom cond uct, acad em ic d ishonesty, acad e m ic
eligibility, perform ance and evaluation;
 Rules governing stud ent housing;
 Rules governing the m aintenance of public ord er;
 Rules governing the cond uct of stud ent athletes;
111
General Prospectus
 Rules governing the use of University com m unication and com pu ting
resources; and
 Such other rules as m ay be ad opted by the University in furtherance of the
University and ed ucational goals.
N otw ithstand ing anything contained herein to the contrary, acts of acad em ic
d ishonesty, d isruptive stud ent behaviour in the classroom , and appeals to
sanctions im posed in each case, are und er the jurisd iction of the H ead of
Departm ent, Dean of Faculty and H ead Exam ination Departm ent.
The office of the Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training w ill d eterm ine the
com position of jud icial bod ies and cond uct appeal com m ittee and also d eterm ine
w hich w ill be authorized to hear each case. Stud ent com position if any w ill be
d epend ent upon availability of trained stud ents as recom m end ed by the office of
the Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training.
The ju d icial ad visor w ill d evelop proced ures for the ad m inistration of the jud icial
program and proced ural ru les for the cond uct of hearings, w hich are not
inconsistent w ith the provisions of the stud ent cod e. Decisions m ad e by the jud icial
bod y and / or judicial ad visor shall be final, pend ing the norm al appeal process.
A jud icial bod y m ay be d esignated as arbiter of d isputes w ithin the stud ent
com m unity in case that, d o not involve a violation of the Cod e. All parties m ust
agree to the arbitration, and to be bound by the d ecision w ith no right of appeal.
Stud ent cond uct d iscipline record s are confid ential and w ill be treated as such by
all parties concerned .
COOPERATION WITH LAW EN FORCEMEN T AUTHORITIES
The University cooperates fully w ith law enforcem ent aut horities. Violations of the
Cod e are also violations of the various Acts of Parliam ent, Provincial legislations
and Municipal bylaw s and ord inances, m ay be referred to the appropriate non
University authority.
The University Protection Services Office w or k closely w ith the local law
enforcem ent authorities, particularly the Vand erbijlpark, Vereeniging, Sebokeng,
Bophelong, Boipatong and Sharpville. The Cam pus Protection Services Officers
112
General Prospectus
have full pow ers to arrest search and seizure on all University ow ned and operated
property, and are usually the first to respond to calls for police services on cam pus.
STUD EN TS RIGHTS AN D FREED OMS
With appreciation for the trad ition of freed om of speech and expression on cam pus
the University fosters tolerance for d iffering view points. It is acknow led ged that
points of view w ill d iverge and that som e stud ents w ill believe it necessary to
express them selves by m eans of protest. H ow ever, the University cannot tolerate
d isruption to its acad em ic m ission or m eans of protest that interferes w ith the
legitim ate rights of others.
General Rights and Freedoms
Stud ents shall have the follow ing rights and freed om s:
As m em bers of the University com m unity all stud ents are guaranteed freed om of
expression, inquiry and assembly, the right to form a stud ent governm ent, organise
groups, to join associations in support of any cause or com m on interest, and to
peacefully protest, provid ed that, such activity is cond ucted in a legal m anner, is in
accord w ith University regulations, and d oes n ot abrid ge the rights of others.
Stud ents have the right of fair access to all ed ucational opportunities and benefits
available at the University in an environm ent that is safe, free of invid ious
harassm ent, d iscrim ination, or intim id ation. Stud ents have a right to privacy as it is
entrenched in the Constitution of South Africa Act 108 of 1996.
Stud ents have the right and responsibility to report, in good faith, and w ithout fear
of retaliation, violations of this cod e, the University Cod e of Cond uct and v iolations
of any other policy of the University, to appropriate acad em ic and ad m inistrative
officer of the University.
Procedural Rights and Freedoms

Stud ents accused of violating this cod e have the follow ing rights
1. To have access to all University policies and proced ures regarding the
functioning of the jud iciaries.
2. To be inform ed of and to have explained as required the charges pending.
3. To be free from intim id ation by university charging officers to coerce
ad m issions.
4. To face his / her accuser(s) and have the opportunity to cross-exam ine them
and any w itnesses.
113
General Prospectus
5. To be free from searches or seizures unless based on reasonable cause. In

