Information pertinent for the Law Faculty community, staff and students, will keep developing during the COVID-19 outbreak and the closure of UCT Campus. Please keep checking back. Staff, please check at the bottom of this page for information on staff wellness.
International Students - the COVID-19 FAQ
The UCT International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO) has put together a whole list of frequently asked questions, to provide critical information about visas, expiry, renewal, travel and more. Contact the IAPO office for further information not provided on the FAQ.
Online teaching & learning
The University Executive is focused on plans for students to return to campus as fully as possible. Due to venue limits, in-person classes will not be possible in some instances but as far as possible, we are working to ensure that students have contact opportunities through tutorials etc.
The Executive and Faculty staff are aware of how stressful the last period has been for students and staff, particularly while waiting to hear what the plans are with regard to continuing the teaching and learning programme, and what forms this will take. Plans are in development, that take into account the multiple challenges faced by our large numbers of students and how to ensure that our students have on-campus contact opportunities while continuing to undertake some remote learning.
The Faculty will continue to update students as plans are firmed up and finalised.
Accessible information
As far as possible, the Faculty is posting the formal UCT communications with students on class VULA tabs with a view to ensuring information is available at limited data costs, where applicable. For the most recent information and contact details on student wellness services, the Faculty Office and UCT Libraries, please consult the relevant VULA tab.
UCT Contacts in the time of COVID-19
The Faculty Office
- Students can send email for all undergraduate-related matters to kelly.vandervent@uct.ac.za and for all postgraduate-related matters to patricia.phillips@uct.ac.za .
- General/application queries can be e-mailed to law-studies@uct.ac.za
- Any student applying for concessions or other academic administration matters must follow the standard route.
- Postgraduate returning research student registrations to be emailed to patricia.phillips@uct.ac.za
- Postgraduate coursework and dissertation returning students can email clare.richfield@uct.ac.za
- LLB registration enquiries must go to lawreg-UG@uct.ac.za
- Postgraduate PG Dip, LLM, MPhil and PhD registration enquiries must go to lawreg-PG@uct.ac.za
Student Wellness
Student Wellness services are available by phone on +27 21 650 5620 or +27 21 650 1271 (after hours)
Contact details, including the 24-hour lines and call-back details, and online bookings, can be found here: http://www.dsa.uct.ac.za/student-wellness/health-services/overview
UCT Student Care Line continues to provide 24-hour telephonic counselling on 0800 24 25 26.
- Counselling
- Students can continue to access their therapists for telephonic counselling or skype sessions, whichever is an option.
- The sessions would be booked as usual online to secure a slot or via email to sws@uct.ac.za
- Students would not be limited only to accessing their usual Faculty counsellor. They can book with any of the counsellors on the booking site.
- Therapists will be sharing digital online health tips and mental health self-help tips while the students are on vacation.
- Medical Advisory
- Student may call the students triage line 021 650 5620 for medical-related advice. These are not consultations. Telephonic slots can also be booked online and the Clinical Nurse Practitioner will call back.
- Limited virtual consultations can be booked online, details will be on the booking site.
- SWS medical team will be sharing digital online health self- help tips while the students are on vacation.
All COVID –19 queries can be directed to the NICD Hotline 0800 029 0999 nationally.
- Psychosocial Support
- All SWS social workers will be available for telephonic psychosocial support.
- The sessions would be booked as usual online to secure the slot or via email to sws@uct.ac.za.
- Referral letters to other facilities and external services will be emailed upon requests via email.
In addition to Student Wellness, there is also a UCT Peer Counselling initiative - book a session at https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/STUDENTWELLNESSSERVICEPSYCHOLOGICALSERVICES@mscloudtest.uct.ac.za/bookings/ and follow the service on instagram at @uct_peercounsellors.
UCT Libraries
Virtual support for teaching & learning, and research - To support the teaching & learning, and research activities of the University, the Libraries are providing virtual support. Reference and information hotlines have been created and the support will be available from 08h30 - 17h00 Monday to Friday.
For the UCT Law Library's operating hours and for seating information, please go to www.lib.uct.ac.za/lib/libraries/law
The Law Library is on lib-law@uct.ac.za
For support for electronic information not available at UCT Libraries, please contact Interlibrary Loans on ill@uct.ac.za.
Reference and Information Hotlines Telephone
+27 21 650 3703; +27 21 650 3704; +27 21 650 3118; +27 21 650 3134;
Ask a Librarian
https://libanswers.lib.uct.ac.za/ * libraries@uct.ac.za
Staff Wellness
While university operations have continued virtually and online wherever possible, the UCT executive wants to ensure that all staff remain healthy, both physically and mentally. The UCT Human Resources department has been working to further increase the availability of, and access to, counselling services to support the mental health of our staff through this period of lockdown and remote working. Read the full article and access relevant informaton at https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2020-04-01-support-for-staff-mental-health-and-wellness.