COVID-19 BC Communications

COVID Level 4 Lockdown Communication – 9 July Dear Students, Belgium Campus iTversity is committed to ensuring that the academic year is not interrupted and that all students are up to date with their studies. To achieve that, the following arrangements have been made under the current Lockdown Level-4 rules and regulations: Classes will be fully online until 31 July 2021 regardless of what is announced during the upcoming Presidential Address. Students who started modules already will complete these modules online. Students should take note of their online schedules, which will be made available over the weekend, to see which online classes they will attend. Belgium Campus facilities are available for use by those identified as at-risk students (Deaf students, Diploma students, students without necessary infrastructure to attend online – poor internet connection, noisy study environment) All students who will be attending on campus should bring their own earphones. Campus classes to be utilised: Tshwane: Beta Lambda Sigma Library Kempton Park: Alpha Delta Omega Nelson Mandela Bay: Beta (AM) Gamma (PM)  Online class requirements: Minimum requirements Suggested requirements Processor: Intel Core i3 or equivalent Intel Core i5 or equivalent Memory: 8GB RAM 16GB RAM Storage: 256 GB HDD 512 GB SSD Operating systems: Windows 10 Peripherals: Webcam and microphone Webcam, microphone, headset Internet connection: 1 Mbps upload and download speed 2 Mbps upload and download speed Data: 100 GB/month exclusive for classes Uncapped The cafeteria will only serve takeaways during this period – Students must ensure that they arrive on time to collect their meals. Students must always use their student cards at the main security gate RFID scanner and will not be allowed access to the campus without one. COVID-19 rules and regulations as implemented will continue to be followed to ensure that we as a community do everything possible to curb the spread of the virus. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If neither soap nor water is available, use an alcohol-based sanitiser. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Cover your cough or sneeze with a flexed elbow or tissue, then throw the tissue in the bin. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. COVID-19 symptoms and flu symptoms are quite similar, so please take extra precaution and consult a doctor as soon as you develop symptoms. Student residence is open at both Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay campuses Consultation sessions with lecturers are still available to students (Click Here for The consultation sessions and student tutors) We strive to provide all students with an opportunity to continue learning with little or no difficulty given the current circumstances. If you require further information and/or clarification, do not hesitate to send us an email at info@belgiumcampus.ac.za or give us a call on 010 593 5368. Yours sincerely,The Belgium Campus iTversity team 

Campus Cluster COVID outbreaks – a Higher Health Cautionary Alert Dear Colleague,   As the 2021 academic year gets under way with orientation period, across our institutions, It is normal and understandable for students to feel excited to be starting their tertiary education or to be happy to meet their peers. We sympathise with first-year students – this is the time to make new friendships and experiences. But COVID pandemic is a reality, and ours is a youth-centred sector. While COVID has largely been detrimental for the older population groups, the virus is mutating and new variants are showing a higher affinity towards young people who can serve as carriers and fasten the spread of infection. Unfortunately, this has the potential to quickly develop into cluster outbreaks, across our campuses and spread across communities, which in return can fire up the third wave. We have started experiencing pockets of young students becoming positive, as well as few cluster outbreaks, across our institutions, which requires us to be extremely vigilant and exercise all the necessary protocols and control measures that we have adopted to prevent COVID infections, across our campuses. We saw how rapidly South Africa was pushed into the second wave of the pandemic in December following super-spreader school-end events, like the Ballito “rage” party. We fear that with Easter holidays from tomorrow till 6 April, and as much as we are monitoring the positivity rates among our students, with intense screening and testing programmes, we fear that members of our post school system might carry the infection into their own families and communities.   Hence, HIGHER HEALTH is urging students and everyone in the academic sector to respect the health of their families and others in their social circles and to join in a social compact, towards preventing the spread of COVID infections. It means that each of us is protective of themselves and of one another and we can do that by observing the basic COVID protocols.   