accord ance w ith w ritten proced ures approved by the Senior Director for
Stud ent Affairs, searches and seizures m ay be carried out by the officers of
protection services, housing staff, University officers and officials.
6. To a fair and im p artial jud icial hearing before an appropriately appointed
jud icial board , appeal board and ad m inistrative hearing officer.
Responsibilities
All stud ents share the follow ing responsibilities:
1. To read , becom e fam iliar w ith and ad here to the cod e, the University‟s Code of
Cond uct, the Acad em ic Cod e of Cond uct, the Resid ences Cod e of Cond uct and
the Stud ent hand -book of the university.
2. To respect the personal and property rights of others and to act in a
responsible m anner at all tim es.
3. To protect and foster the intellectual, acad em ic, cultural, social and other
m issions of the University.
4. To observe the law s of Local, Provincial and N ational governm ent.
PROHIBITED CON D UCT / BEHAVIOR (N ON -ACAD EMIC OFFEN CES)
Self-d iscipline is an essential elem ent of ind ivid ual learning and d evelopm ent
accord ingly all stud ents are expected to cond uct them selves as m ature, responsible
citizens of the Republic of South Africa and m em bers of the University com m unity
in accord ance w ith pu blic law s and accepted stand ard of m orality and d ecency. As
such all stud ents are expected to be:
Courteous to fellow stud ents, faculty staff m em bers and to the public at large.
To be honest in his / her acad em ic w ork and his / her d ealings w ith others, obey
local, provincial and national governm ent.
The follow ing is an illustrative list of the types of cond uct that are prohibited by
this cod e. It includ es n ot only actual cond uct, bu t also attem pts to engage in such
cond uct. A reasonable suspicion that a stud ent has engaged in such prohibited
cond uct, or attem p ted cond uct, w ill result in the im m ed iate consid eration of
d isciplinary action und er this cod e.
114
General Prospectus
Safety
1. Causing or creating a fire or any other cond ition that jeopard ises the safety of
ind ivid uals on cam pus and d uring off-cam pus activities,
2. Tem pering w ith safety m easures or d evices such as alarm system s fire
extinguishers, exit signs em ergency ph one system s sm oke or heat d etectors,
fire hoses security system s locked exterior d oors and the sprinkler system s.
3. Failing to conform to safety regulations, such as falsely reporting an incid ent,
failure to evacuate facilities in a tim ely fashion in em er gency situations or in
response to fire alarm s, inappropriate use of the alarm system and sim ilar
cond uct.
4. Falsely reporting the presence of a bom b or any other d angerous d evice or
cond ition.
Firearms
Possessing, using, storing, transporting firearm s, other w eapons explosives,
firew orks, am m unition or d angerous chem icals (except authorised for use in class
or in connection w ith university sponsored research or other approved activities).
D iscrimination
Engaging in verbal or physical behaviour d irected at an ind ivid ual or group that
accord ing to a person of reasonable sensibilities, is likely to create an intim id ation
or d em eaning environm ent that im ped es the access of other stud ents, faculty and
staff to the ed ucational benefit available from or through the university.
Harassment
Engaging in verbal, electronic, visual, w ritten or physical behavio ur d irected at an
ind ivid ual or group that in the view of a person of reasonable sensibilities is likely
to provoke or otherw ise result in negative or injurious response or reaction. This
behaviour m ay includ e:
1. m aking an expressed or im plied threat affecting another person‟s acad em ic
pursuits, university em ploym ent, or particip ation in activities sponsored by
the university or organisation or group related to the university, or;
2. engaging in unw arranted retribution or interference w ith respect to such
pursuit, em ploym ent or participation, or;
3. creating an intim id ating or dem eaning situation or environm ent or inflicting
psychological or em otional harm or und ue stress.
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassm ent of the institution shall be application.
115
General Prospectus
Assault
Any w ilful attem pt or threat to inflict injury upon the person of another, w hen
coupled w ith an ap parent present ability to d o so, and any intentional d ispla y of
force such as w ould give the victim reason to fear bod ily harm constitu tes as
assault. An assault m ay be com m itted w ithout actually touching or striking or
d oing bod ily harm . Self-d efence m ay be a m itigating factor to this charge,
d epend ing on the circum stances.
Indecent Assault
Ind ecent assault m eans, the u nlaw ful and intentional assau lt of another w ith the
intention of com m itting an ind ecency. Assault in this m atter is not qualified by an
ind ecent act bu t by the intention of the person com m itting th e assault to behave
ind ecently. This form of assault can be com m itted even though the accused d oes
not d irect his cond uct at the victim ‟s private p arts. What is im portant is the accused
intention, expressed by w ord s or cond uct, and not the nature of the act.
Battery
An encounter in w hich physical contact occurs or is threatened betw een tw o or
m ore persons w ith w eapons, blow s or other personal violence and that m ay
includ e pushing, shoving and other acts of physical abuse. Self-d efence m ay be a
m itigating factor to this charge d epend ing on the circum stances of each case.
Alcoholic Beverages
Violation of the University‟s alcoholic beverages regulations and guid elines,
includ ing:
1. The sale, service, possession and / or consum ption of an alcoholic beverage in
acad em ic faculties, includ ing classroom s, stud ios, theatres, aud itoria and / or
laboratories is prohibited .
2. Stud ent organisations m ay not serve alcoholic beverages at events w ithout the
express approval of the Senior Director Stud ent Affairs regard ing the location
and cond itions of possession and consum ption. If approved alcoholic
beverages m ay not be consum ed outsid e of the designated areas for the event.
3. Stud ents serving alcoholic beverages at off-cam pus events m ay not id entify
these events as university sponsored events.
4. After consum ing alcoholic beverages stud ents m ust assum e full responsibility
for their cond uct as it relates to the need for good judgm ent, d iscretion,
m od eration, respect for the rights of others and the legal regulations of t he
jurisd ictions involved .
116
General Prospectus
D rugs and Controlled Substances

The University has a “zero” tolerance policy on the im proper use of controlled
substances that expressly prohibits:
1. The illegal possession, use, d istribution and / or sale of a controlled substance.
2. The illegal possession, use, d istribution and / or sale of drugs paraphernalia.
3. Aid ing or abetting the illegal possession, use, sale and / or d istribution of
controlled substances or d rug paraphernalia.
Hazing
H azing is d efined as cond uct that causes or is intend ed to cause psychological,
em otional or physical harm to any person as a part of initiation into or affiliation
w ith any cam pus-based organisation.
Forgery, Fraud, D ishonesty and Uttering

