University of Johannesburg

The University of Johannesburg, colloquially known as UJ, is a public university located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The University of Johannesburg was established on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University. Prior to the merger, the Daveyton and Soweto campuses of former Vista University had been incorporated into RAU. As a result of the merger of Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), it is common for alumni to refer to the university as RAU.

The institution is one of the largest comprehensive contact universities in South Africa from the 26 public universities that make up the higher education system. In 2024, UJ had a student population of more than 54,000, of whom 4,251 were international students.

History

Early developments

British colonialism, 1900s

During the Johannesburg gold rush, several training institutions were established to meet the skilled labour needs of the gold mines. One such institution was the Witwatersrand Technical Institute, founded in 1903, with origins tracing back to the Kimberly School of Mines. It later evolved into Technikon Witwatersrand in 1979, following the British educational model with English as the medium of instruction. Admission policies were initially restricted to white students proficient in English. In 2006, the University of Johannesburg, which had already absorbed the operations of Technikon Witwatersrand, sold the institute's property.

Independence, 1960sIt would take more than thirty years before complete independence of South Africa from Britain was achieved. Following its election in 1948 the National Party sought to provide education in the Afrikaans language, the third most spoken mother-tongue language in South Africa. This led to the foundation of Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) in 1966. At the time of its founding, RAU was the second university to be established in Johannesburg and it was established through an act of parliament as the academic hub for Afrikaners. After the fall of Apartheid in 1994, African students started to become more involved in previously white institutions of higher education. RAU was no exception as for the first time in 1995, it had the largest number of African students in its ranks, followed by the University of the Witwatersrand, Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town.

In 1982, Vista University admitted the first black students in designated urban black settlements across South Africa. It was established in Port Elizabeth. It had seven satellite campuses throughout South African townships, making tertiary education accessible to most African people, and it had its first academic year in 1983.

Recent history

It was envisioned that a modern university would spring from unification, and not separation, as it was enforced in the past. The University of Johannesburg, established on 1 January 2005, is the result of the incorporation of the East Rand and Soweto campuses of Vista University into the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). The merger of the modified RAU and the Technikon Witwatersrand took place on 1 January 2005 thus creating the University of Johannesburg.

The integration of these institutions – with seemingly more differences than similarities, offers a unique identity and character to the University of Johannesburg, which serves to bridge the chasms that previously divided South Africa. Indeed, no other university in South Africa truly represents the rainbow nation like the University of Johannesburg.

Campuses

UJ has four campuses: the Auckland Park Kingsway, Auckland Park Bunting Road, Doornfontein and Soweto campuses – all located in the metropolitan area of the City of Johannesburg.

The university comprises a built-up area over 45,000m2 and the facilities available at the respective campuses include:

• Lecture rooms and micro-laboratories
• Libraries
• Sports facilities
• Auditoriums, halls, galleries and conference venues
• Student shopping centres, restaurants and cafeterias

Campus and health clinics.

A villa for postgraduate students

Court rooms

UJ owns an island in the Vaal River, formerly known as RAU Island.

Auckland Park, Kingsway

Auckland Park (APK), or the Kingsway Campus Auckland Park (former RAU campus)

APK, is the largest and most populated campus of the University of Johannesburg. It is also the seat of the administration and governance body of the university. The campus was formerly the only educational campus of the Rand Afrikaans University. The campus gets its name from a major Johannesburg road, Kingsway Avenue, that runs along the north-east side of the campus. The roads that form the boundary of the campus are (clock-wise) University Road, Ditton Avenue, Ripley Road, Hampton Avenue, Studente Avenue, Akademie Road and Perth Road. Although the official name of the campus implies that it is in Auckland Park, it actually falls just out of that suburb by one street. It is technically in the suburb of Rossmore with the first-year parking lot bordering the suburb of Melville, Gauteng.

Auckland Park, Bunting Road

Auckland Park, Bunting Road (APB), or the Bunting Road Campus Auckland Park (former TWR campus)

The ABP was originally a campus of the Technikon Witwatersrand. Uniquely, the campus is an enclosed section of a suburb. The main thoroughfare of the suburb is Bunting Road. The name Bunting Road, according to the City of Johannesburg archives is derived from a subspecies of bird and not the decorative banner it is currently associated with. It houses the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture.

Doornfontein

Doornfontein (DFC), or the Doornfontein Campus (former TWR campus). It houses the administrative offices of the Faculty of Health Sciences, as well sub faculties of Engineering and Built Environment as well as Science. The campus offers several health services to the public via its private, yet affordable clinics. These clinics are most served by students obtaining clinic hours required prior to that of the completion of qualification. The faculty has several practical and academic workspaces available for students including a large practical workshop for the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment; Rescue Simulation Center; Laser Research Facilities and Anatomical Dissection Hall for the Faculty of Health Sciences; and several laboratories serving for faculties of Health Science, Engineering and Built Environment, and Science.

Organisation and administration

The university's administration is structured into various departments and units, each with specific roles and responsibilities.

The Academic Administration Staff is a key part of the university's organisation. This team includes the Head of Faculty Administration, Senior Faculty Officers, Faculty Officers, Administrative Assistants, and Departmental Secretaries. They manage and facilitate academic matters, including undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

In addition to academic administration, UJ has an Operations Structure that includes Protection Services, Occupational Safety, and Central Technical Services.

The Strategic Initiatives and Administration unit at UJ plays a key role in shaping the university's research and innovation direction. This unit is responsible for reviewing and revising policies, drafting proposals and statutory reports for the Research & Innovation Division, and managing and facilitating opportunities on strategic research projects and partnerships with external institutions.

