Dear UCT Postgraduate Community

Due to the precautions and safety measures that we have been advised to take to slow the spread of COVID-19, UCT is implementing measures to support you to work remotely so that we minimise physical contact.

Postgraduate funding matters
The Postgraduate Funding Office (PGFO) will be assisting students remotely in order to respect the safety of students and PGFO staff. We therefore request that all documents and claim forms be submitted electronically to the PGFO. 

Please note that the doors of the PGFO will be closed to students and postdoctoral fellows from Thursday 19 March 2020 until further notice. So we urge all students to contact the PGFO as follows: 

Workshops and seminars run by the Office for Postgraduate Studies
We are currently reviewing our postgraduate programme in light of the recent suspension of lectures and public gatherings.

Due to the short notice of this announcement, most workshops and seminars, including those offered by our affiliates (such as the Health Science Libraries Researcher Series, Savvy Researcher Series, Language Development Group and Digital Library Services) have been cancelled or postponed. In such instances, the particular workshop title on our calendar will be preceded by CANCELLED or POSTPONED, respectively. We have left the booking pages open for postponed workshops so that when a new date or online intervention becomes available, we can inform the applicants directly.

Please note that if the title of the workshop is preceded by ONLINE it will be offered on that date and time via Skype (or as advised). Please note that online sessions may be limited in terms of numbers, depending on the nature of the offering.

Other issues that have already been addressed in campus communications include:

Working off campus
Wherever possible, postgraduates are encouraged to continue their work off campus. More details are provided in the most recent DVC Desk from Professor Sue Harrison, DVC for Research and Internationalisation.

Library Services
For an update on the Library Services, please consult this DVC Desk.

The UCT Remote Working Toolkit
UCT’s extensive remote working toolkit enables staff and students to remain productive while working off campus. The toolkit, which is available on the Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) website, considers essential elements, such as security, connectivity, email and calendar access, and real-time communication.

If you need to get help from ICTS

• Contact the Service Desk by logging a call online in the Service Portal
• Email icts-helpdesk@uct.ac.za
• Call 021 650 4500
• Log a call via ICTS social media (Facebook | Twitter)

Other contacts

• If you have specific course-related questions, please contact the relevant course convenor or course secretary, or your tutor or tutorial convenor.
• If you have questions regarding administrative matters, please contact the relevant administrator in your department. The relevant information should be listed on your departmental website.

@UCTpostgrads
If you cannot reach your supervisor or departmental administrator, connect with us on Twitter.

Stay informed
Please visit the UCT Coronavirus Disease 2019 web page regularly to stay informed of the latest information from UCT.

We are rooting for you as you adjust to working under these new challenges.

Regards,

The Postgraduate Support Services Team