Altering or m isusing official University form s, d ocum ents, record s, stored d ata or
instrum ent of id entification, electronic files or know ingly furnishing false
inform ation to the university officers, officials, faculty and / or em ployees or
provid ing such inform ation involving or referring to the university to off-cam p us
organisations, institutions or ind ivid uals and m aking false statem ents in public or
private, includ ing, know ingly m aking false charges under the cod e. Further,
stud ents m ay not use the seal, logo(s), m otto, trad em arks or other intellect ual
property of the University w ithout w ritten perm ission from the University Council.
D amage to Property
When a stud ent know ingly dam ages the property of another or of the University
w ithout his / her / its consent by d efacing, d eform ing, or otherw ise d a m aging the
property by the use of paint or any other sim ilar substance, by the use of w riting
instrum ents, etching tools or sim ilar d evices, through m eans of fire or explosives,
or through the use of any other instrum entality of any kind and m ixture.
Unauthorized rem oval, d estruction or d am age of University property, or the
property of another stud ent, or the property und er University custod y or control.
Theft
Possession of stolen item s from a m em ber (s) of the University com m unity, or the
sale of stolen item s from any source w hatsoever.
Stealing property and / or services, know ingly possessing or transporting stolen
property, or im properly converting the property of another for personal use.
117
General Prospectus
Unauthorized Entry, Use or Trespassing

Entering or using university facilities or property, or property in the custod y or
control of the University, for an im proper purpose or w ithout proper au thorisation
or assisting others to d o so.
Incitement
Prohibition of incitem ent to com m it a crim e is punishable in term s of s ection 18(2)
of the Riotous Assem blies Act 17 of 1956 w hich read s as follow s:
Any person w ho… incites, instigates, com m and s or procures any other person to
com m it any offence, w hether at com m on law or against a statute or statu tory
regulations, shall be gu ilty of an offence and liable on conviction to the punishm ent
to w hich a person convicted of actu ally com m itting that offence w ould be liable.
Corruption
This offence is punishable in term s of the Corruption Act 94 of 1992 section 1(1).
Prohibition on offer or acceptance of benefit for com m ission of act in relation to
certain pow ers or d uties. Any person –
1. w ho corruptly gives or offer or agrees to give benefit of w hatever nature w hich

is not legally d ue, to any person upon w hom –
 any pow er has been conferred or w ho has been changed w ith any d uty by
virtue of any em ploym ent or the hold ing of any office or relationship of
agency or any law or to anyone else, w ith the intention to influence the
person upon w hom such pow er has been conferred or w ho has been
charged w ith such d uty to com m it or om it to d o any act in relation to such
pow er or d uty; or
 any pow er has been conferred or w ho has been charged w ith any d uty by
virtue of any em ploym ent or hold ing of any office or any relationship of
agency or any law and w ho com m itted or om itted to d o any act
constituting any excess of such pow er or any neglect of such d uty, w ith
the intention to rew ard the person upon w hom such pow er has been
conferred or w ho has been charged w ith such d uty becau se he / she so
acted ; or
 upon w hom any pow er has been conferred or w ho has been charged w ith
any d uty by virtue of any employm ent or the hold ing of any post or any
relationship of agency or any law and w ho corruptly receives or obtains or
agrees to receive or attem pts to obtain any benefit of w hatever nature
w hich is not legally d ue, from any person, either for him self or herself or
for anyone else, w ith the intention –
118
General Prospectus
i. that he / she should com m it or om it to d o any act in relation to such

pow er or d uty, w hether the giver or offeror of the benefit has the
intention to influence the person upon w hom such pow er has been
conferred or w ho has been charged w ith such d uty, so to act or not; or
ii. to be rew ard ed for having com m itted or om itted to d o any act
constituting any excess of such pow er or any neglect of such d uty,
w hether the giver or offeror of the benefit has the intention to rew ard
the person upon w hom such pow er has been conferred or w ho has
been charged w ith such d uty so to act or not, shall be guilty of an
offence.
Extortion
When a person unlaw fully and intentionally obtains som e ad vantage, w hich m ay
be of either a patrim onial or non -patrim onial nature, from another by subjecting
the latter to pressure w hich ind uces him / her to hand over the ad vantage.
Murder
The unlaw ful and intentional causing of d eath of another hum an being.
Culpable Homicide
The unlaw ful and negligent causing of the d eath of another hum an being.
Rape
A person having unlaw ful and intentional sexual intercourse w ith a person w ithout
her consent.
Criminal D efamation
Unlaw ful and intentional publication of m atter concerning another w hich tend s to
injure his / her reputation.
Robbery
Theft of a property by unlaw fully and intentionally using violence or threats of
violence to take the property or to ind uce subm ission to its taking.
PROHIBITED CON D UCT / BEHAVIOR (ACAD EMIC OFFEN CES)

