Faculty Officer of Informatics and Design Jenny Penfold is the kind of person that students only get to know if something goes wrong.
“This is the go to office for students,” she says about her office in the Administration Building on the District Six Campus. From here she and the faculty team deal with graduation, student and academic queries from staff, students and the public.
She inadvertently fell into the management of the life of students after herself studying at the then Cape College for Advanced Technical Education in 1977. Penfold did a secretarial course and started working in the Department of Languages & Communication before moving to Fine Arts & Graphic Design as the institute became Cape Technikon.
“The university kept on changing, it keeps on changing,” said Penfold.
“It was like a home away from home,” she says about being promoted to senior administrative officer in the Registration Office. In the late 90s she became the faculty officer for the Design/Language/Education Departments and then watched with interest as the university created its current incarnation of faculties.
Penfold didn’t just stay in the admin building but got back into the classroom, obtaining a diploma in HR Management in 1997.
One thing she thinks that hasn’t changed over the years is the students. While registration numbers have more then trebled since she worked on the Bree Street Campus in the 70s “intrinsically students haven’t changed that much.
“First year students still have the same problems. They are green and dependent on information from us. When they reach second year their approach to us matures, but people remain the same.”
She recently picked up a certificate for 40 years of service at CPUT’s Long Service Awards but isn’t even contemplating retirement, she likes the work.
“I’ve been happy, I’ve enjoyed changes because it’s not a static job. I’ve really like the holidays,” she laughed.
Written by Theresa Smith