HIGHER HEALTH has been working closely with all our institutions, the Department of Health, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases and the National Health Laboratory Service and has established cluster outbreak investigation teams. Just in the last fortnight, over 3 000 students and staff have been screened and contact traced, with over 300 individuals tested. Enabling access to early testing, contact tracing and getting quick laboratory results, through our collaborations with the health authorities, helps towards early isolation for those who are suspected to be infected or at high risk and moving the positives to quarantine facilities, assists in breaking the chain of cluster outbreaks. HIGHER HEALTH provincial team and local department of health remain on absolute standby to assist any institution experiencing COVID outbreak, during and after the festive period.   Please also feel free to remind your students and staff to use our tollfree daily digital screening platform available on USSD  line *134*832*2#, URL for the webform: healthcheck.higherhealth.ac.za and WhatsApp contacts: 0600 11 0 000   https://wa.me/27600110000?text=hi, to assess one’s risk prior to entering campuses or other public places and the HIGHER HEALTH 24-hour tollfree helpline 0800 36 36 36 which can assist with psychosocial counselling and with other mental and physical challenges including GBV.   We sincerely thank all our institutional leadership and management that are working day and night in protecting and saving lives across all our campuses in the post school system. We further salute all our frontline workers and student volunteers who are selflessly supporting campuses in the fight against COVID.   Wishing you safe Easter observations and success in the academic endeavours.   Yours in good health, Dr (Prof) Ramneek Ahluwalia MBBS MBA (UCT) PhD (Public Health) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) HIGHER HEALTH   Professor of Practice at Faculty of Health Sciences University of Johannesburg

COVID-19 Communication 24 – Return of Students Under Lockdown Level 1 Dear Students and Parents Following the move to level 1 of the national lockdown, Belgium Campus iTversity is permitted to invite 100% of students back to campus. This must be done in adherence with social distancing protocols and venue capacity rules. We are pleased to inform you that we are able to safely accommodate all our Port Elizabeth students back on campus under the current lockdown level.  With the above in mind, all Port Elizabeth students are required to return to campus from 15 March 2021 to resume face-to-face classes. NB: Should the country move to a stricter lockdown level, we will adapt our approach to ensure that we are in adherence with the rules and regulations provided by the DHET and the government. Campus Rules and Regulations All returning students must do so in accordance with government regulations and under strict health and safety protocols. These include: Staying at home and attending classes online if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (most commonly fever, dry cough, tiredness and/or loss of taste or smell). Completing daily COVID-19 pre-screening using the Belgium Campus pre-screening app (available on Google Play Store, Apple AppStore and Huawei AppGallery) and on-campus screening at the designated screening zone. Please ensure that you answer all pre-screening questions truthfully and that you follow the instructions given on the app. Carrying your student card at all times. Student cards will be used for contact tracing purposes and no student will be allowed on campus without one. Wearing an appropriate mask (covering mouth and nose) at all times. Adhering to physical and social distancing rules. This means keeping a distance of at least 1.5 meters, preferably 2 meters, between yourself and those around you. Following basic hygiene practices. This includes properly washing or sanitising your hands regularly. Adhering to venue capacity rules. Informing the appointed COVID-19 compliance officer ASAP if you have, or suspect that you have, been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. Mandatory COVID-19 Training In addition to the above, all returning students are required to complete COVID-19 health and safety training and pass a test on the material covered before returning to campus. The training material and test, along with additional COVID-19 information and resources, can be found on the official Belgium Campus Teams under the COVID-19 Training Material tab: https://bit.ly/35I33p7 NB: Students who completed COVID-19 health and safety training last year are required to redo the training and retake the test in order to return to campus this year. Additional COVID-19 Information and Resources All students are encouraged to make use of the COVID-19 Resource Portal on our website, as well as the official South African government’s Covid-19 WhatsApp number: 060 012 3456, to stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 information. All our official COVID-19 communications can also be found on our COVID-19 Resource Portal where they are accessible to all students and parents. Maths Bridging Course As previously communicated, our Maths Bridging Course will take place online via Microsoft Teams from 8 March to 1 April 2021, as scheduled. We have made a limited number of face-to-face spots available for students who do not have the necessary infrastructure to attend the course online. If you haven’t already done so, you can register for the course by visiting the applicant portal and checking the applicable checkbox on your application form. A separate email will be sent to all students registered for the bridging course detailing how to attend on the day. The wellbeing of our students and staff remains our highest priority and we are committed to ensuring that the 2021 academic year can continue as scheduled. We thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our campuses safe and operational. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require further information/clarification. You can send us an email at info@belgiumcampus.ac.za or give us a call on 010 593 5368. Kind regards, Belgium Campus iTversity management

COVID-19 Communication 24 – Return of Students Under Lockdown Level 1 Dear Students and Parents Following the move to level 1 of the national lockdown, Belgium Campus iTversity is permitted to invite 100% of students back to campus. However, in accordance with social distancing protocols and venue capacity rules, our institution can only safely welcome 50% of students back to our campuses. With the above in mind, we invite you to indicate whether you would like to return to campus from 15 March 2021 to resume face-to-face classes. Please note that due to class scheduling and planning constraints the decision you make will be final and will only be subject to change under extremely special circumstances. To indicate your choice, please visit the following link and complete the short survey: Take The Survey NB: Make sure to submit your choice by 8 March 2021. In the event that over 50% of students indicate that they would like to return to campus under lockdown level 1, the students invited to return will be done so based on a needs assessment.  Preference will be given to students who have been identified as at risk and students without the necessary infrastructure to attend online classes from home. All students will receive an email by Thursday 11 March indicating whether they can/must return to campus or whether they need to continue with online classes from home. Should the country move to a stricter lockdown level, we will adapt our approach to ensure that we are in adherence with the rules and regulations provided by the DHET and the government. Campus Rules and Regulations All students who choose to return to campus will do so in accordance with government regulations and under strict health and safety protocols. These include: Staying at home and attending classes online if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (most commonly fever, dry cough, tiredness and/or loss of taste or smell). Completing daily COVID-19 pre-screening using the Belgium Campus pre-screening app (available on Google Play Store, Apple AppStore and Huawei AppGallery) and on-campus screening at the designated screening zone. Please ensure that you answer all pre-screening questions truthfully and that you follow the instructions given on the app. Carrying your student card at all times. Student cards will be used for contact tracing purposes and no student will be allowed on campus without one. Wearing an appropriate mask (covering mouth and nose) at all times. Adhering to physical and social distancing rules. This means keeping a distance of at least 1.5 meters, preferably 2 meters, between yourself and those around you. Following basic hygiene practices. This includes properly washing or sanitising your hands regularly. Adhering to venue capacity rules. Informing the appointed COVID-19 compliance officer ASAP if you have, or suspect that you have, been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. Mandatory COVID-19 Training In addition to the above, all students who wish to return to campus must first complete COVID-19 health and safety training and pass a test on the material covered. The training material and test, along with additional COVID-19 information and resources, can be found on the official Belgium Campus Teams under the COVID-19 Training Material tab: https://bit.ly/35I33p7 NB: Students who completed COVID-19 health and safety training last year are required to redo the training and retake the test in order to return to campus this year. Additional COVID-19 Information and Resources All students are encouraged to make use of the COVID-19 Resource Portal on our website, as well as the official South African government’s Covid-19 WhatsApp number: 060 012 3456, to stay up to date with the latest COVID-19 information. All our official COVID-19 communications can also be found on our COVID-19 Resource Portal where they are accessible to all students and parents.   Maths Bridging Course As previously communicated, our Maths Bridging Course will take place online via Microsoft Teams from 8 March to 1 April 2021, as scheduled. We have made a limited number of face-to-face spots available for students who do not have the necessary infrastructure to attend the course online. If you haven’t already done so, you can register for the course by visiting the applicant portal and checking the applicable checkbox on your application form. A separate email will be sent to all students registered for the bridging course detailing how to attend on the day. The wellbeing of our students and staff remains our highest priority and we are committed to ensuring that the 2021 academic year can continue as scheduled. We thank you for your understanding and support in keeping our campuses safe and operational. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require further information/clarification. You can send us an email at info@belgiumcampus.ac.za or give us a call on 010 593 5368. Kind regards, Belgium Campus iTversity management