The integrity of University acad em ic life and of d egrees and d iplom as the
University confers is d epend ent upon the honesty and sou nd ness of the teacher -
stud ent learning relationship and , as w ell, that of the evaluation process. Cond uct
119
General Prospectus
by any m em ber of the University com m unity that ad versely affects this relationship
or this process m ust, therefore, be consid ered a serious offence.
Plagiarism
a. N o stud ent shall, w ith intent to d eceive, represent the w ork of another person
as his / her ow n in any acad em ic w riting, essay, thesis, research report, project
or assignm ent subm itted in a course or program of stud y or represent as his /
her ow n an entire essay or w ork of another, w hether the m aterial so
represented constitutes a part or the entirety of the w ork subm itted .
b. Upon d em onstration that the stud ent has represented and subm itted another
person‟s w ork as his / her ow n, it shall be presum ed that the stud ent intend ed
to d eceive; the stud ent shall bear the burd en of rebutting this presum ption by
evid ence satisfying the person or bod y hearing the case that no such intent
existed .
c. N o stud ent shall contribute any w ork to another stud ent w ith the know led ge
that the latter m ay subm it the w ork in part or w hole as his / her ow n. Receipt
of paym ent for w ork contribu ted shall be cause for presum ption by evid ence
satisfying the person or bod y hearing the case that no such intent existed .
Cheating
N o stud ent shall:
a. In the course of an exam ination obtain or attem pt to obtain inform ation from
another stud ent or unauthorised source or give or attem p t to give inform ation
to another stud ent or possess, use or attem pt to use any unauthorised m aterial.
b. Represent or attem pt to represent oneself as another or have or attem p t to have
oneself represented by another in the taking of an exam ination, preparation of
or paper or other sim ilar activity.
c. Subm it in any course or program of stud y, w ithout both the know led ge and
approval of the person to w hom it is subm itted , all or a substantial portion of
any acad em ic w riting, essay, thesis, research report, project or assignm ent for
w hich cred it has previously been obtained or w hich has been or is being
subm itted in another course or program of stud y in the University or
elsew here.
d. Subm it in any course or program of stud y any acad em ic w riting, essay, thesis,
research report, project or assignm ent containing a statem ent of fact know n by
stud ents to be false or a reference to a source w hich reference or sour ce has
been fabricated .
120
General Prospectus
Confidential material
It shall be an offence know ingly to procure, d istribute, or receive any confid ential
acad em ic m aterial such as pend ing exam inations or laboratory results from any
source w ithout prior and express consent of the instructor.
Misrepresentation of facts
It shall be an offence to know ingly m isrepresent m aterial facts to another for the
purpose of gaining ad m ission to the University or obtaining acad em ic ad vantage or
cred it.
D isruption of teaching activities

N o stud ent shall, by action, threat or otherw ise, know ingly cause a d isturbance
w hich obstructs teaching and / or research activities.
D ISCIPLIN ARY SAN CTION S
The purpose of the d isciplinary sanctions for violations of the Cod e is to ed ucate
abou t responsible behaviou r as m em bers of the University com m unity, to m aintain
ord er and to protect the rights of others.
Stud ents found guilty of violating the Cod e w ill be notified of any sanction by the
d isciplinary chairperson. There is no set sanction for any particular offence w ith the
exception of autom atic expu lsion for any felony conviction. Sanctions w ill be
d eterm ined ind ivid ually and w ill be consid ered w ith the severity of the offence.
Every case w ill be evaluated on its ow n m erits.
Sanctions w ill be classified in sched ule 1 and sched ule 2 for m inor and sever
offences. All sanctions w ill be issued in w riting. Sanctions in the sched ule 1 w ill be
placed in the stud ent‟s confid ential d iscipline file as an official part of a stud ents‟
ed ucational record for five years beyond the stud ent‟s d eparture from the
University and w ill becom e part of the stud ent‟s perm anent d iscipline record . Acts
of acad em ic d ishonesty w ill be m ad e part of the perm anent d iscipline record as
d eterm ined by the Registrar, Dean of Faculty and H ead of Exam ination Office.
121
General Prospectus
General Terms
Parents of m inor or d epend ent stud ents w ho receive a d isciplinary sanction shall be
notified of that action by the University.
The University reserves the right to apply any sanction for a violation of the Cod e
that, in its sole d iscretion, appropriately ad d ress the gravity and frequency of the
offence. Prior offences are cum ulative, and any stud ent found guilty of the sam e
offence or second offence of equal or greater m agnitud e, m ay be suspend ed or
expelled from the University. Evid ence of prior violations of the Cod e, how ever,
m ay be consid ered after a d eterm ination of guilt has been m ad e as part of the
process of d eterm ining sanctions.
Sanctions are im posed under the Cod e w ithout regard to stud ent classification,
prospective grad uation d ate, the tim e in the sem ester or term w hen the violation
occurs, scholarship status or any other factor.
Stud ents w ho have not com pletely fulfilled their sanctions m ay be allow ed to
participate in general m and atory registration for the subsequent sem ester if all
other financial and acad em ic cond itions have been m et. H ow ever, their registration
w ill be cancelled if they fail to com ply w ith all the stipulations of the sanctions
w ithin the tim e lim it set.
Types of D isciplinary Sanctions

