​Respect and dignity.

These two words emerge frequently when interviewing the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science's (FHMS) newly appointed Manager: Student Affairs.

In her new position Ms Khairoonisa Foflonker will have to, among others, engage closely with support staff, the FHMS faculty and leadership, as well as student leadership to facilitate and enhance student support. Her career up to date has definitely equipped her with the necessary tools for this task.

“The most valuable lesson I have learnt thus far has been to listen so that I can understand. Not to hear people so that I can respond. A lot is lost when ideas are formed and expressed prematurely," she explains. 

“Another important lesson I have learnt is understanding that people need to be treated with dignity and respect. Respect, however, means different things to different people, and is often culturally bound. It's therefore the individual's responsibility to make the time to understand others. This is how collegiality is fostered," says Foflonker, who has a master's degree in Sociology.

She relates she was intrigued by post-colonial theory and the social justice approach offered by Diversity Studies, a specialisation within Sociology. “I had finally found a discipline that enabled me to articulate and critique asymmetrical power relations. I subsequently specialised in Diversity Studies, and felt more equipped to becoming a critically engaged, self-reflexive, active denizen."

Foflonker's career started at the former Institute for Intercultural and Diversity Studies (iNCUDISA) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), coordinating two research projects: the Rural Transformation Project, which involved research into the depth of transformation in small and rural South African towns; and the Xenophobia and Super Diversity Project, which involved conducting qualitative interviews with refugees and locals in Cape Town.

She simultaneously coordinated a diversity awareness seminar programme at iNCUDISA and lectured on the subject of “race" (which included race, xenophobia and the Coloured identity).

“I began to yearn for an approach that married theory to practice; and found that facilitating workshops on intercultural communication, diversity and inclusivity, as well as training leaders and students to become facilitators, brought my passion as a change agent to life.

“Next, I coordinated ADAPT, an initiative led by UCT's Transformation Services Office, which involved engaging UCT staff in intercultural communication and leadership workshops. We also developed and implemented a parallel programme to train and mentor a cohort of students, across disciplines, to run the same workshops among UCT students."

The new Manager: Student Affairs has an adventurous streak and has done one thing that scares her every year for the last few years, including paragliding. “I also dabble in poetry, enjoy yoga and meditation, art films and art exhibitions. And I will find any excuse to go on a road trip!"

What does she want to achieve at the FMHS? “Cohesion and inclusivity. This is achieved through the alignment of student support services; including Student Affairs across campuses, the office of the Deputy Registrar and other key stakeholders. It is also achieved by welding together support functions, including student leadership, as well as faculty, management and student support staff. 

“This alignment is aimed at enhancing student support services in a manner that offers dignity, empowerment of, and respect for all students."