Women lead the way as University of Fort Hare celebrates 100 years of graduations

This year marks a century since the first-ever graduates were capped at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), which gives extra special meaning to the graduation ceremonies being held at the historic institution this May.

Remarking on the 100th year of graduations, Actor Katurura, acting deputy registrar: academic and administration, said: “Having come this far, it is fitting that there is evidence of real transformation in patterns of achievement at this graduation. This year there will be more female graduates at every level except at the doctoral level, but even here the gap between the number of male and female graduates is closing.”

In fact, 63% of the graduands who will cross the stage at UFH's Alice Sports Complex to collect their merited qualifications are women.  In addition, over 60% of those graduating cum laude are women. 

Altogether, 2,992 graduands from the university's six facilities — social sciences and humanities, management and commerce, health sciences, science and agriculture, education and law — will be capped this week. 

UFH chancellor advocate Dumisa Ntsebeza SC and vice-chancellor Prof Sakhela Buhlungu will confer these students with the after qualifications:

• 2,168 undergraduate degrees;
• 412 honours degrees;
• 302 postgraduate diplomas and certificates;
• 77 master's degrees; and
• 33 doctoral degrees. 

Sharing a message for 2023's graduands, Katurura said UFH's centennial graduation ceremonies brought to mind the dramedy Drumline, a “fish out of water” film about a gifted young man from Harlem, New York, who gets a place at a historically black college in Atlanta, Georgia.

“Certainly, many of you graduating this season are young. That you are here is surely testimony that you are gifted and for some you at least, arriving at and trying to fit into this citadel of higher learning was a real fish-out-of-water experience and yet in the coming days we will be celebrating your triumphant journey through your chosen areas of study,” he said.

“This means that you have travelled through contested territory and that every inch of ground you gained, every module that you passed required dedication, preparedness, hard and smart work and more. Over and above the usual and inevitable challenges of higher education, the bulk of your studies were during the miasma that came with the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“One of the lines from Drumline says 'Gentlemen [and ladies] you have now crossed the burning sands ... !'  The phrase aptly captures that 'against all odds journey’ of challenge and sacrifice you have gone through to arrive at this point. Therefore, you who are graduating here can now rightfully bang on the doors of opportunity, whether they be in education, careers, entrepreneurial endeavour or any other, and proclaim, 'We have crossed the burning sands, grant us entry!'”

The university congratulates all of the students who will be joining the “ranks of UFH's esteemed alumni” this week and encourages them to “go forth and make [their] mark in the world”.

This article was sponsored by the University of Fort Hare.