One of the follow ing sanctions m ay be im posed for any violation of the Cod e. The
failure to perform a sanction, as d irected , can lead to the im position of a severe
sanctions, includ ing suspension and / or expulsion.
Minor Sanctions
 Disciplinary warning or Reprimand
A d isciplinary w arning or reprim and is an official w ritten statem ent of
censure. It is used w hen a stud ent‟s behaviour is unaccep table but is
consid ered to be m inor and / or unintend ed . It includ es a w arning that any
other violation of the University Cod e for w hich the stud ent is found guilty
w ill result in m ore severe d isciplinary action. The w ritten statem ent shall be
d elivered to the stud ent and also kept in the stud ent‟s record for a period of six
(6) m onths.
122
General Prospectus
 Letter of A pology to the A ggrieved Party

A stud ent m ay be required to w rite a letter of apology to the aggrieved party.
A d raft copy of the letter m u st be subm itted to the SFJT for prior approval.
This is a d iscretionary sanction.
 Requirement to seek counselling
This sanction m ay be im posed w hen a stud ent w as found guilty of engaging in
d isruptive or uncivil behaviour, in such cases the stud ent shall be required to
provid e evid ence to SFJT of attend ance of counselling by a qualified profession
in the Stud ent Counselling d epartm ent at the university. This is a d iscretionary
sanction.
 Research assignment
A stud ent m ay be required to com plete a research assignm ent on a topic
related to the Cod e violation w ithin a specified period of tim e and to m ake
other stud ents aw are of the seriousness of the violation. This is a d iscretionary
sanction.
 Restitution
Restitution is reim bursem ent to com pensate for the personal injury, property
d am age or m isrepresentation of university or other personal property. It m ay
be in the form of m oney or services. This is a d iscretionary sanction.
 M andatory University or community service
A stud ent m ay be required to perform w ork assignm ent at the University or in
the local com m unity. This is a d iscretionary sanction.
Severe Sanctions
 Disciplinary probation
A d isciplinary probation m ay be im posed for a specified period of tim e. A
stud ent w ho is und er d isciplinary probation w ill not be perm itted to
participate in intram ural, intercollegiate, sports, stud ent clubs or organisations.
Such stud ent m ay not represent the University in any public function,
com petition or perform ance, hold office in a stud ent organisation or be eligible
to join a fraternity or sorority. Stud ents receiving scholarships for any activities
enum erated above m ay have that scholarship su spend ed or term inated .
Decisions regard ing scholarships w ill be m ad e by the office of the Senior
Director Stud ent Support Services in consultation w ith the Assistant d irector
Stud ent life and Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training and DVC Acad em ic
w ill m ake the final d ecision.
 W ithdrawal from class
Decisions regard ing w ithdraw al from class w ill be m ad e by the office of the
Senior Director Stud ent Supp ort Services in consultation w ith the Assistant
123
General Prospectus
d irector Stud ent life and Stu d ent Facilitator Jud icial a nd Training and DVC
Acad em ic w ill m ake the final d ecision.
 Limited access to University property
Ad m inistrative restriction to various parts of the University cam pus, includ ing
but not lim ited to research, com m unication and com pu ting resources for a
specified period of tim e or until certain cond itions are m et. Decisions
regard ing lim ited access to University property w ill be m ad e by the office of
the Senior Director Stud ent Su pport Services in consultation w ith the Assistant
d irector Stud ent life and Stu d en t Facilitator Jud icial and Training and DVC
Acad em ic w ill m ake the final d ecision.
 Fines
For possession and use of drug paraphernalia from R50-R500.00 to be u tilized
for the aw areness cam paign of such d rugs use.
 Limited term suspension
Suspension is approp riate in cases of serious m iscond uct or in cases w hen a
stud ent has violated a cond ition of d isciplinary probation, or has failed to m eet
the stipulations of lesser sanctions. A stud ent m ay be suspend ed from the
University for the rem aind er of the sem ester in w hich the sanction is applied ,
or any portion thereof, for the next sem ester or for any other ad d itional period s
d eterm ined appropriate by the university.
Suspensions are record ed on the stud ents‟ perm anent record (official
transcripts). Stud ents suspend ed from the university are required to return
their stud ent id entification card s room keys and other university property and
shall be barred from the cam pus for the d uration of their suspension.
Exceptions m ay be granted to this prohibition by the SFJT if it first d eterm ines
that the barred stud ent m ust enter university property for the purpose of
cond ucting official business. If the stud ent returns to the cam pus w ithout
perm ission d uring the period of suspension, his / her eligibility to be re
ad m itted to the university is jeopard ised and such persons m ay also be
charged w ith unlaw ful entry and thereby m ad e subject to arrest.
 Indefinite suspension
Provid es for all the cond itions d escribed in Lim ited Term Su spension but d oes
not give a specific d ate for th e consid eration of read m ission of the suspend ed
stud ent. This sanction is used in cases of extrem ely serious m iscond uct w hen
evid ence of rehabilitation m ust be presented by the stud ent to the Office of the
Senior Director Stud ent Supp ort Service and forw ar d ed to the office of the
Registrar before the stud ent is read m itted .
 University expulsion
Expulsion is the m ost severe sanction that the University m ay im pose.
Expulsion is perm anent d ism issal or separation of the stud ent from the
124
General Prospectus
University. In ad d ition the stud ent is not eligible for read m ission to the
University and is perm anently barred from the university ow ned or operated
property and from all University-sponsored events. Expulsions are record ed
on the stud ent‟s perm anent record (official transcript). Stud ents expelled from
the University are required to return any id entification card s, room keys and
other university property and m ust leave cam pus im m ed iately upon
notification of being expelled . An expelled stud ent m ay not return to the
cam pus and is p erm anently barred from the university ow ned and operated
build ings or property and from all University -sponsored events. If an expelled
stud ent returns to the cam pu s, he / she w ill be charged w ith unlaw ful entry
and m ay be arrested . An expelled stud ent‟s r elationship w ith the University is
severed perm anently.
D etermining w hich sanction to impose

