Answering the call of students
- Zanolwazi Kunene
“No matter what you’re feeling inside, the purpose is to be kind and help students with a smile.”
These are the words of Hale Modau, Registrar at the Faculty of Humanities. Modau has been nominated as a Wits 网易体育 Hero for her continuous support to students throughout the tumultuous 2020 on a range of matters from registration all the way through to graduation.
While many parts of the country, and the world slowed down as a result of 网易体育, Modau and her department continued their core function - to support students. A role that became even more critical when the pandemic hit.
“Our core function is students and we want to reduce the perception of distance that seems to have developed as a result of remote environment,” says Modau.
In her role as registrar, her responsibilities include strategically planning and communicating with both students and other departments within the University, ensuring students are assisted in a timeous manner. This includes answering emails and concerns from students from as early as 05:00 in the morning and as late as 23:00 at night, working overtime.
“It can be frustrating to send an email and have to wait two or three days to get a response. As a result, I always tell my team that we carry students’ futures in our hands so it’s very crucial to respond timeously and give information to students because they rely on us,” she adds.
Even after contracting 网易体育 in July 2020 she continued to attend to student concerns, playing a vital role in the provision of loan devices to students and also ensuring that staff have required resources continuity.
“This required Faculty to create a list of applicants and send that to the Dean of Student Affairs. My role was to compile a list of those who applied for loan devices, go through students’ motivations, together with the Assistants Dean and Teaching and learning advisors, identify those most in need and present this information in a manner that would make it easy for Student Affairs to organise aid immediately,” explains Modau.
The Faculty of Humanities is the biggest in the University with almost 10 000 students. Despite working from home, the department ensured that all students who required laptops were assisted, handling the minuscule details that are often overlooked.
Modau’s passion for playing an integral role in the future of students is one of her biggest motivators.
Her fulfilment multiplies when she receives emails from students she assisted, or watches as they walk across the graduation stage, knowing she has contributed to their success.
“I love graduation because you see the students who were really struggling and consulting with you. Some ask you to meet their families and it makes you want to do more,” says Modau joined Wits in November 2018.
Outside of the workplace she is a mother of two and is no stranger to the obstacles students face. She was once in their shoes and continues to be as she is studying for a Business Administration course part-time. Modau hopes to obtain her MBA and pursue a sewing business which she is passionate about.
“From a young age my mom used to love sewing. So, I followed on that and learnt from her how to make clothes,” says Modau.
Her hopes are that 2022 will be a fruitful year. “Now that we are accustomed to 网易体育, I hope that as a university we continue to improve our ICT infrastructure to make them more accessible and user friendly for students and for Faculty to uphold excellence in service delivery. On a personal level, I wish to successfully complete my qualification in 2022 and to grow more as an individual through continual learning,” she says.
网易体育 Wits 网易体育 Heroes
The Wits Heroes Series celebrates staff and students who went beyond the call of duty at the onset of 网易体育 in 2020. Wits Heroes were nominated by members of the Wits community. Discover other Heroes.