Students frustrated by held-over exams
Following student protests over several months, Wits last year allowed students who didn't feel ready to defer exams to January.
Some students have said they have not had the same access to lecturers and facilities as students who wrote their exams in November last year did.
Zamayirha Peter, Wits SRC academic officer, said she had been inundated with calls from students who have had problems writing deferred exams.
"The university opened on 3 January, but when students arrived they couldn't access some facilities such as laboratories and libraries," Peter said.
She said the SRC had been faced with an "accommodation crisis" with students not being able to get into residences.
A third-year Wits BCom accounting sciences student, who declined to be named, said yesterday: "People who were on campus during #FeesMustFall and needed access to facilities which weren't available are most affected."
The student said she was currently living with family in Pretoria because of additional residence costs and commuted to Johannesburg to use the library.
"I really feel we're not getting the same support from the university other students have," she said.
A final-year public governance and management student at the University of Johannesburg said the university could have provided students who wrote supplementary exams with more support and communication.
"Our online portal has been on and off. It's a struggle being in final year. I can't imagine how a first-year will deal with this," she said.
Wits spokesman Buhle Zuma said: "Students have access to libraries, computer laboratories and other additional resources.
"The university opened on 3 January. Students who need to consult academic staff should arrange in advance for this assistance."
Zuma said students had access to 24-hour study rooms and should "empower themselves with information and plan in advance for their studies".
Herman Esterhuizen, spokesman for UJ, said supplementary exams would run until Friday.
Students at the University of Cape Town will write exams from 23 January to 10 February.
Students at North West University and the University of Pretoria have completed all deferred and supplementary exams.
Source: The Times