Mitigating and aggravating factors m ay be consid ered. Factors to be consid ered in
m itigation or aggravation m ay includ e the individ ual‟s prior d isciplinary recor d,
the nature of the offence, the severity of any d am age, injury or harm resulting from
the violation, the paym ent of restitution to the university or to any victim s, or any
other factors d eem ed appropriate und er the circum stances, includ ing but not
lim ited to the ind ivid ual‟s participation in an approved counselling program .
Repeated violations of the Stud ent Cod e of Cond uct m ay result in the im position of
progressively m ore severe sanctions, although any sanction m ay be im posed as
appropriate und er the circum stances.
Procedure for readmission after judicial suspension

A stud ent tem porarily suspend ed w ill be consid ered for read m ission only after
filing a request for read m ission after jud icial suspension form w ith the office of the
Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training and Senior Director Stud ent Support
Services and it shall be forw ard ed to the office of the Registrar for a final d ecision.
The Registrar shall inform University officials, includ ing the appropriate Acad em ic
and Ad m inistrative H ead s.
Hearing Rights and Procedures
Initiating a Complaint
A stud ent w ill becom e involved w ith the jud icial system as a result of alleged
violations of the com m unity stand ard s of the University. Such violations w ill be
d ocum ented and a report subm itted by the Protection Services official responsible
for the investigation of the m atter. While m ost violations occur on the cam pus
(University prem ises), the stud ent population, living in the surrounding
125
General Prospectus
com m unity off-cam pus, also falls w ithin the jurisd iction of the University jud icial
system .
Anyone w ho has a ground for initiating a com plaint regard ing any University
stud ent m ay d o so by filling in a form at the offices of Protection Services the
follow ing inform ation:
 The nam e of the accused ;
 A clear statem ent explain ing the nature and circum stances of the com plaint;
and
 The nam es, ad d resses, and telephone num bers of those filing the com plaint.
A stud ent w ho has had a com plaint lod ged against him / her w ill be called by the
Stud ent Facilitator: Jud icial and Training to d iscuss the com pliant. At the m eeting,
the case m ay be held , d ropped , ad jud icated or referred to an appropriate
Com m ittee as provid ed for by the Cod e.
The d isciplinary officer concerned w ho m ay be assisted by an ad visor shall, at the

outset of the hearing, and in the presence of the stu d ent and the stud ent
representative, apprise the hearing com m ittee of the facts and allegations of the
case, shall present the relevant d ocum entary evid ence and relevant practices and
present the nam es of the w itnesses to be called . The stud ent or the stud ent‟s
ad visor m ay m ake a sum m ary statem ent in response.
All questions of proced ure and evid ence that m ay arise d uring the hearing,
includ ing any challenge to proced ures anted ating the hearing, shall be resolved by
the Chair after consulting w ith the Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training.
The Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training is neutral betw een the parties. H is /
her role is to ad vise as to the fair cond uct of proceed ings, but the Stud ent Facilitator
Jud icial and Training shall not participate in the d ecisions.
A ruling that a proced ure in the cod e has been follow ed shall not result in
annulm ent of the proceed ings if in the judgm ent of the hearing the error d id not
cause prejud ice to the stud ent or any prejud ice that d id result can be rem ed ied
w ithout causing und ue d elay in the proceed ings.
Witnesses shall be called by the Chair of the hearing and heard one at a tim e. Any
m em ber of the Com m ittee, voting or non-voting, m ay suggest that a w itness be
126
General Prospectus
called or re-called , includ ing a w itness not nam ed in the list of w itnesses. The
stud ent and the stud ent ad visor shall be allow ed an opportunity to call w itnesses.
In the case of acad em ic offences, the instructor in the course in w hich the offence
took place m ay be present throughout the hearing, m ay be called as a w itness and
m ay consult w ith the d isciplinary officer throughout the hearing.
All parties w ho are present throughout the hearing m ust observe the sam e rule of
confid entiality as the m em bers of the com m ittee.
All w itnesses shall give their testim ony and evid ence in the presence of the accused
stud ent, the com plainant, their ad visors, m em bers of the com m ittee and the Chair.
Any of the aforem entioned persons m ay put questions to the w itnesses. H ow ever,
the Stud ent Facilitator Jud icial and Training m ay not ask qu estions of the parties or
speak d uring the d isposition of the case excep t w ith perm ission of the Chair. The
accused stud ent, com plainant and their ad visors shall have access to any
d ocum ents consid ered by the hearing com m ittee as evid ence in the case.
The accused stud ent and com plainant shall be given an opportunity to give
evid ence on their behalf, should anyone of them d ecid e to give evid ence, they w ill
be subject to questions from the hearing com m ittee and ad visors. N o inference m ay
be d raw n against the accused stud ent for refusing to give evid ence, except to the
extent that allegation against the accused stud ent, because of his / her refusal,
stand s uncontrad icted .
The rules of evid ence applicable in civil and crim inal court proceed ings shall not
apply to the hearing so long as the evid ence has been obtained in good faith and by
reasonable m eans. Evid ence w hich is not relevant, or is only rem otely relevant,
shall be exclud ed . All questions of the ad m issibility of evidence shall be resolved
by the Chair after consulting w ith the Stud ent Facilitator Ju d icial and Training.
127
General Prospectus
13.7 Library Services Regulations
POLICY: CIRCULATION
Different category users and loan period s are set out in the Innopac Loa n Rules.
Before an item is issued to a user, he / she m ust prod uce the University ID to
enable the library assistants to check m em bership on the system .
Stud ents m ust return item s out on loan before the University closes at the end of
the year. Arrangem ents can be m ad e for post-grad uate stud ents and researchers
w ho w ant to use sources over the holid ays.
Library users m ay telephonically renew library m aterials issued to them .
Rem ind ers are sent regularly to stud ents and lecturers. It is im portant to fo llow -up
rem ind ers on m aterials that have been overd ue for long period s.
Action against library users that d id not return borrow ed library m aterial are
ad d ressed in the Innopac Loan Rules d ocum ent.
POLICY: LIBRARY MATERIAL LOST BY CLIEN TS
1. PREAMBLE
As no item s are issued in the library w ithout the client‟s stud ent / staff card ,
the person in w hose nam e the item (s) w ere issued w ill be held responsible for
all item s issued to them w ithout exception. Stud ents are w arned d uring
orientation to report stolen card s im m ed iately, so ignorance of this stipulation
cannot be accepted as an excuse. Staff at issuing points must ensure that the
person using the card is ind eed the ow ner of the card .
128
General Prospectus
2. POLICY AN D PROCED URES
i. Client reports lost item (s) to the m ain issue d esk.

