The roads are excellent by any standard. The trains run on time. The airports are spacious and clean. The telephone system works reasonably well. In short, the infrastructure works.
Fort Hare is a university in transition.
For years one of the few universities open to black Africans, it must now compete with all South African universities for students. The university has seen a sharp drop in student enrollment, the preparation level of entering students and financial support. Armed with a strategic plan developed to meet these challenges, the faculty and administration requested that UConn send a delegation with the experience and skills to assist them in that effort. Led by Professor Omara-Otunnu, our group was made up of representatives from enrollment management, media relations, student support services, the library, the UConn Foundation and faculty representatives from the Colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Neag School of Education. Our goals were to listen and learn, and to build personal relationships between the two universities to allow us to collaborate effectively.