Executive Management Committee

The University of Johannesburg has the following executive management structure:

Vice-Chancellor and Principal:

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal is the executive head of the university. All the offices listed below are subordinate to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic:

Whose executive duties involve overseeing academic development and support, the dean of each faculty and effectively head of each school is subordinate to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.

Chief Financial Officer (CFO):

Is the officer responsible for financial governance and revenue as well as expenditure and also effectively oversees the UJ pension fund.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Internationalization:

Responsible for Internationalization, and overseeing Research and Innovation as well as the Library and Information Center.

Registrar:

Responsible for central Academic administration (including alumni), corporate governance as well as student health and wellness.

General Counsel:

General legal affairs pertaining the university, disputes and litigation as well as contracts.

Chief Operating Officer (COO):

Responsible for the management of university facilities, safety and security as well as human capital management.

Senior Executive Director:

University relations, sports, and general student affairs.

The University calls this the Executive Leadership Group (ELG).

Academic profile

The university is home to nine faculties.

Admission and registration

As it is a common practice with all South African universities, South African applicants to the University of Johannesburg are required to apply in advance for admission into their preferred course by no later than the end of September. Therefore, prospective South African matriculants must apply for their preferred course of study before the completion of their matric year. As of 2013, the University of Johannesburg has adopted a "no walk-in" policy and therefore, prospective and current students are required to apply for admission and complete their registration online.

International students have to comply with a specialised admission process and must apply for admission into their preferred course by no later than the end of September.

Registration for undergraduates and postgraduates takes place before the commencement of the academic year. New registrations for qualifying matriculants takes place in January shortly after the matric results are released.

Teaching and degrees

Undergraduate teaching takes place over the duration of four terms or two semesters during the course of the year. Some subjects are taught throughout the duration of the year known as year-long subjects and other subjects are taught over the course of two terms or one semester. Some subjects have prerequisites such as a requirement for a student to complete a specific course or subject/s before they are permitted to continue with a related subject.

The teaching terms usually coincide with Gauteng public school terms though can change as the university administration sees fit.

Undergraduate programmeOnce a high school student has passed their Matric examinations obtaining an NQF level 5 qualification and meeting the minimum requirements of their chosen undergraduate programme the student may pursue a bachelor's degree, Advanced Diploma, Post Graduate Certificate or B-tech which are set to be completed within three years for most faculties however, there are sometimes options to extend ones undergraduate programme usually by an extra year. Once a graduate has passed all of the requisite modules for their degree, the graduate will obtain a degree certificate (NQF level 7) with all the rights and privileges conferred on them by the university in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

The University of Johannesburg also offers undergraduate Higher Certificates and Advanced National (vocational) Certificates (NQF level 5) as well as National Diplomas and Advanced certificates (NQF level 6) which usually require fewer than three years to complete.

Faculties

The University of Johannesburg is composed of eight faculties. Each faculty offers a variety of programs and courses that cater to the diverse interests and career goals of students.

Art, Design and Architecture

The Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines.

FADA is home to the following departments:

• Department of Industrial Design
• Department of Architecture
• Department of Fashion Design
• Department of Graphic Design
• Department of Interior Design
• Department of Jewellery Design and Manufacture
• Department of Multimedia
• Department of Visual Art

College of Business and Economics

The University of Johannesburg's College of Business and Economics (CBE) was launched on the 1st of July 2017. The college emerged from the former Faculty of Management and the former Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences.

The faculty includes different schools namely:

• School of Accountancy
• Department of Accountancy
• Department of Commercial Accounting
• School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems
• Department of Applied Information Systems
• Department of Information and Knowledge Management
• Department of Marketing Management
• School of Economics
• Department of Economics and Econometrics
• Public and Environmental Economics Research Centre
• School of Management
• Department of Business Management
• Department of Finance and Investment Management
• Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management
• Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management
• School of Public Management, Governance and Public Policy
• Department of Public Management and Governance
• School of Tourism and Hospitality
• Hospitality Management
• Tourism Management
• Food and Beverage Operations

Education

The faculty of Education's research focus areas include ecologists of learning to ecologists of practice, learning to be a teacher – towards learner outcomes in schools, discourse and performative practice of teachers in language literacy and communication, keystone species in the science and mathematics classrooms of two schools, teachers building practice as community counselors, teachers and tools: crafting technology education in practice, teacher identity and the culture of schools, Information and communication technology in schools, Values and human rights in education, and aggression in secondary schools in South Africa.

Engineering and the Built Environment

The faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment's research focus areas include civil engineering materials research, chromium steels, control and image processing, industrial electronics technology, manufacturing, mineral processing and technology, optical communications, process optimization of thermodynamic systems, small-scale mining and minerals, speech and signal processing, telecommunications, unmanned aerial vehicles, water research.

Traditions and student activities

The University of Johannesburg has a students' representative council (SRC) referred to as the UJSRC, as well as an SRC for each of the four campuses. The UJSRC consists of eight members, two members per campus, and they are elected by the student bodies of each campus. The UJSRC represents all UJ students, addressing issues and concerns which are of relevance to the whole student body. Each individual campus has its own Campus SRC which is elected from members of that particular campus' student body. The powers and functions of Campus SRCs are delegated to them by the UJSRC and Campus SRCs consist of ten members.

Media and societies

The University of Johannesburg has a radio station that airs on its campuses called UJFM which aims to reflect the demographics of the university by airing content that is relevant to the target market. In April 2010, UJFM moved to the Bunting Road Campus where it has access to more professional, state of the art equipment. UJFM operates on a frequency of 95.4FM.

Эх сурвалж: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)