ii. Library assistant blocks client on the library system as w ell as on the ITS
system .
iii. User m ust replace the lost item (s) in ord er to have his record unblocked /
cleared .
iv. Staff from the issue counter w ill receive a quotation from th e staff in the
Acquisitions Section calculated as follow s:
a. The replacem ent cost of the item + overd ue fines + R100 p rocessing
fee per item ;
b. If any accom p anying m aterial such as a CD or a stiffy has been lost,
the full price of the new m ain item (usu ally a book) is charged
(calculated as (a) above) because the accom panying m aterial cannot
be purchased separately;
c. If the item is ou t of print, a flat rate of R550 is applicable + overd ue
fines;
d. The user m ay be given the option by the H oD: User Services to
replace the lost item by purchasing a replacem ent copy of the exact
item and paying the overd ue fine + R100 processing fee. Second -
hand books w ill only be accepted if in pristine cond ition; and
e. If the item lost can be replaced by a sim ilar item covering the sam e
subject m atter w ithout com prom ising the stand ard of the collection in
any w ay, the H oD: User Services m ay com e to an agreem ent w ith the
client w hereby the sim ilar item is bought and given to the library.
The processing fee is still applicable, as the item has to be processed
before becom ing part of the library collection.
v. The client is given the quote and d etails of the cost cod e into w hich the
paym ent m ust be m ad e (3004-2043) and m ust pay in the full am ount at the
Finance Departm ent.
vi. The receipt m ust be prod uced to the staff at the issue cou nter, w ho w ill
m ake a copy of the receipt and return the original to the client.
vii. The client m ust be unblocked / cleared on the Innopac and ITS system s.
The copy of the receipt m ust be hand ed to the Acquisitions Departm ent.
The status of the item is changed on Innopac to “Lost & Paid ”, the item
record is suppressed (and the bibliographic record if there is only one item
record attached ), and the title m ust be w ritten off in the Acquisitions
Register.
129
General Prospectus
viii. The subject librarian concerned m ust be inform ed about the paym ent to
d ecid e w hether the item should be reord ered, or w hether another item
should be purchased in its place. The replacem ent item m ust cover the
sam e subject field as the lost item .
POLICY: IN TER-LIBRARY LOAN S SERVICES

Inter-library loan services shall be rend ered in ad herence to the guid elines laid
d ow n by the State Library, as contained in the Inter -lend ing Manual for Southern
African Libraries, w ith the exception of those aspects specified in the GAELIC
prelim inary policy d ocum ent.
There is, therefore, a form al agreem ent am ong tertiary institutions to rend er a free
inter-lend ing service to Masters and Doctoral stud ents, acad em ic personnel and
researchers from GAELIC libraries.
Costs that are exclud ed from the agreem ent includ e the follow ing:
 Telefax cost
 Courier service
 Regular photocopies
The requesting library m ust pay inter -lend ing tariffs as determ ined by the State
Library for the above.
GAELIC libraries und ertake to respond to any inter-lending request w ithin 48