Belgium Campus COVID-19 Communication 24 – Action Plan and Returning Students Dear Students, We hope that your year has started well and that you are eager for the academic year to commence. Following the recent address by the President and the announcement that South Africa will remain under adjusted lockdown level 3, we would like to assure you that we are ready to start the academic year as scheduled and that we have a sound COVID-19 action plan in place to ensure that we can do so safely and without interruption. The academic year will begin on 4 February for all first-year students and on 5 February for all returning students. COVID-19 Action Plan As we enter 2021, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic did not remain in 2020 as many of us had hoped. With this in mind, we have adopted a proactive approach and have put a plan in place for each lockdown level and all eventualities. A summary of this plan can be viewed below:   Lockdown Level Campus Restrictions Selection Criteria Residences Level 5 0% of students permitted on campus. All students must assume online learning. N/A Closed. Level 4 Only selected students permitted on campus. Remainder of students must assume online learning. Deaf students. Students who are identified as at risk. Open for selected students only. Level 3 33% of students permitted on campus. 67% of students must assume online learning. Same as level 4 and: Students without the necessary infrastructure for online classes or with unfavourable home environments. Students with practicals which cannot be completed at home. Same as level 4 and additional identified or invited students. Level 2 66% of students permitted on campus. 34% of students must assume online learning. Same as level 3 and: A new group of identified students from 1st to 3rd years. All students who require access to specific or specialised infrastructure which is not available at home. Same as level 3. Level 1 100% of students permitted on campus but limited to social distancing protocols and venue capacity rules as gazetted, if any. N/A. Open for all residence students. Campus Rules and Regulations All students who return to campus under any lockdown level are required to do so under strict COVID-19 health and safety regulations. These include: Staying at home and attending classes online if experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (most commonly fever, dry cough, tiredness and/or loss of taste or smell). Completing daily COVID-19 pre-screening using the Belgium Campus pre-screening app (available on Google Play Store) and on-campus screening at the designated screening zone. Please ensure that you answer all pre-screening questions truthfully and that you follow the instructions given on the app. Carrying your student card at all times. Student cards will be used for contact tracing purposes and no student will be allowed on campus without one. Wearing an appropriate mask (covering mouth and nose) at all times. Adhering to physical and social distancing rules. This means keeping a distance of at least 1.5 meters, preferably 2 meters, between yourself and those around you. Following basic hygiene practices. This includes properly washing or sanitising your hands regularly. Adhering to venue capacity rules. Informing the appointed COVID-19 compliance officer ASAP if you have, or suspect that you have, been in contact with someone who has COVID-19. NB: With all three of our campuses located in areas which have been identified as COVID-19 hotspots (Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay), it is crucial that we work together to decrease unsafe interactions and minimise the risk of infection. We are relying on all students to act as responsible citizens with high ethical standards. This means not only taking responsibility for your own actions but also holding those around you accountable for theirs. Phased Approach to Education Under Each Lockdown Level Return of Students Under Lockdown Level 5 Under lockdown level 5, 0% of students are permitted on campus and all students must assume online learning. Classes will continue as scheduled via the HybeFlex system. We understand that students without the necessary infrastructure for online classes will have difficulty attending class and completing certain subject-specific tasks and assignments during this time. Consequently, synchronous and asynchronous methods of education will be implemented to accommodate these students. Alternative means of communication such as WhatsApp will be used to share content and will serve as a