…these are the words of one of my favourite authors: John Maxwell. On Friday, 1 February 2013, I had the opportunity to observe the Community Interaction Day. This day is a special day, organised by MGD (Maties Gemeenskapsdiens)
to introduce the first year students to community interaction and student volunteerism.
As I went from site to site I witnessed the importance of leadership to ensure that community interaction is both beneficial to the students and the community. A student leader introduced Prof Arnold Schoonwinkel, Vice-Rector: Teaching and Learning, to the first year students.He added the following to his introduction: “Please note that the top management of the university is here to show their
support and to state that the university is serious about community interaction.”
The university has three main priorities, Research, Teaching and Community Interaction. It is one thing to state the three main concerns of the university on paper; it is another to demonstrate the importance of them all. The Vice- Rector was not the only
one showing his support: Dr Jerome Slamat, Senior Director of Community Interaction; Dr Leslie van Rooi, Head of the Frederik van Zyl Slabbert Institute for Student Leadership Development (FVZS); Mr Gareth Cornelissen, Head of MGD and Dr Llewellyn MacMaster, Dean of Students all added to the gesture of indicating the importance of community interaction. This was surely not just a day set aside to fill a programme. This was indeed priority for the university.
From my own experience as a student volunteer and being involved in community interaction on Stellenbosch University I can testify that the leadership from top to bottom cares about the community of Stellenbosch and it starts with the students. I saw student leaders lead their different groups with a spirit of excellence and care that filters through to the work that the students do in the community.
The management at MGD demonstrated the value of partnership as they thoughtfully placed the various residences at sites
where they will be doing on-going projects for the rest of the year. This gives the first years the opportunity to decide whether they want to get involve throughout the year. The new first years hopefully now understand that Maties is about being a balanced and well-rounded person. We study hard, we play hard and we serve with commitment.
I want to thank the leadership of Stellenbosch University, the division of community interaction and MGD, specifically Michele
Pieters, for their tireless affords to: connect students with the reality of life; to bring people from different communities together to learn and to serve each other and for not only being inwardly focused but for making this university count to the people in and around it.
Keep on leading like you do and soon thousands of Maties will follow and we will see a changed community.
Read more at http://blogs.sun.ac.za/news/2013/02/04/first-years-join-forces-to-make-a-difference-in-community/
Photos by Henry Africa -MGD