[Stats2] Project W Views on Residence Policy

[Project Wits]

[image: Inline image 1]

Dear Esteemed Witsie!



The election for the SRC is one of the most energetic, drama-driven and
thought-provoking times of the Wits year. We, as students, are given the
opportunity to look at our experience at Wits so far and assess our
feelings toward academics, toward housing and residence, and toward service
delivery. It also gives us the opportunity to examine our SRC – the Voice
of the Wits student community – and decide what makes us proud of them, and
what looks like a chain of promises never to be fulfilled*.*



*Project W* is an independent, nonpartisan student organization. We are
inclusive, and prioritize diversity and tolerance, with our membership
consisting of Black, White, Coloured, Indian and Asian students. We welcome
all creeds and beliefs: Christians, Muslims, Jews, Agnostics and Atheists,
and all students regardless of sexual preference. We are passionate about
student issues at Wits University and involved in making wits better.



One of the core beliefs of Project W is *transparency*. This is an ideal
that every SRC party should have; it is an ideal that every, single student
on campus deserves. It is only through transparency that a proper SRC can
operate: students ought to know all the decisions of the SRC openly and in
an unbiased manner. It is therefore disturbing that a party serving on the
SRC (essentially that President of that party) would hide critical and
controversial information regarding residence policies for 2015 and beyond,
solely for political gains. As a result of significant misunderstanding
circulating campus, concerning both the policy as a whole and Project W’s
attitude towards it, an explanation of the policy and Project W’s stance
has been included below.



Project W believes in a *diverse* and *tolerant* student body. The policy
on residence for 2015 aims to make residences more diverse and
cosmopolitan, and reflect our university as a world-respected institution.
Project W agrees with this part of the policy on diversity as it expresses
the inclusivity that we affirm in our manifesto. However, the percentage of
students in residences that are needed to properly diversify the residence
(according to the policy, twenty-five percent), Project W finds *excessive*.
Project W believes that a much smaller percentage of the residence, perhaps
5 – 10%, should be set aside to *try* diversification, and this number
should be kept constant for two years before reassessing if the policy is
successful. Moreover, Project W believes that the application fee for
residence should be a *set sum* and not more expensive if one is applying
for a single room.



It must be stressed that certain rumours about the policy have been
circulating around campus and are simply *untrue*. *No one is being evicted
from residence to make space for diversity.* As people graduate from the
university and move out, or as people move out for other reasons such as
academic underperformance or personal reasons, spaces become available. Of
these *available spaces*, some will be set aside for diversity and the rest
will exist as residence openings. No one in the residence will be forced to
move out.


*Students will not be allowed single rooms based on race alone, and
first-years will almost certainly have to share a room.* The concept of
more single rooms becoming available to “attract whites” into residence is
simply absurd and unconstitutional. There are no incentives or
“white-scholarships” to attract white people specifically to single rooms.
No university in the world would adopt such a stance, especially not Wits
which currently stands as one of the best universities in Africa. It can be
assured that the increased availability of single rooms has been made from
a financial standpoint and not from a diversity-related standpoint.
Furthermore, *seniors will still keep their single rooms*. The policy will
not affect seniors having single rooms – in fact, Wits is expanding its
residences to accommodate more first-years so seniors are not affected.



*The policy on residences in 2015 was approved by the current President of
the SRC in June this year. *Although the policy has been displayed as a
“shocking” development, it was actually approved almost three months ago by
the current President of the SRC, who sits on the Senate during policy
making. The reason for its emergence now is either a result of lack of
transparency of the current SRC leadership, or as a means political sway
during election time.



Overall, Project W believes strongly in diversity at Wits, we believe that
the new residence policy should be implemented at a much, much slower rate
than suggested, and we *strongly condemn* restricting vital information
from students for individual or political party gain.



The policy also provides residence for those with sports scholarships, in
order to increase our reputation at sports; it aims to house more people
with commendable academic performance to increase university ratings and it
has a provision to allow for more postgraduates to stay as residence, along
with their spouses, all of which Project W supports.



We at Project W are dedicated to improving every aspect of student life,
whether it be financial, academic or service related and we are committed
to making Wits *even better*.



Find out more on our website www.projectw.co.za, or visit our Facebook page.





Project W

Making Wits Even Better
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