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12 December 2018 | Story Thabo Kessah | Photo Thabo Kessah
Prolific Researchers
Qwaqwa Campus prolific researchers, Drs Tom Ashafa, Maria Tsakeni, and Rodwell Makombe flanked by the Vice-Rector: Academic and Research, Prof Corli Witthuhn(far left), and Acting Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research, Dr Jared McDonald(far right).

The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) on the Qwaqwa Campus recently presented deserving academics with awards in recognition of their innovative teaching and learning practices.

“These annual awards are aimed at encouraging our academics to put extra effort in their different disciplines, as well as making valued contribution towards the advancement of the scholarship of teaching and learning at the University of the Free State,” said Fred Mudavanhu, Deputy Director: Centre for Teaching and Learning.

“To be considered for an award, academics had to apply. The adjudication panel was made up of three reviewers – one each from the Qwaqwa and Bloemfontein Campuses, as well as an external adjudicator,” added Mudavanhu. The three categories were Departmental Awards, Research in Teaching and Learning, and Innovation in Teaching and Learning.

The winners were as follows:

Departmental Award – Sociology

Winners: Nhlanhla Ndlovu and Cebelihle Sokhela

Research in Teaching and Learning

Winner: Dr Maria Tsakeni (School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology)

Innovation in Teaching and Learning

Winner: Marthinus Delport (Industrial Psychology)

First runner-up: Marne van Niekerk (Accounting)

Second runner-up: Michaela Martin (Political Studies and Governance)

Third runner-up: Dr Cias Tsotetsi (School of Education Studies)

Meanwhile, the Academic and Research office also awarded outstanding researchers at the same ceremony. The winners were as follows:

Prolific Researchers

Faculty of Education – Dr Maria Tsakeni

Faculty of the Humanities – Dr Rodwell Makombe

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences – Dr Tom Ashafa

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences – None

Best Emerging Researchers

Faculty of Education – Dr Bekithemba Dube

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences – Marthinus Delport and Marne van Niekerk

Faculty of the Humanities – Dr Tshepo Moloi and Bianca Naude

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences – Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala

Lifetime Achievers

Prof Birhanu Dejene

Prof Rodney Moffett

News Archive

Accreditation status of the UFS School of Medicine
2016-06-14

This communication is a factual correction of the misinformation and accompanying hysteria that appeared in a local newspaper this past week on the accreditation status of programmes in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ School of Medicine. Here are the facts:
 
1. The flagship programme of the School of Medicine, the MB ChB, was fully accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) through the year 2020. This is the maximum accreditation status that any programme can achieve, and the UFS leadership is extremely pleased with this outcome, as it expresses confidence in the work done by our academics in the School of Medicine. Not only was the basic medical training for new doctors fully accredited, the HPSCA approved an increase in the number of trainee doctors from 140 to 160, and also approved additional training sites in Trompsburg and Kimberley.
 
2. The honours programmes of the School of Medicine received full accreditation as well.
 
3. All the master’s degree programmes in the School of Medicine also received accreditation. The UFS is especially pleased with the significant improvements in the Department of Cardiology, which now has a full complement of staff under the leadership of the highly regarded cardiologist, Prof Makoali Makotoko.
 
4. Four master’s programmes received provisional accreditation, which means that (a) these programmes continue to be taught and (b) outstanding issues, such as inadequate staffing, must be fixed. It does not mean that these programmes will be or are likely to be discontinued.
 
5. It is a fact that staff retire or resign in all schools and departments of any university. It is also true that these departures offer opportunities to bring new academic and professional staff into the UFS. In fact, for the first time virtually every department in the School of Medicine now has a full-time Head of Department and 46 new staff were appointed since January 2015.
 
6. The main employer of academic staff in the School of Medicine is the provincial Department of Health (DoH), and the UFS works very closely and persistently with the Free State DoH to ensure that vacant posts are filled.
 
7. The attacks on the integrity of the outgoing Head of the School of Medicine were malicious. Prof Alan St Clair Gibson did not resign ‘overnight’; his departure has nothing to do with the accreditation status of the School – in fact, he can be proud of this achievement; and he effectively takes up a promotion post in New Zealand as academic Dean at the University of Waikato. Prof St Clair Gibson will be remembered for his leadership in transformation, especially regarding staff and student equity in the School of Medicine, and for securing our programme accreditation. For this, the university is deeply grateful.

Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Telephone: +27(0)51 401 2584 | +27(0)83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27(0)51 444 6393

 

 



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