Regime politics and service delivery in the Cape Town Unicity Council

The study will account for the local state conflicts between several political parties governing the city of Cape Town in South Africa’s Western Cape Province, and the resulting effect on service delivery. These conflicts take the form of shifting political alliances (e.g., political floor crossing) and differing agendas about governing the city. The research statement is that the emerging conflicts between these political parties, particularly the African National Congress (ANC), the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Independent Democrats (ID) and the recent local regime changes in the city have impacted on service delivery. Using urban regime theory, it seeks to explain how the two communities of Parkwood Estate and Ottery are governed and how these governing arrangements have operated with respect to ANC and DA control over the areas. In South Africa, while the politics of opposition between political parties has received much attention, especially at the national level, the role of these parties in service delivery at the local level has not received such consideration. With this in mind, this study attempts to contribute to an understanding of the association between local state politics and service delivery in Cape Town

The challenges facing education in South Africa

There is a major emphasis on the education of the South African people to become responsible, participatory and reflective citizens that contribute to an emerging democracy. However, the government of SA is faced with many challenges that hinder the South African people from becoming an educated nation. This is based on the assumption that education plays a major role in improving the economic status of the nation. The education in South Africa is categorized into sectors, primary, secondary and tertiary which are interlinked through a fine thread that determines the success of individuals. Thus, in this manner education within the various categories can contribute to the building of a united, peaceful, and democratic country (Wilson, 2006). This paper sketches the challenges faced by a young democracy and the initiatives that have been implemented to improve the status of education in South Africa

Characterizing the University of California's tenure-track teaching position from the faculty and administrator perspectives.

Teaching faculty are a potential mechanism to generate positive change in undergraduate STEM education. One such type of faculty is the Lecturer with Potential Security of Employment (L(P)SOE), a tenure-track faculty line within the University of California (UC) system. As a foundation for future studies, we sought to characterize individuals in the L(P)SOE position in terms of their background training, job expectations, and resources available for their success. Data were collected through an online survey completed by over 80% of STEM L(P)SOEs across the UC system, as well as interviews with over 20 deans and chairs in STEM departments at three UC campuses. From this work, we found that the majority of current L(P)SOEs were formally trained within their disciplines and not in an education field; however, they possessed substantial education experience, such as classroom teaching or participation in professional development opportunities. Expectations for time spent on teaching, research, and service are aligned between individuals within varying ranks of the L(P)SOE faculty and between L(P)SOEs and administrators. L(P)SOEs and administrators are also in agreement about what constitutes acceptable professional development activities. Interestingly, we identified differences that may reflect changes in the position over time, including increased start-up funds for more recently hired L(P)SOE faculty and a differing perspective on the role of discipline-based education research and scholarly activities between non-tenured and more senior L(P)SOEs. Overall, these data provide a snapshot of the L(P)SOE position that will aid in future work to identify the potential institutional impact of these individuals

Mixed-use development : a development case study

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2004.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references.by Christian Kem Gardner.S.M