All undergraduate face-to-face classes at the University of Cape Town are to be suspended for the remainder of the 2016 as part of a plan by UCT to enable the academic year to be completed successfully. UCT Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price revealed details of the plan on Saturday‚ adding that the university will resume academic activities on Monday.Price said that in the spirit of its commitment to engaging with the legitimate demands of staff and students‚ extensive effort has gone into an attempt to find an agreement with protesting students‚ in the hope of securing an assurance from them not to disrupt operations any further.This had included negotiations facilitated by an independent professional mediator. Sadly‚ however‚ such an agreement was not yet in place.Regrettably‚ this left the university in a position where a decision must be made without the agreement in place‚ Price said.He added that UCT was now reaching the “point of no return” in terms of saving the academic year‚ which added to the urgency of the university’s current decision.“Our situation is this: If classes start on Monday‚ 17 October 2016‚ we can still save the teaching term and write the exams between 7 and 25 November. If we do not return on Monday‚ the academic term is lost and the consequences are absolutely dire. In other words‚ we are out of time‚” Price warned.He believed that no solution would be sustainable without an agreement being reached with a significant proportion of the student body‚ and by dealing with the legitimate demands in the current mix. So efforts at engagement would continue and the university would never give up on that.“But we have to accept that‚ for the moment‚ the leaders of the protesting students do not yet accept the need to continue the academic programme without disruption.”Price added that the university’s priority was to find a sustainable way for UCT to open and continue its academic and other work.“Ideally‚ we wish to do so without having a long-term and extensive security presence on campus; we are mindful of the attendant risks of escalating violence and anger. In addition‚ we wish to make urgent progress on transformation matters and the demands of many students and staff for change. In the final analysis‚ our ultimate job is to deliver the academic programme in an open and responsive institution. This remains our ongoing commitment. It must also be emphasised‚ however‚ that we will do everything we can to ensure the safety of those who work and study at UCT‚ and to defend our premises‚” Price stated.He said the plan from Monday would be that all undergraduate face-to-face classes are suspended.“All faculties and departments will ensure that the planned curriculum (i.e. what was to be delivered for this year) will be made available to students in alternative and mixed teaching modes to be determined by each faculty and department as per their specific needs.”Postgraduate studies that relied on classroom teaching would also be delivered using alternative mixed mode and online methods.Exams would be held from 7 November 2016 to 25 November 2016‚ with results expected on 23 December 2016.“It must be noted that in the case of the Humanities‚ Engineering and Health Sciences faculties‚ the same will apply and exams will be written on the above dates. But in addition‚ for those particular faculties some work and some examining might have to be concluded in a mini-semester at the beginning of next year‚ as contact time and laboratory work is needed to conclude that work.”Deferred exams will be held from 9 to 20 January 2017.“In order for students to conclude their work and prepare for exams‚ we will open the libraries. The Jammie shuttle will be operational. Study areas and many computer laboratories will be open‚ and critical services across campus will be sustained to support students as they conclude their work for the year and prepare for the exams. Staff will be available to provide the necessary support to students‚” Price added.Because the university might face disruptions when some services come into operation from Monday‚ he said it was inevitable that security would be present and other security on standby‚ to be deployed if operations are threatened.“We do so reluctantly because we understand that staff and students are divided on this issue‚ and security on campus has a negative collateral impact. Also‚ we recognise that this is not conducive to an educational environment. We are committed to resorting to the minimum force necessary to protect people and operations‚” Price said.He appealed to the entire UCT community to rally behind the effort to conclude the academic year successfully...