All undergraduate teaching and assessments (including the first and second mid-year examination opportunities) will be online only.Postgraduate coursework teaching and assessments will also be conducted online. For modules where professional bodies require invigilated examinations or in-person moderation, faculties may schedule these assessments after students have returned to campus and before the start of the 2021 academic year.Find out more about the changes made to the academic calendar here.

SUNLearn will be theprimary academic resource platform.

Various guides have been developed to support students with online learning. Please log all your online learning and SUNLearn support requests via the learnhelp.sun.ac.za portal. Click here for more information.

Based on the feedback obtained from an online survey completed by ±19 000 students, SU managed to procure 1 500 laptops that will be made available to socio-economically disadvantaged students who have no connectivity to SU’s online learning resources.Students who have not responded to the survey should urgently contact the SU Client Services at info@sun.ac.za or 021 808 9111 to be considered for learning technology assistance.

An SMS will be sent to the list of students to confirm their acceptance of the offer as well as their physical address to courier the laptop. Once confirmed, the laptops will be set up with the necessary software and delivered to our students.

Most of the resources used on SUNLearn will be zero-rated. Zero rating is when service providers will charge no fee for internet users to access and use specific internet pages. This is an arrangement between the service provider and the host of the internet page. Updated information about zero-rating of websites and tips for containing mobile data costs, are available on the Guidance for online learning page. Click here to read more.

SUNLearn’s zero-rating will only apply to videos uploaded directly to SUNLearn. This does not include hyperlinks to videos that are hosted outside SUNLearn (eg TED talks or YouTube videos), even if these external videos are embedded on the course page itself.

The library site and ezproxy are zero rated on Vodacom. Ratings on other service providers will still be confirmed.

Postgraduate students should liaise with their supervisors to discuss practical arrangementsand work off campus if possible. Questions should be directed to academic departments. For more information,click here.

All library buildings and facilities will be closed during the lockdown, but an online service is available. Library staff will continue toprovide services and resources to support students and staff. Find out more here.

Disability-related queries can be addressed to disability@sun.ac.za or to the individual Disability Unit practitioner that you were interacting with prior to the COVID-19 period. For more information, click here.

Please consult the Language Centre’s website for language support available.

Consult the Amended 2020 Calender here.

Visit the Postgraduate Office FAQ.

International students are only permitted to return to campus under lockdown level 1. Unfortunately, the eligibility requirements under the 33% return to campus excludes International students who are currently based outside the South African national borders, which remain closed except under exceptional circumstances. Support programmes will be implemented for International students who are not able to return to campus to ensure that they are able to complete their academic programmes.

International elective students and free-movers (international non-degree students coming for one or two semesters) should liaise directly with Stellenbosch University International (for students based at the Stellenbosch campus) and the Tygerberg International Office (for students of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences based at the Tygerberg campus) for the discontinuation of studies. Decisions to waive penalties will be taken inconsultation with Student Fees.

International students who decide to discontinue their studies for this semester on or before 30 April 2020 will have their tuition fees credited back onto to their student account at Stellenbosch University. Please click here for a full breakdown of refunds on tuition and accommodation fees.

If you had a Matie Bike whilst in Stellenbosch and you have returned it to Carpool before you departed, Carpool will confirm the return of your bike with us and the subsequent refund due to you. The deposit refund will be done electronically to you.

• The South African boarders remain closed.
• In the Directions by the Department of Higher Education it states that “International students who returned to their home countries during the lockdown will only be permitted to return to campuses when Level 1 of the strategy is announced.
  These international students will be supported through remote learning support until they return. Tailored catch up plans will be implemented when they return.”
• Since you returned to your home country you will not be allowed to return to campus or SA, even though you have permanent residency.

• The South African boarders remain closed.
• International students are only permitted to return to campus under lockdown level 1.
• Unfortunately, the eligibility requirements under the 33% return to campus excludes International students who are currently based outside the South African national borders, which remain closed except under exceptional circumstances.
• Support programmes will be implemented for International students who are not able to return to campus to ensure that they are able to complete their academic programmes.

• The South African boarders remain closed.
• International students are only permitted to return to campus under lockdown level 1.
• Returning to RSA will depend on the direction by Government that enables international travel.

