History Of North West University

History Of North West University,  The NWU officially came into being on 1 January 2004 as part of the South African government’s plan to transform higher education. In our case, this saw a historically white university and a historically black university merging to create a new university where South Africans from all walks of life have come together.
The historically black university was the former University of North-West, whose students were mostly black people from rural communities. The historically white university was the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, whose students were mostly white Afrikaans people from Christian backgrounds. A third party was the Sebokeng Campus of another mainly black university, Vista, whose staff and students were incorporated.
Their coming together to form the North-West University (NWU) was a strong symbolic act of reconciliation and nation building – and a highly effective one. The transition to the unified NWU has been hailed as one of the most successful and stable higher education mergers in South Africa. Each year since the merger, the NWU has produced a healthy financial surplus, improved student pass rates, increased research output and risen in the corporate governance rankings for South African universities.
This stability reflects the culture of consultation at the NWU, our clear vision, values and mission, our effective governance and leadership, and the well-defined strategic and operational plans we have made to take the NWU into the future.
The North-West University is a South African university with three campuses at Potchefstroom, Mahikeng (Prevouisly Mafikeng) and Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. In Potchefstroom is the head office of the University. With its merged status, the North-West University became one of the largest universities in South Africa and has 64 081 students (full-time and distance education).[6]
The universities that merged to form this institution are the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education and the University of North-West (formerly the University of Bophuthatswana). The Potchefstroom University already had a Vanderbijlpark branch.

History of the institution 

The NWU officially came into being in on 1 January 2004[7] as part of the South African government’s attempt to transform higher education.[8]

Faculties 

The university is home to 8 faculties including[9]:

  • Economic and Management Sciences
    • Accounting Sciences
    • Business and Governance (Business School)
    • Economic Sciences
    • Industrial Psychology and Human Resource Management
    • Management Sciences
    • Tourism
  • Education
    • Language Education
    • Psycho-Social Education
    • Professional Studies in Education
    • Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
    • Commerce and Social Studies in Education
  • Engineering
    • Chemical and Mechanicals Engineering
    • Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering
    • Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
    • Industrial Engineering
  • Health Sciences
    • Human Movement Sciences
    • Kinderkinetics
    • Pharmacy
    • Psychosocial Health
    • Physiology
    • Consumer Sciences
    • Nutrition
    • Occupational Hygiene
    • Nursing
  • Humanities
    • Communication Studies
    • Government Studies
    • Languages
    • Music
    • Philosophy
    • Social Sciences
  • Law
    • Mercantile Law
    • Public Law
    • Private Law
  • Natural and Agricultural Sciences
    • Physical and Chemical Sciences
    • Biological Sciences
    • Geo- and Spatial Sciences
    • Agricultural Sciences
    • Mathematical and Statistical Sciences
    • Computer Science and Information Systems
    • Business Mathematics and Statistics
    • Indigenous Knowledge Systems
  • Theology
    • Christian Ministry and Leadership
    • Ancient Language and Text Studies

North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus 

The Vaal Triangle Campus focuses on programmes in economic sciences, commerce, information technology, education, social science, languages and the humanities.[10] These programmes are divided between two faculties, namely the Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology and the Faculty of Humanities, and the Faculty of Theology. The Faculty of Economic Sciences and Information Technology include Economic Sciences, Accounting Sciences and Information Technology. Extended programmes in BCom and BSc are also offered to accommodate those students who had Mathematical Literacy or a low pass mark for Maths in Grade 12. The Faculty of Humanities includes Languages, Behavioural Sciences, Basic Sciences and Educational Sciences, conducting research in the following areas:

  • Multilingualism
  • Understanding and Processing Language
  • Positive Psychology
  • Resilience
  • Public Affairs Research on Service Delivery
  • Water Research

The campus has its own Cricket Academy and Cycling Academy as well as a rowing club registered with Rowing South Africa.[11]
Sporting codes of NWU Vaal

  • Rugby
  • Hockey
  • Cricket (men and women)
  • Netball
  • Soccer (men and women)
  • Body building (men and women)
  • Dance
  • Chess

North-West University Mahikeng Campus 

Its has the following faculties[12]

  • Law
  • Agriculture, Science and Technology
  • Human and Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Commercece and Administration

It has a soccer institute.[13]

NWU-PUK-Rugby institute 

It was an extension of the PUK rugby institute founded by its predecessor university in 2000 just with a name change. It carried on operate under Andre Markgraaff.[14] The University plays in the Varisty Cup.

Alumni 

  • Katlego Maboe, award winning television presenter[17]

Chancellor 

  • Molotlegi, K.L. 2004-

Vice-Chancellor 

  • Kgwadi, D. 2014-

Rector 

Potchefstroom:

  • Loots (Nee Comrinck), A.L.[19] 2004-2010
  • janse van Rensburg, J.J. 2015-

Vanderbijlpark:

  • Mariba, T.J.[21] 2004-2017
  • du Plessis , L.A. 2017-

Mahikeng:

  • Kgwadi, D. 2004-2013
  • Maselesele, M.[22] 2013-2018
  • Setlalentoa, B.M.P. 2018-

Potchefstroom Campus history

Small beginnings signalled bigger things to come
Five students and two lecturers – that was the sum total of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE) when it started out more than a century ago.
How times have changed. By 2004, when it became the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University, the former PU for CHE had more than 25 000 students and 500 lecturers. Today, the Campus is by far the largest of the NWU’s three campuses.
Here is the full story of how the Campus has evolved from humble beginnings in 1869.
The Campus started out as the PU for CHE, which in turn developed out of the Theological School of the Reformed Churches in South Africa (GKSA).
On 29 November 1869, the founders of the Theological School in Burgersdorp decided that education would also be offered to prospective teachers and to students without any particular profession in mind. Dirk Postma and Jan Lion-Cachet were the first lecturers, with only five students.
Early in 1877, a literary division/department was established, with its own professor, Petrus Postma. The department was specifically instructed to educate students for academic degrees or as teachers. For various reasons, the Theological School, with its Literary department, was transferred to Potchefstroom in 1905.
In 1919, for the sake of subsidies, the Literary department was separated from the Theological School and “Het Potchefstroom Universiteitskollege voor Christelike Hooger Onderwijs” (PUK) came into being as a higher education institution independent from the GKSA.
In 1921, the Potchefstroom University College, without its familiar “of”, was incorporated with the University of South Africa. After repeated attempts, the PUK in 1933 legally regained its title “for Christian Higher Education”. In 1951 the PUK was recognised as an independent university known as the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education (PU for CHE).
In 1966, the Vaal Triangle campus in Vanderbijlpark (Gauteng Province) was established in response to requests from business and industry leaders in the Vaal Triangle.
In 1996 the first courses via telematic learning systems (contact education over a distance) were offered to learners in more than 25 study centres nationwide.
In 2004, the PU for CHE became the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University.