Council principles for SU Language Policy: Afrikaans to be promoted and English students not excluded

At a special meeting on Saturday 21 May 2016 the Council of Stellenbosch University (SU) discussed fundamental points of departure for the Language Policy. Council formulated a number of principles via consensus or a majority of votes, and these principles are to be presented to the Language Revision Work Group.

"Council's request to the work group is that these principles should be considered for inclusion before the new draft Language Policy serves at Senate on 3 June," said Mr George Steyn, Chairperson of Council.

One of the principles that were accepted by a large majority of votes, is that the English offering should be expanded so that no enrolled student would be excluded from the academic offering; that at the same time it should be ensured that the Afrikaans offering is not decreased; and that Afrikaans as language of instruction should be further promoted. In addition, Council also expressed that it was in favour of a commitment to the development and promotion of isiXhosa as academic language.

"The revision of SU's Language Policy is a continuing process, and the draft policy merely is a working document. The matter is complex with several points of view and inputs. Therefore it is regrettable that a few members of Council, in contravention of Council's code of conduct, intentionally cast suspicion on Council, the Management and the process via the Afrikaans media," Mr Steyn said.

"As members of Council it is our responsibility to promote the interests of SU's students, lecturers and professional academic and administrative support staff, not those of other interest groups and external organisations. It is not productive to focus on individual elements out of context. Council has conveyed its principles clearly to the work group via the Vice-Rector: Learning and Teaching, and we will have the opportunity to study the entire new draft policy thoroughly before our discussion and decision on 22 June 2016."

At its scheduled meeting of 9 May 2016 Council accepted a motion to convene a special meeting to obtain input and discuss the Language Policy, and that the outcome of the special meeting would be presented to the Language Revision Work Group for consideration before the new draft policy is tabled at Senate.

On 19 May 2016, two days before the special Council meeting, AfriForum Jeug and five other applicants withdrew in its entirety their application – that SU should halt the revision of its Language Policy.

In accordance with the negotiated order of 19 May SU should apply the current language specifications until its current Language Policy and Plan either can be revised or replaced. However, Stellenbosch University had already returned to the implementation of the Language Policy of 2014 and the language specifications published in the 2016 faculty yearbooks (calendars) on 29 March in accordance with the Court order of 11 March 2016.

According to Mr Steyn the focus of an article on the AfriForum website over the weekend, and the linked SMS campaign (AfriForum Jeug wen regstryd teen US & red Afikaans op Maties) reflect the selective and one-sided reporting of events.

The claim in the article that the order by Judge Kate Savage on 19 May 2016 now forces SU to implement its Language Policy and Plan, as well as the language specifications published in the 2016 yearbooks – was in fact an order which SU had accepted and implemented close to two months earlier.

"What is not mentioned in the article, is that AfriForum Jeug and five other applicants shortly before the hearing on 19 May withdrew their application – that SU should halt the revision of its Language Policy," Mr Steyn said. "SU can therefore proceed unimpeded with the revision of the Language Policy, and the Language Committee of Council can also continue with its work."

Senate and the Institutional Forum will discuss the new draft policy before it will be tabled at a scheduled Council meeting on 22 June. The University Council determines the Language Policy with the concurrence of Senate. If it should be approved, the objective is to implement the new Language Policy as from 2017.

Statement issued by Stellenbosch University, 22 May 2016