hours i.e. 2 w orking d ays.
Any other inter-lend ing request to or from institutions other than the GAELIC
libraries, is subject to the tariff structure laid d ow n by the State Library.
User of ILL
All registered BTech, Masters and Doctoral stud ents, acad em ic personnel and
researchers at Vand erbijlpark and its Satellite cam puses, m ay place unlim ited
requests.
Perm ission for an international inter -lend ing request m ust be granted by the
prom oter of the post-grad uate stud ent or by the head of d epartm ent of an acad em ic
m em ber of staff. Although the cost is usually carried by the library, d epartm ents
m ay be approached to help in case of d ire need .
130
General Prospectus
N o inter-lend ing requests are d one for junior / d iplom a stud ents.
Any m aterial not available in the library, m ust be ord ered or requested on inter -
library loans.
All inter-library loans m aterial m ust be collected and returned personally to the ILL
office.
A form m ust be com pleted before and after receiving ILL m aterial.
Renew als m ay be requested from supplying library if m aterial is not overd ue.
Fines should be im posed on overd ue m aterials.
Faulty equipm ent should be reported im m ed iately to H oD: System s.
If borrow ed m aterial is lost or d efaced , the user w ill be resp onsible for the total
costs to be d eterm ined by the supplying library.
POLICY: ACCESS TO SERIALS COLLECTION
1. Loose issues of period icals w ill not be issued to any library clients and m ay not
leave the library.
2. Tables of contents of all serial issues received w ill be scanned , and d istributed
to all interested staff m em bers or the TOC alerts sent autom atically from
Sw etsWise w ill be d issem inated via e-m ail. Som e of the Sw etsWise TOC alerts
have links to the full-text articles, w hich clients can print from their PC.
3. On request, library staff w ill make a photocopy of the article for the client (only
staff m em bers, researchers and post-grad uate stud ents). The cost of the copies
w ill be calculated at the current rate per page, and the faculty w ill be invoiced
at the end of each term .
4. Bound volum es of journals w ill be loaned to certain categories of clients,

d epend ing on the relevant loan rules.
131
General Prospectus
5. To facilitate access to relevant articles, subject librarians ind ex articles w hich

relate to the curriculum . Bibliographic d atabases can also provid e citations
and these are available either by requesting a literature search from the subject
librarian via the Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) in the electronic
classroom in the library or via the VUT Intranet.
132
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
133
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
134
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
135
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
136
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
137
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
138
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
139
General Prospectus
N otes: -
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
140

General Prospectus

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

General Prospectus

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

General Prospectus

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Vaal University of Technology

Copies of t he Facult y Prospect us are obt ainable from:

Vanderbijlpark Campus Educit y Campus

Secunda Campus Ekurhuleni Campus

1. A Brief Look at the VUT from 1966 to 2010 ................................................... 4

1. A Brief Look at the VUT from 1966 to 2010

1966 : The Vaal Triangle College for Ad vanced Technical Ed u cation

1995 : The Vaal Triangle Technikon establishes tw o ad d itiona l

u nveiling of the hall, henceforth to be know n as the Desmond

2. Enrolments and Graduates

VUT Student Numbers 2008 2009 2010 2011

Postgrad uate 207 203 186 207

Students in Major Study Fields 2008 2009 2010 2011

Business/ Managem ent 6 790 7 710 8 780 8 535

Ed ucation 152 147 48 3

Other H um anities 1 034 1 183 1 693 1 892

Graduates at VUT 2008 2009 2010 2011

Postgrad uate 547 30 24 59

Graduates in Major Study Fields 2008 2009 2010 2011

Business/ Managem ent 1 474 1 559 1 583 1 878

Other H um anities 231 165 186 258

3. Vision and Mission Statement

4. Committee Calendar 2013

5. Academic Calendar 2013

Stud y Guid es for S1 & S2 print read y : 16 November 2012

First Sem ester

TERM 2: 02 April to 21 June (Schools 09 April to 21 June)

Second Sem ester

Late Applications & Registrations : 17 – 19 July

TERM 4: 01 October to 13 Decem ber (Schools 01 October to 04 Decem ber)

Exam inations – 2nd Opportunity : 30 November to

2. Total Contact weeks per sem ester: Sem ester 1: 13 ½ Weeks

01 Janu ary N ew Years Day

Machika, P (Dr) Executive Director: Centre for Acad em ic

Zid e, GN (Prof) DVC: Governance & Operations

7.3 Institutional Forum

8. Governance Sub-Committees & Management Committees

8.1 Committees of Council

8.2 Committees of Senate

Higher D egrees Committee

Mabuza, BR (Prof) Executive Dean: Applied & Com puter Sciences

Senate Library Committee

Senate Learner Support Committee

Machika, P (Dr) Executive Director: Centre of Acad em ic

Honorary D egree Committee

Quality Promotion Committee

Research Ethics Committee

Representative Faculty of Engineering & Technology

8.3 Management Committees of the VUT

Executive Management Committee

9. Student Representative Council

10. Rectorate and Secretarial Staff

Prof IN Moutlana Vice-Chancellor & Principal

Prof HA Louw D eputy-Vice Chancellor: Academic & Research

Vacant D eputy-Vice Chancellor: Resources & Planning

Prof GN Zide D eputy-Vice Chancellor: Governance &

Mr TE Mkuchane Executive D irector: Office of the VC & Principal

Ms CSM Phatudi Executive D irector: Human Resources

Mr P Zingitw a Executive D irector: Operations & Logistics

D r S Seroka Executive D irector: Student Support Services