Ironically, however, the opening up of educational opportunities to all South Africans irrespective of race in the post-apartheid era has had some negative consequences for Fort Hare. Paralleling the experiences of black colleges in the U.S. in the wake of desegregation, enrollment at all South Africa's historically black institutions has declined sharply, as the better endowed, former white institutions have been able to draw the most highly qualified students. This spring, Fort Hare's new management team unveiled an ambitious strategic plan that aims both to preserve the best of the university's historical legacy and to meet the challenge of making education relevant to its students and to the community at large. Swartz brings to the task an energy and commitment rooted in years of anti-apartheid activism, both in his home country and as an exile in England. He sees university education as an instrument of that fledgling democracy.
Education is an exciting theater for the social experiment that's underway.
None of us knows the script. Fort Hare's strategic plan represents an attempt at a comprehensive response to the challenges that face the university on many different fronts. But Fort Hare also must tackle a legacy of underdevelopment. The campus is geographically isolated and lacks infrastructure and opportunities for economies of scale and telecommunications. In shaping the linkage, priorities set by Fort Hare were matched with UConn's demonstrated strengths.