The University of Johannesburg (UJ) says registration processes are proceeding smoothly since they commenced on Monday, and it intends to maintain that until the closing on 3 February.
The university on Tuesday said registrations by new and returning students for the 2016 academic year have proceeded well since the process went live, with numbers in line with those achieved in previous years.
“By lunchtime on Tuesday, we had registered over 2 000 students and are seeing the numbers grow every hour.
“This tracks almost exactly the numbers seen in previous years, indicating that new and returning students are comfortable with the online registration process. We can again expect numbers to grow day by day,” said UJ Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Services Mpho Letlape.
The university said the online registration system has again assisted in ensuring that campuses can gear up for almost 50 000 students who will be studying at UJ in 2016.
The university said students, staff and visitors continue to support the security staff in ensuring that the university remains free of disruptions and that the environment is conducive to learning, teaching and research.
The university’s Registrar, Professor Kinta Burger, said contrary to some uninformed messaging on social media yesterday, the online system is working well.
She appealed to students who may find access a little slow at peak times to try again during off peak periods.
The university said registration can only be accessed 24/7 online, and anyone needing assistance is also welcome to call the UJ call centre on 011 559 4555.
“By 9am on Tuesday, the UJ call centre had handled 54 000 calls and the UJ mobi site had dealt with 42 000 queries. Together, they were instrumental in resolving issues relating to 4 959 late applications or changes in course of study,” said the university.
Letlape said late applications were closed on Tuesday midnight due to the high number of applications received that need to now be processed.
“Once registrations have been completed, we will be able to allocate study places to these late applicants,” she said.
The university said registration fees must be paid by all students starting or resuming their studies but it recognises that not everybody can afford university fees and will continue to support the neediest students.
“Up to 15 000 out of 42 000 undergraduates will no longer have to pay registration fees. This group includes up to 10 000 students who were in the past expected to pay registration fees and who will now be able to access a combination of NSFAS [National Student Financial Aid Scheme] grants, UJ top-up loan funding and externally sourced funds.
“A second group of up to 5 000 financially needy students will receive support exclusively through the Student Representative Council (SRC) Trust Fund to pay their registration fees,” said the university.