• The South African boarders remain closed.
• Stellenbosch University will be assisting the 33% students that are recalled traveling to campus.
• We do not assist students to travel home – it’s not in the directions issued by the DHET and also not what is intended in the Regulations.
• Alternative arrangements will have to be made to stay in SA whilst the borders are still closed.

• Yes. Residence students who returned home before the March/April recess, will all receive a rebate on their residence fees as of 26 March 2020 midnight (the start of the national lockdown) and their residence accounts will only be reactivated on the required date of their return to residence. All residence cancellations that were made since 26 March 2020 will also be backdated to 26 March 2020 for these students to qualify for the rebate.
• The necessary corrections on the student accounts will only reflect on your student account in August/September 2020.

Reduce, postpone or suspend all research, which can be reduced, postponed or suspended, and all research with higher than normal COVID-19 transmission risk, until such time that the Vice-Rector of Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies recalls this instruction. If it is not possible to reduce, postpone or suspend a specific study, develop a plan to continue with minimum participant contact, preferably only those study activities or study visits where participant welfare and/or the prospect of direct participant benefit outweighs the potential harm of COVID-19 (eg safety visits, dispensing of medication). For more information click here.

Due to our staff working remotely, we are currently unable to provide you with your electronic or hard-copy academic documents, which include the following:

• Degree certificates
• Academic transcripts
• Proof of registration
• Certificate of Good Conduct

If a declaration that you have qualified would suffice for your purposes, please email your request to your faculty administrator or officer.

The closing date for all students applying to discontinue studies without financial penalty has been extended to 30 April 2020. The rules regarding the discontinuation of studies are published in the SU General Calendar(Part 1), p. 113 and the SU Student Fees Calendar (Part 3), p. 49. In addition to the considerations already contained in the SU General Calendar (Part 1), circumstances explicitly related to the COVID-19 pandemic and sufficiently substantiated will also be considered as reasons for approving the discontinuation of studies without financial penalty.

Requests for the discontinuation of studies should be submitted to the relevant faculty administrator. Late requests for discontinuation will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the relevant faculty.

All qualifying March/April 2020 graduands have received their qualifications in absentia, but will have the option of attending the December 2020 graduation for the ceremonial crossing of the stage, should circumstances pertaining to Covid-19 permit it.

The University has decided to grant all students enrolled in 2020 readmission to their academic programmes in 2021, i.e. irrespective of their academic performance, these students will not be excluded from continuing with their academic programmes next year. This arrangement does not apply to students who were academically excluded in previous years –these students still need to apply for readmission to the University for 2021.

Re-application for residences will open mid-May on the student portal and will close on 31 July. The Residence Placement Office will send a reminder to all students in residences in this regard. Please heed the deadline and ensure that you apply in time. More information on re-placement of current students in residences will be provided as soon as we have the relevant application data at hand.

Stellenbosch University is currently considering the full impact of Covid-19 on tuition and residence fees. We are aware of the financial strain experienced by our students and their families during this difficult period. As there are many uncertainties we have not been able to make an accurate assessment, but we will communicate with students and parents as soon as decisions have been taken in this regard.

The Centre for Student Counselling and Development (CSCD) is functioning virtually from 17 March – 30 April 2020. All sessions, however, will continue to be offered mainly virtually or telephonically.

The important contact details are:
Academic Support and Development – 021 808 4707 / studysuccess@sun.ac.za
Emotional Support and Emergencies – 021 808 4994 / supportus@sun.ac.za
ER24 line for emergencies (day and night) – 010 205 3032
Visit the CSCD website for more information

Staff and students who fear they may be infected with COVID-19 can contact Campus Health Services or your nearest health care professional. Please call your doctor first to let them know so they can prepare to safely receive you. For all the important emergency numbers click here.

Visit the Campus Health Services website for more information and additional resources on COVID-19 here.

Campus Health Service is providing various support services to staff during the lockdown period. Please contact the following numbers:

Campus Health Service
Anneke van Heerden
021 808 3496
acvanheerden@sun.ac.za
After hour’s emergency number: 076 431 0305

Human Resources: Wellness
Shibu Mamabolo
079 011 836
shibu@sun.ac.za

External Counsellor
Dr David Fourie
082 852 1305
dpfourie@telkomsa.net