platform for group formation and group work. Furthermore, our assessment platform is mobile friendly which will allow students to complete quizzes and tests via their mobile phones as required. Return of Students Under Lockdown Level 4 Under lockdown level 4, Deaf students and students who are identified as at risk will return to campus to continue their studies. All other students must assume online learning via the HybeFlex system. As with level 5, it is likely that there will still be students who do not have the necessary infrastructure to attend online classes from home under this lockdown level. We will adopt the same approach outlined under level 5 to address this difficulty. Return of Students Under Lockdown Level 3 Under the current lockdown level, we are permitted to have a maximum of 33% of students on campus. The remaining 67% of students will be required to assume online classes via the HybeFlex system. We endeavour to make the selection of these students as fair as possible and the students invited to return to campus will be done so based on need. As previously mentioned, we undertake to give preference to our Deaf students, students who do not have the necessary infrastructure to attend online classes, students with home environments not conducive for studying and students with practicals which cannot be completed from home. Return of Students Under Lockdown Level 2 Under lockdown level 2, 66% of students are permitted on campus. In addition to the students invited back under lockdown level 3, an additional group of students will be invited to return. This will include identified students from 1st to 3rd years and all students who

2021 Mode of Delivery and Hybrid Learning Model Dear Student As of 15 April 2020, Belgium Campus iTversity has been offering online classes to all students in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was made possible due to the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) allowing all higher education institutions in South Africa, that are accredited for contact mode provisioning, to implement distance/ blended learning models. Due to the ongoing uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic presents, the HEQC has decided to extend the provisioning of these models to the 2021 academic year. Belgium Campus iTversity has been investigating the possibility of providing online/ hybrid learning to all students in 2021. A communication was sent to all students on 15 November to assess the feasibility of this, and to ascertain how many students would like to continue with online classes in 2021. The feedback received indicated that the majority of students would like to continue with online classes. With this in mind, and in light of the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic presents, we have decided to offer hybrid learning to all students (with the exception of our Deaf students) in 2021. Hybrid Learning 2021 With our hybrid learning model, students can choose to attend classes online or face-to-face on campus. All class tests and examinations will be written using assessmentQ, regardless of whether a student is attending classes online or face-to-face. Ensuring that our students perform to the best of their abilities is our highest priority. We will continue to monitor each student’s academic performance to make sure that they are coping with their chosen mode of delivery. Online students who are identified as at risk will be invited to return to the relevant campus to resume face-to-face classes. NB: Students who wish to attend classes online must meet the following requirements and follow the regulations outlined below: Online Class Regulations   Minimum requirements Suggested requirements Processor: Intel Core i3 or equivalent Intel Core i5 or equivalent Memory: 8GB RAM 16GB RAM Storage: 256 GB HDD 512 GB SSD Operating systems: Windows 10   Peripherals: Webcam and microphone Webcam, microphone, headset Internet connection: 1 Mbps uplink and downlink speed 2 Mbps uplink and downlink speed Data: 100 GB/month exclusive for classes Uncapped Attend class preferably from a quiet and dedicated room. NB: Students who cannot meet these requirements will have to attend face-to-face classes on campus. Face-To-Face Classes Students who choose to attend face-to-face classes at any of our three campuses will be able to make use of the campus facilities. Lecturers and South African Sign Language (SASL) interpreters will be present in the classroom to present each lesson, and all COVID-19 rules and regulations previously communicated will be strictly adhered to. 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year. We are extremely proud of our students, staff, and the larger Belgium Campus family for working together to overcome each challenge as it presented itself. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and to wish you a well-deserved holiday. We look forward to welcoming you back refreshed and ready to take on the new year. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you require further information/clarification. You can send us an email at info@belgiumcampus.ac.za or give us a call on 010 593 5368. Kind regards, The Belgium Campus iTversity team