In
1925, this faculty - then still known as the Faculty of Commerce
and Administration - was officially established as an independent
faculty within the University of Stellenbosch and in 1926 the following
was recorded in the annals of the University of Stellenbosch: "Op
voordracht van den Senaat heeft de Raad besloten tot die daarstelling
van een Fakulteit van Handel". A BComm degree had already been set up
in 1922 and two students were registered.
The name of the faculty changed in the late eighties from Handel and Administration to Economic and Management Sciences.
The
establishment of this faculty was made possible by a generous donation
by the Cape "Helpmekaar" Association. In 1921, this association decided
to make a bursary of £150 per year for three years available to the
university with the view to training someone who could at a later stage
be appointed to the proposed Commerce Faculty. This bursary was awarded
to CGW Schumann, a man who would later became professor of economics
and dean and would leave deep footprints in the faculty.
Prof CGW
Schumann (on photo), who was appointed as a senior lecturer in
Economics in 1924, became dean in 1936. At the time of his retirement
in 1960, he had expanded the Commerce Faculty to one of the leading
faculties in the country. He can indeed be seen as the founder of this
faculty. Other faculty deans were Proff DEW Schumann (1975 -1985) IJ
van Biljon (1986 - 1989), SM Swart (1990 - 1995), JA Matthee (1996
- 2001) and E Calitz (2001-2002). The last mentioned was
succeeded by Prof JU de Villiers in 2003.
The
Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences has over time shown rapid
growth - from a mere 15 students in 1925, to 96 in 1942, to 282 in 1945
to 5 309 in 2001 - and since 1991, is the largest faculty within
the US. In 2006 the faculty had 6692 enrolled students.
Today, the Faculty accommodates the following institutions:
